Who is a dentist?
A dentist is a medical professional who expertly diagnoses and treats conditions affecting the teeth, mouth, and gums. Dentists specialize in dental medicine and are qualified to conduct oral surgical procedures. Their primary role involves detailed assessment and evaluation of the oral cavity to provide proper preventive interventions and effective treatment.
Unlike other medical professionals who practice alone, the dentist practices with a team of health professionals, including dental hygienists, dental assistants, and lab technicians. The dentist's supervision of the clinical team is crucial to ensure effective and safe oral care. Dentists use modern equipment and the latest dental technology, such as x-ray machines, scalpels, brushes, drills, and other medical tools, to perform optimum dental procedures. Dental teams also use protective gear, including safety glasses, masks, and gloves, to prevent the spread of bacteria or germs.
What is the role of the dentist?
Apart from gums and the tooth, dentists are responsible for the treatment of the neck, jaw, and head muscles, the head and neck nervous system, the salivary glands, and the tongue. During a detailed oral examination, dentists also look for swellings, lumps, ulcers, and any abnormality or discoloration in the mouth.
Under appropriate conditions, dentists can perform diagnostic tests to ascertain the presence of infections and chronic diseases, oral cancer, and salivary gland dysfunction. A dentist is equipped with adequate training to spot early warning signs or symptoms in your mouth that may indicate the presence of disease in a different part of the body. They can even identify conditions that require a dental physician or specialist referral for optimum patient care. Dentists can also guide parents and children on good oral health practices.
Such continual, comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective dental care will help adults and children maintain good oral health.
Why is oral health important?
Oral health matters and is crucial for overall good health and well-being. Oral diseases, including dental cavities, tooth decay, and gum diseases, are widespread among children and adults. These conditions can even cause oral infection, tooth loss, and pain if left untreated and undiagnosed.
According to America's Health Rankings, one in four adults reported untreated cavities in the USA. Almost half of the adult populace above 30 years reported signs of periodontal disease in the USA. Dental sealants can prevent nearly 80% of back teeth cavities in children. High dental care costs are the most common reason most people in the USA don't opt for a dentist visit.
Early preventive dental visits could preempt a majority of oral health problems. Most underlying health issues, such as eating disorders and immune disorders, are closely linked to an individual's oral health. In most cases, the dentist's diagnosis of an oral cavity issue is an early indication of an underlying health issue.
The dentist conducts comprehensive oral examinations, diagnoses oral diseases, promotes optimum oral health, creates treatment plans, guides with oral disease prevention, manages oral trauma, and performs oral surgical procedures.
Avoiding treatment or ignoring dental problems can lead to significant complications which could potentially be life-threatening. Therefore, it is best to visit the dentist or the dental clinic when you first notice any issues with your oral health. Regular dental visits can help manage any long-term dental conditions and save you costs related to emergency room treatments or non-emergency dental care in the future.
Periodontal or gum disease and oral infections are mainly linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and respiratory disease. Dentists can help detect such underlying ailments early through an oral examination. Therefore, you must regularly visit a dentist near you to ensure good health and well-being.
How do you maintain your oral health?
Most dentists recommend practicing preventive care to avoid dental problems. It involves adopting healthy habits to lessen the chance of developing dental conditions such as cavities, gum diseases, and tooth loss. You can maintain optimal oral health by exercising the following practices:
A thin, sticky layer of bacteria, called plaque, develops on the surface of your teeth every day. It can cause damage to the hard layer keeping your teeth in place, called enamel. Brushing your teeth helps to remove them before it can lead to tooth decay or cavities. You should brush your teeth at least twice daily using fluoride toothpaste, with short back-and-forth strokes and small circular motions. Remember to replace your toothbrush every three to four months.
Bad breath is primarily due to a plaque build-up on your tongue. Therefore, you should also clean your tongue after brushing your teeth. It will freshen your breath and keep your mouth clean. You can clean it with a dedicated tongue cleaner or use your toothbrush gently.
Small food particles can often get stuck between your teeth, which a toothbrush may not always be able to clean. Therefore, you should floss your teeth to remove them. It can help prevent tooth decay from leftover food.
Include a mouthwash at the end of your daily oral care routine. It helps to freshen your breath further and lessen the chances of dental problems. You can enhance its effectiveness by using a fluoride mouthwash.
Eating certain foods or adopting some habits in daily life can impact your oral and overall health. You should avoid or limit your intake of sugary foods and drinks. Quitting smoking, chewing tobacco, and alcohol is also beneficial for your dental and overall health.
Schedule an appointment with a dentist near you at least once every six months. Some dental problems may not be noticeable to you, but dentists can detect them before they worsen. They can identify various dental issues and provide appropriate treatment for oral health needs.
How to find the best dentists in Greenville, South Carolina
Visiting a dentist is crucial to your overall good health and well-being. If you already have a health plan, choosing an in-network dentist can save you money. Your ideal dentist will accept your insurance, be available when needed, and offer you a say in your healthcare decisions. But how do you find such a qualified and experienced dentist from endless online profiles, websites, and directories? The answer is simple: Log in to Zocdoc.
With Zocdoc, you can easily find the best and most experienced dentists near you in Greenville, South Carolina, that suit your healthcare requirements. So, create a free account on Zocdoc. Next, type in your condition or symptoms, location, and preferred appointment date. A comprehensive list of doctors based on your search criteria will appear. If you have insurance, simply include your insurance carrier's name in the search, and the website will show you the best dentists who accept your plan.
At Zocdoc, we believe in long-term, trustworthy patient-doctor relationships. All of our dentists have unique profiles on Zocdoc, where you can read about their educational qualifications, board certifications, clinical interests, expertise, experience, and spoken languages.
Thanks to our dentists' profiles, user ratings, and verified patient reviews, you can make an informed decision when choosing a dentist. You may even filter the search results by gender if you're specifically looking for female or male dentists in Greenville, South Carolina.
You can also book video appointments on Zocdoc before an in-person visit to better understand your dentist's treatment style. Look for a purple video icon on dentists' profiles or filter the video appointment selection.
Book appointments in real-time with dentists near you who accept your insurance. Booking appointments with providers on Zocdoc is simple, secure, and free!
Statistics on dental visits, preventive dental care, teeth extractions South Carolina USA
As of September 2022, South Carolina has about 49 dentists and advanced practice dentists per 100,000 people, lower than the US average of 61 dentists and advanced practice dentists per 100,000 people.
In 2020, about 67.7% of adults in South Carolina reported visiting a dental clinic or a dentist, slightly higher than the US average of approximately 66.7% for the same year. A higher percentage of women reported dental visits in one year (South Carolina - 70.9%, USA - 67.5%) compared to men (South Carolina-64.2%, USA-62.0%). About 69.2% of adults in the 18-44 age group in South Carolina reported dental visits in 2020, which was higher than the US average of 62.6% and the highest among other age groups, according to America's Health Rankings Website.
Between 2020-2021 (two-year estimate), about 77.5% of children in the 1-17 age group reported one or more preventive dental care visits annually, higher than the US average of about 75.1%. In 2020, about 15.9% of adults in the 65+ age group in South Carolina reported having all teeth removed due to gum disease or tooth decay, higher than the US average of about 13.4%. A higher percentage of South Carolina men in the 65+ age group reported all teeth extraction (17.2%) compared to women(14.8%). The sheer prevalence of dental issues only reinforces the need for expert dental care.
Sources
Maine Dental Association
WebMD
America's Health Rankings[1]
America's Health Rankings[2]
America's Health Rankings[3]
America's Health Rankings[4]
America's Health Rankings[5]
National Institute on Aging
Mayo Clinic
