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Who are dentists?

Dentists are highly skilled medical professionals who help with dental and oral health issues. One of their most important responsibilities is to promote good oral hygiene, which can help reduce the likelihood of problems in the mouth or other body parts. A dentist can diagnose and treat mouth, teeth, and gum diseases. They also deal with oral traumas and injuries.

What do dentists do?

A dentist near you can expertly offer the following treatments:

1) Preventive dentistry

Dentists protect teeth and gums from disease-causing bacteria and provide preventative care before problems occur. These treatments include:

• Dental examinations: Regular dental visits enable the dentist to examine your mouth for cavities and gum disease and look for signs of other health conditions. Most people recommend going to the dentist twice a year. It is essential to make regular visits whether you are facing any immediate issues or not.
• Tooth cleaning: Teeth cleaning is part of oral hygiene and involves removing plaque from teeth to prevent tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis.
• Dental X-rays: Dentists use dental radiographs to diagnose hidden tooth structures, malignant or benign masses, bone loss, and tooth decay.
• Fluoride treatments: Fluoride varnish is used as a dental treatment to help prevent, slow, or stop the development of tooth decay. It has fluoride, a mineral that helps strengthen tooth enamel (the outer coating of teeth). 
• Sealant administration: A dentist puts a plastic layer on the biting surfaces of teeth, typically the rear ones, such as premolars and molars, to avoid tooth decay.

2) Restorative dentistry

Dentists also perform restorative procedures to repair or replace damaged or missing teeth, such as:

• Tooth filling: These are metals, plastics, glass, or other materials used individually or in combination to repair or restore teeth. One of the most common uses of dental fillings is to fill holes or cavities in the teeth.
• Crown fitting: The dentist places a cap over the damaged tooth, called a crown, to cover, safeguard, and repair teeth when fillings cannot resolve the issue.
• Dental implant: Most dental implants, which hold the base of a knocked-out tooth in place, are made of titanium, although others are ceramic.
• Dental bridge: If a person has one or more missing teeth, the dentist can utilize a dental bridge to fill the gap by placing one or more prostheses (dentures).

3) Dental emergency care

Many dentists offer 24-hour emergency care, which includes the following:

• Route processing or root canal therapy: This dental procedure relieves pain caused by infected or abscessed teeth. It removes the inflamed pulp of the tooth. The dentist cleans and disinfects the tooth's inner surface and fills it with a space sealant.
• Extraction: This is a method of completely extracting the tooth from the alveolar bone.
• Treatment of avulsed tooth (knocked-out tooth): When a permanent tooth is lost, it leads to tooth avulsion. Accidents and injuries can lead to tooth loss. 

What do dentists treat?

A dentist near you is skilled at extracting teeth, repairing cracked teeth, whitening, filling, and bonding teeth. They also monitor the growth and development of jaws and teeth. In addition, they can fill cavities, treat gum diseases such as gingivitis, and place crowns and veneers. They also ensure the safe administration of anesthetics.

Dentists use modern instruments and technology when performing dental surgery, such as X-ray machines, scalpels, drills, lasers, brushes, and other medical tools. They also use protective gear like gloves, masks, and safety glasses to avoid spreading diseases or germs. 

What is the education and training of dentists?

Dentists complete a four-year pre-dentistry or pre-medical degree before enrolling in dental school. They take at least one year of college-level biology and general and organic chemistry courses. They then pass a Dental Admission Test (DAT) to enroll in an accredited dental school. 

The dental school typically lasts four years, with the first two years spent in class and the lab. 

Aspiring dentists spend the last two years gaining clinical experience by helping patients under the supervision of a licensed dentist. They receive a Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS) or a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DDM) after graduating from dental school (DMD). After this, they must pass the National Dental Examination to become licensed professionals. 

Many dentists become general practitioners. However, some may pursue additional training to specialize in a specific field. As a result, depending on the specialty area, they may have to complete a postgraduate residency.

What are the different subspecialties of dentists?

The National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialities and Certifying Boards recognizes 12 dental specialties. Given below is a list of the different dental subspecialties to help you find the right provider for your aches, pains, and other dental needs: 

• Orthodontists: These specialists treat teeth and jaw issues, such as poorly positioned teeth, tooth spacing, and bite problems. 
• Endodontists: They focus on treating and preventing diseases in the dental pulp and surrounding tissues. They aim to save the natural tooth and prevent the need for a dental implant.
• Periodontists: Their expertise lies in identifying and managing diseases affecting the bones and gum tissues that support the teeth.
• Oral and maxillofacial surgeons: They perform surgery to address soft and hard tissue problems in the mouth, jaw, or face. They also perform wisdom tooth extractions.
• Oral and maxillofacial pathologists: They are skilled in diagnosing and performing surgical treatments for conditions affecting the jaw, mouth, or face tissues.
• Dental anesthesiologists: They specialize in alleviating anxiety and pain through local anesthesia, advanced sedation, and general anesthesia.
• Oral and maxillofacial radiologists: They specialize in producing and interpreting images to diagnose facial, jaw, and mouth conditions.
• Dental public health specialists: They promote dental health through public education, community efforts, program administration, and applied research.
• Pediatric dentists: They specialize in diagnosing, treating, and preventing dental health problems in infants, children, and adolescents.
• Oral medicine specialists: They diagnose and manage oral diseases and conditions in medically complex patients.
• Orofacial pain specialists: They diagnose, manage, and treat pain in the head and neck, including temporomandibular joint and neuropathic pain disorders.
• Prosthodontics specialists: They deal with teeth replacement and restoring missing tooth structure.

What health choices can one make to enjoy good oral health for life?

Maintaining oral health enables one to eat comfortably, have a confident smile, and enjoy good self-esteem. It is possible to achieve these benefits by making simple lifestyle modifications and adopting oral hygiene practices such as the following:

• Invest in proper oral hygiene products, such as a soft-bristled toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, dental floss, tongue scraper, and antibacterial mouthwash. 
• Brush your teeth at least two times daily for about two minutes—right after waking up and before bed. 
• Practice the correct brushing technique—brush slowly in circular motions on your teeth's outer, inner, and chewing surfaces. Avoid rigorous back-and-forth movements when brushing.
• Floss at least once a day to clean in between your teeth. 
• Scrape your tongue to remove the white and yellow coating that forms on it over time.
• Gargle with a mouthwash after you complete your dental routine every day.
• See a dentist near you for routine dental exams and cleanings. Additionally, see them immediately if you experience dental symptoms such as toothache, bleeding gums, loose teeth, or tooth sensitivity.
• If you are pregnant, diabetic, or have a family history of oral diseases, you must have more frequent dental checkups.
• If your medications are causing dry mouth, you must inform your doctor and ask for alternatives to safeguard your dental health.
• Avoid candies, carbonated drinks, refined carbohydrates, tea, coffee, and other foods that are harmful to your teeth.
• Eat a balanced diet rich in crunchy fruits and vegetables, dairy products, nuts, whole grains, meat, and fatty fish.
• Rinse your mouth with water after every meal to eliminate any food leftovers that may be stuck.
• Keep yourself well-hydrated throughout the day.
• Quit tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs. If needed, seek a doctor's help to do so.

Rare dental conditions parents should know about

Supernumerary teeth or hyperdontia

Hyperdontia is when there are extra teeth, typically in the upper jaw. Most cases involve just one additional tooth, but sometimes these extra teeth remain in the gum rather than fully erupting. This can lead to delayed eruption of other teeth, overcrowding, and crooked alignment. Dentists often suggest removing these extra teeth, though orthodontic treatment may also be an option.

Talon cusps

A talon cusp is a small, cone-like growth that appears at the back of a tooth, often leading to issues like:

• Malocclusion or a misaligned bite
• Crowding, which affects the growth of nearby teeth
• Irritation to the gums, cheeks, or tongue
• Plaque buildup in the groove between the cusp and the tooth surface

Since a talon cusp may or may not contain pulp, dentists must proceed with care. Typically, they will grind down the cusp, but a root canal may be necessary if it contains pulp. This condition can also appear in adults, so it's something to monitor over time.

Geminated teeth

Gemination occurs when two teeth grow from a single tooth bud, creating an unusually large or misshaped tooth with two pulp chambers but just one root. This can cause a misaligned bite, make the area prone to decay, and lead to overcrowding in the mouth. If the geminated tooth isn't overly large, dentists might advise leaving it alone to see if it naturally sheds. However, if it interferes with surrounding teeth, extraction may be recommended.

How can you find the best dentist near you in Mount Prospect, IL?

Maintaining good dental health can directly impact your overall health. Thus, routine dental visits are crucial. However, finding a dentist best suited to your medical needs can take time and effort and may cause delays in your visit. But worry not; with Zocdoc, you can easily find the best dentists in Mount Prospect. Zocdoc is committed to connecting patients with the best providers possible.

On the Zocdoc website, you can enter your condition, preferred location, date, and insurance plan. Furthermore, you can use the built-in filters to refine your search for doctors based on gender, hospital affiliations, and whether or not they treat children. You can make real-time appointments with dentists who accept your insurance plan. You can even use Zocdoc's insurance checker if you need clarification on your insurance plan. 

If your insurance plan isn't shown on Zocdoc, you can upload a photo of your medical insurance card (this option isn't available for vision or dental cards). We'll scan the card image to identify your plan. If you run into issues uploading, contact our support team. For additional questions about insurance, you can also check out Zocdoc's insurance page.

Zocdoc promotes transparency by displaying all the information about the specialist, such as their qualifications, experience, areas of expertise, certifications, licenses, etc. Zocdoc also gathers reviews from the patients, which are regularly updated. You can check these verified reviews and ratings to select the top-rated dentist near you. You can also schedule video consultations on Zocdoc. To do so, look for a purple-colored video button on the practitioner's profile or filter the search results for video availability.

All the appointments on Zocdoc are easy, free, and secure!

Dental health statistics in Illinois

According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), about 68.4% of adults in Illinois went to a dentist in 2020, whereas 31.6% did not. The National Center for Biotechnology Information shared data on active dentists in different states of the US, indicating that there were approximately 8,564 professionally active dentists in Illinois in 2019. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health Data Brief reported that more than four out of every ten third-grade children in Illinois (41.6%) had dental cavities in 2018-19. Cavities cause permanent damage to teeth, forming small holes that indicate either past treatment for tooth decay or ongoing untreated decay.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that tooth decay or gum disease has caused all the natural teeth to be lost in about 15.7% of Illinois adults aged 65 and older. In addition, in 2020, approximately 31.9% of Illinois adults aged 65 and above lost six or more teeth due to gum diseases or tooth decay.

Thus, Illinois adults can benefit from regular visits to dentists, which allow them to detect early signs of diseases or treat worsened conditions. Dentists also perform professional dental cleanings for gum disease and other issues to remove all traces of tartar, plaque, and bacterial products and help keep teeth and oral cavities healthy.

Sources 

WebMD

Cleveland Clinic[1]

Cleveland Clinic[2]

Healthline

Mouth Healthy

American Dental Association

National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards

Oral Health Illinois

National Center for Biotechnology Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[2]

Mayo Clinic

Illinois Department of Public Health

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Colgate

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.