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Who is a dentist? 

A dentist is a medical expert accountable for diagnosing and treating any oral or dental problems you may experience. Unfortunately, our mouth - one of the most significant parts of our body - is often disregarded and neglected in terms of proper care. It emphasizes oral hygiene during childhood.

Therefore, the role of a dentist becomes even more critical in ensuring proper oral care. Dentists are professionals with extensive training in oral health care. Depending on their degree and field of expertise, they are generally referred to by two different titles: DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine).

What does a dentist do?

A dentist's role encompasses various responsibilities, including promoting good oral hygiene practices. Dentists educate their patients about maintaining proper oral hygiene habits and lifestyle choices. They are also primarily responsible for identifying and treating issues related to teeth, gums, and other parts of the mouth. 

Based on the severity of the condition, a dentist may use specialized tools to perform various dental procedures. However, they collaborate with a team to ensure efficient and effective patient treatment.

A typical work day for a dentist may involve:

• Treating cavities and decay
• Removing plaque buildup
• Repairing or extracting damaged teeth
• Filling cavities or putting sealants
• Performing teeth whitening
• Fitting dentures, implants, bridges, etc.
• Undertaking root canal treatment
• Educating patients on proper oral hygiene practices
• Administering anesthesia
• Removing buildup or decay from the teeth
• Keeping track of the growth of teeth and jawbones

The American Dental Association recommends that dental visits begin before a child's first birthday. They can guide children and parents, offer preventive oral health services, and diagnose dental problems early. This continuous dental care will assist both children and adults in maintaining optimal oral health throughout their lifetime.

Educational qualifications of a dentist

The journey towards becoming a dentist involves rigorous training and education. Eligible candidates with a bachelor's degree in science or a related field enroll in dental school. In the first two years, they take biological science courses such as anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and pathology. Clinical practice takes center stage in the second and third years, where students, under supervision, diagnose and treat oral health issues. 

They must clear national and state clinical licensure exams to commence practice upon graduation. Dentistry offers twelve recognized specialties, with many dentists pursuing additional education for certification. These specialties encompass various aspects of oral health: 

• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics: Focuses on straightening and realigning teeth using braces and other dental tools. 
• Periodontics: Specializes in the care and treatment of conditions related to the gums. 
• Pediatric dentistry: Specializes in treating children and patients with special needs. 
• Endodontics: Cares for dental pulp and tooth nerves through procedures like root canals. 
• Prosthodontics: Uses bridges, crowns, and dentures to treat patients with missing or broken teeth. 
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery: Conducts procedures related to the oral and maxillofacial regions, including aesthetic surgeries. 
• Oral and maxillofacial pathology: Focuses on disorders affecting temporomandibular joints, salivary glands, facial muscles, and perioral skin. 
• Oral and maxillofacial radiology: Reviews and interprets diagnostic and imaging tests. 
• Dental public health: Specialists promote dental health awareness through research and community outreach. 
• Orofacial pain: This specialist diagnoses and treats pain conditions in the teeth, mouth, face, and neck. 
• Oral medicine: Utilizes medication to treat oral issues. 
• Dentist anesthesiology: Controls patients' pain, discomfort, and anxiety, ensuring their general well-being during procedures.

Common dental conditions

Visiting the dentist near you may benefit our oral health and provide insights into our overall health, as the mouth often reflects our body's condition. Here, we discuss various medical conditions that can manifest in your mouth:

• Tooth cavities: Tooth cavities, also known as tooth decay or dental caries, develop when plaque, a sticky, colorless-to-yellow film of bacteria, forms on the tooth's surface. Sugars in food transform into acids that damage and destroy enamel, the hard outer covering of teeth, creating a conducive environment for plaque to thrive.
• Gum disease: Plaque accumulation between and around teeth can lead to gingivitis, a mild gum disease that inflames and swells the gums. Periodontitis, which results in bleeding gums, painful chewing, receding gums, and tooth loss, can develop from gingivitis. Dentists typically prescribe antibiotics for tooth infections and perform deep-cleaning procedures, such as scaling and root planing, to remove tartar and plaque and reverse gum disease. Advanced periodontitis may require surgery.
• Tooth erosion: It is the result of food acids eroding tooth enamel. Acidic and sugary diets can exacerbate tooth erosion, and those with dry mouths are more vulnerable because there isn't enough saliva to wash the acid away. Maintaining a balanced diet and getting treatment for dry mouth or acid reflux are vital in preventing tooth erosion.
• Cracked or chipped tooth: Teeth can crack, chip, or break from grinding teeth at night, chewing or biting hard foods, or accidents and injuries. Symptoms of a chipped tooth include sudden sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, intermittent pain, and pain when chewing.
• Tooth sensitivity: People with this condition may experience discomfort and pain when consuming cold or hot foods. Tooth sensitivity occurs when enamel is damaged, allowing substances to reach the nerve endings. Using oral hygiene products for sensitive teeth and treatments like sealants and fillings can help alleviate this condition.
• Oral cancer: It includes any cancer found in the mouth, such as the lips, tongue, tonsils, and oropharynx. Common symptoms are sores and lumps that do not heal. Reducing the risk of oral cancer involves not smoking, avoiding smokeless tobacco, and limiting alcohol consumption. Early diagnosis, often achieved through regular dental checkups, makes this cancer curable.

Are orthodontists and dentists the same? 

Dentists and orthodontists receive similar education, but orthodontists must complete additional certifications before practicing. Dentists typically obtain a pre-dentistry or pre-medical degree in college before attending graduate school for dentistry. Like all doctors, they must undergo extensive training, including completing a residency and passing a comprehensive exam for certification. The first two years of dental school consist of classroom and lab work, while the last two years involve working with patients under licensed supervision. 

After completing dental school, dentists must pass the National Dental Examination to become licensed. Similarly, orthodontists typically pursue a pre-dentistry or pre-medical major before attending dental school. After completing dental school and the certification exam, orthodontists usually enroll in a two—to three-year residency program to obtain specialized specialization in orthodontics. The American Board of Orthodontics states that orthodontists can start practicing after completing additional certification tests.

Diet and oral health: what to avoid

Poor dietary habits can negatively impact oral health by contributing to tooth decay, enamel erosion, and gum disease. Here's how specific foods and drinks affect your teeth:

• Sugary foods and drinks - Items like candy, soda, cake, and other sweet treats fuel harmful bacteria in the mouth, encouraging plaque buildup and creating an acidic environment that weakens enamel.
• Sticky and chewy sweets - These kinds of candy tend to cling to the teeth, extending sugar exposure and increasing the likelihood of cavities.
• Citrus fruits - Though rich in vitamin C, fruits like lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are highly acidic and can slowly erode enamel, potentially causing sensitivity and decay.
• Starches - Foods such as bread, chips, and crackers convert to sugar due to the action of saliva in our mouth, promoting bacterial activity and plaque formation.
• Carbonated drinks - Even those labeled sugar-free often contain acids that wear down the enamel around the teeth, leading to tooth sensitivity and decay.
• Dried fruits - These snacks are naturally high in sugar and tend to stick to teeth, heightening the risk of cavities.
• Alcohol - Consuming alcohol can dry your mouth, resulting in decreased saliva flow—which is vital for washing away food particles and bacteria.

To prevent diet-related damage to your teeth and a visit to a dentist near you, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends the following practices:

• Mindful eating - Consume sugary items during main meals, when saliva production is naturally higher. It helps neutralize acids and clean the teeth more effectively.
• Healthy snacking - Choose nutritious, low-sugar snacks and limit how often you eat between meals. Chewing sugar-free gum after snacking can also help increase saliva and clean the mouth.
• Stay hydrated - Drinking lots of water, especially fluoridated water, helps fight cavities. When drinking bottled water, check the label for fluoride content.
• Brush regularly - Brushing your teeth twice every day with fluoride toothpaste will keep your teeth healthy.
• Floss daily - Flossing every day helps remove any plaque or food particles from your teeth, reducing the risk of decay and gum issues.

Should you visit an orthodontist or a dentist?

Your dentist can be compared to a general practitioner, while an orthodontist is a specialist. You should visit the best dentist near you for the most common dental issues, such as tooth pain, decay, repair, extraction, gum disease, oral inflammation, and infections. However, certain cases, such as jaw malocclusion, tooth crowding, and palate expansion, may require the expertise of an orthodontist, and a referral may be necessary. 

It is recommended that an orthodontist evaluate children before the age of 7 to determine if they need braces. Adults who suspect they have a misaligned jaw or teeth may also directly seek care from an orthodontist. However, it is imperative to note that not all orthodontic care has insurance coverage, and some plans may require a referral from a dentist before covering visits to an orthodontist.

Finding the best dentist near you in Mount Vernon, Washington

Zocdoc is a website that can help you find the best dentist near you in Mount Vernon, Washington. It is a search engine that enables you to find top-rated doctors in your area. You can type "dentist in Mount Vernon, Washington" in the search bar, and Zocdoc will scan millions of entries to display the best dentists for you. The search results are customizable, allowing you to filter by specialty, location, appointment availability, zip code, and insurance plans. This way, you can narrow your options to find a dentist who best suits your needs.

If you have several insurance plans, you may quickly add health, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account. It's crucial to remember that you can only look up and schedule an appointment with one insurance plan at once. In the last step of the booking procedure, you can mention your secondary carrier and plan for the provider if you have different insurance plans in the remarks section. Additionally, you can add secondary insurance when completing your online forms if your provider uses Zocdoc's Intake forms. For additional questions about insurance, see the patient help center at Zocdoc.

Each dentist listed on Zocdoc has a detailed profile with information about their education, experience, years of practice, and additional certifications. It helps you select the doctor that best fits your needs. Zocdoc also recognizes the importance of credibility in the medical field. Patients can post authentic and recent reviews of their experiences with each dentist, allowing you to make informed decisions about who to see.

Zocdoc is a convenient, free, and secure way to find the best dentist near you, find the one who best suits your needs, and book an appointment directly.

Dental statistics in Mount Vernon, Washington

As of 2021, the American Dental Association (ADA) reported approximately 201,117 active dentists practicing in the United States. Of those dentists, about 80% were general practitioners, while the remaining 20% were specialists such as orthodontists, oral surgeons, and pediatric dentists.

In terms of gender, the dental profession has historically been male-dominated, but that has been changing in recent years. According to the ADA, as of 2019, about 34% of all dentists in the United States were female.

America's Health Rankings' 2022 edition, detailing dental visits by women in Washington, indicates that in the past year, around 69.2% of women aged between 18 and 44 visited a dentist. This was slightly higher than the national average of approximately 65.5%. 

Sources

Healthline

WebMD

American Dental Association

America's Health Rankings

Webster Dental

Medical News Today

Healthline

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.