What is dentistry, and who is a dentist?
Dentistry is a branch of medicine that emphasizes the early detection and management of oral conditions and disorders, including those affecting the mouth's soft tissues, teeth, and supporting structures. Dentistry focuses on maintaining proper oral health and preventing oral diseases. Moreover, dentistry offers an opportunity to help create a better environment for communities, as good dental health is essential to overall wellness.
Dentists are medical practitioners who specialize in teeth, gums, and the mouth. Their responsibilities include diagnosing and treating pain and discomfort and preserving patients' dental health and wellness. Additionally, they are skilled in using cutting-edge technology in their procedures.
Dentists treat all types of patients, regardless of their age. A competent dentist is also approachable, reliable, and detail-oriented. Dentists most commonly work at a private dental office, independently or with partners. Some dentists also serve as associate dentists at more established facilities. They lead a dental group of dental hygienists, technicians, and assistants.
Conditions that dentists treat
The majority of oral health issues are treatable and curable at early stages. These include:
- Tooth decay: This happens when plaque builds up on a tooth's surface and reacts with the sugars in foods and beverages to create acids that gradually destroy the tooth. Continued over-consumption of sweets, insufficient fluoride exposure, and failure to brush plaque away can result in discomfort and, occasionally, tooth loss and infection. Professionals also refer to tooth decay as dental caries.
- Periodontal or gum disease: This impacts the tissues that support and surround the teeth. Pain, bleeding or swollen gums (gingivitis), and poor breath are symptoms of the condition. When the disease is more severe, the gum can separate from the tooth and its supporting bone, resulting in teeth becoming loose and, eventually, falling off. Poor dental hygiene and long-term cigarette use are the leading causes of periodontal disease.
- Total tooth loss: this is also known as edentulism and is more frequent in older people. However, young people also suffer from it sometimes. In most cases, losing teeth results from a lifetime of oral disease, primarily advanced dental caries and severe periodontal disease. However, accidents, injuries, and trauma are also common causes.
- Oral cancer: This includes lip and oropharynx cancers. Males and older persons are more prone than women to acquire oral cancer, and men's fatality rate is higher. The level of severity also varies greatly depending on economic factors. Use of areca nuts (betel quid), alcohol, and tobacco are some of the leading causes of oral cancer.
Other significant oral health issues include orofacial clefts, noma (cancrum oris), and oro-dental trauma. Due to increased urbanization and modifications in living conditions, the prevalence of oral disorders continues to rise. Apart from the common causes, these conditions worsen when the community has limited access to oral health care services.
What happens during a dental visit?
An appointment with a dentist usually begins with an initial consultation and diagnosis. The process of diagnosis includes various modalities, and the provider may recommend the most appropriate one depending on the condition at hand. Most dental diagnosis involve X-ray examinations. X-rays are an essential tool for new patient appointments and regular visits. These scans allow the dentist to thoroughly examine the teeth, gums, and supporting bone structures.
If you are someone who does not visit a dentist frequently, you are likely to have more tartar buildup on teeth and around the gumline. Hence, be prepared to undergo the hygienist's deep cleaning session on your first dental appointment. If you have sensitive teeth, ask the dentist or hygienist about numbing options to reduce pain before the treatment. It may be unpleasant to have tartar removed, but it is necessary to prevent disease and ensure good breath. Your teeth may ache and bleed a little as the dentist examines them and looks for anomalies in the gums. However, this examination should only last for a short time.
There is no need to fear if your dentist diagnoses an oral disease because you are already halfway to resolving problems with your dentist's help. Regular follow-up visits will become more pleasant once you develop healthy oral practices following your appointments.
After the appointment, your mouth may become sore. However, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers for this discomfort. Calling the office between appointments if you have any questions or if your jaw or teeth hurt is also wise.
How can you identify a dental emergency?
A dental emergency, as defined by the American Dental Association (ADA), is a group of potentially life-threatening situations that need immediate attention to stop an infection from spreading, control bleeding, and relieve a patient from severe pain. A dental emergency is any problem that impacts the teeth and surrounding supporting structures and can lead to biological, aesthetic, or functional complications if left untreated. It is important to note that not all dental emergencies are life-threatening. The following are some common dental emergencies people experience:
- Traumatic dental emergencies: Traumatic injuries like fractures, avulsions, and luxations may happen by the direct or indirect impact on the teeth or surrounding tissues. Falls, sports injuries, physical violence, and traffic accidents can cause traumatic dental emergencies.
- Infectious dental emergencies: Most dental infections begin with cavities and are highly preventable. Dental conditions like pulp necrosis, periodontitis, tooth abscesses, and pericoronitis can cause bacterial spread into the neck, facial sinuses, and brain, resulting in life-threatening infections and airway compromise. Complications like Ludwig's angina and sepsis have been linked to untreated tooth infections. However, dental infections are localized and can be easily treated if detected in their early stages.
- Postoperative dental emergencies: Bleeding for eight to twelve hours after a dental extraction procedure is typically seen in patients with congenital bleeding disorders, systemic diseases affecting hemostasis, or in those on anticoagulation medications.
If you have symptoms such as painful toothache or broken teeth, your first step should be to contact an emergency dentist near you or a dental practice that provides emergency treatment after hours. If you cannot locate a dentist, go to the urgent care center or emergency room nearest you.
When to go to the hospital for a dental emergency
Whether you need to go to a hospital or a dentist's clinic depends on the type of injury you have sustained and its severity. Specific dental emergencies involving the jaw, mouth, or face may require you to visit a hospital. Some of these include- jaw fractures, jaw dislocation, severe cuts or lacerations on the face and mouth, and an abscess or infection that is very swollen or hinders normal breathing or swallowing functions. In such cases, you must either call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
For emergencies like chipped or knocked-out teeth that cause heavy bleeding, you may visit an emergency dentist near you or the ER. No matter your situation, do not hesitate to contact your nearest provider. While you may manage some dental emergencies at home, you must consult a medical professional to prevent any further damage to your dental structures.
How to find the best dentists near you in Peoria, Illinois?
Dental conditions or issues can be emotionally upsetting, devastating to one's social life, and functionally limiting. Moreover, situations such as a broken tooth or bleeding gums require immediate dental attention. Hence, consider finding a qualified and trusted dentist to maintain and improve your dental health. If finding the right dentist seems challenging, use Zocdoc to simplify the task.
Zocdoc allows you to find top-rated dentists within seconds. Using the platform's user-friendly interface, you can locate doctors in Peoria who accept your insurance. Details about each dentist and their practice are available on their Zocdoc provider profile. You can read about their clinical areas of specialty, the languages they are fluent in, their gender, hospital affiliations, and a lot more. You can also get to know their educational background, honors, fellowships, board certifications, publications, etc.
Furthermore, verified customer reviews will help you to learn more about a particular dentist. Once you choose the best dentist near you who meets your requirements, book a virtual or an in-person appointment.
All bookings on Zocdoc are quick, cost-free, and secure.
Statistics related to dentists and dental health in Peoria, Illinois
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2021, Illinois had approximately 3,830 general dentists in the state, ranking 6th nationally. Peoria has roughly 130 general dentists.
According to America's Health Rankings, roughly 68.4% of adults in Illinois reported annual dental visits in 2020. As per the same report, more women accounted for yearly dental visits, with almost 69.3%. Meanwhile, males accounted for approximately 67.5%. Older adults visit a dentist more frequently. Within the age group of 45-64, nearly 71% of adults visit the dentist regularly. Of the age groups 18-44 and 65 plus, only 67.8% and 65.7%, respectively, undergo regular dental check-ups.
Sources
American Dental Education Association[1]
American Dental Education Association[2]
Cleveland Clinic[1]
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
World Health Organization
WebMD
America's Health Rankings
National Center for Biotechnology Information
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Healthline
Mouth Healthy
Verywell Health
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