Who are dentists, and what are their responsibilities?
Dentists are licensed healthcare professionals trained to diagnose, treat, and manage diseases of the teeth and mouth. They educate people on maintaining dental hygiene and preventing problems in the mouth. Dental professionals are crucial in spotting various health problems, managing treatment, and referring patients to the appropriate experts since oral and systemic health diseases are intertwined.
Apart from the teeth, they also study the gums, tongue, supporting structures around the teeth, and the surrounding structures in the neck region. They mainly teach patients how to keep their mouths clean and germ-free. They commonly clean the plaque buildup in and around the teeth, clear and fill the cavities caused by decay, fix or extract the damaged teeth after administering local anesthesia, and fill minor teeth defects with sealants. In children, dentists are responsible for monitoring the growth of teeth and jaws and treating them according to the patient's needs.
They practice in hospitals and also own private practices. The dental team, which consists of dental assistants, lab technicians, and dental hygienists, assists dentists in carrying out their duties.
Education and subspecialties of a dentist in the US
A licensed dentist in the U.S. completes four years of an undergraduate degree in a related field of dentistry, such as chemistry, biology, or health. Later, they cleared the dental admissions test and finished four years of dental school, including non-clinical and clinical training.
Once done, they clear all the written and practical exams to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) degree. They become board-certified by clearing the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), which is optional. Some dentists study further for one to three years and earn a residency degree in the subspecialties of dentistry. Some typical dental specialties include:
- Endodontics studies problems involving the teeth' roots, dental pulp, and surrounding tissues.
- Periodontics focuses on the health of gums, supporting ligaments, and jaw bones.
- Pedodontics deals with all the conditions that affect the teeth and mouth in children and adolescents.
- Prosthodontics replaces damaged or missing teeth with partial and complete dentures, crowns and bridges, and dental implants.
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons specialize in reconstructing the mouth, face, and surrounding structures of the neck through surgical methods.
- Dental and maxillofacial radiologists study dental imaging techniques in detail and help diagnose complex conditions in the head, face, and neck regions.
- Dental and maxillofacial pathologists, on the other hand, study oral diseases as a whole. They understand the causes, nature, and effects of dental problems on the mouth and other systems of the body.
- Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics study the methods used to manage the alignment of teeth and the growth of jaw bones.
- Dental public health educates people on preventing oral diseases and maintaining oral health.
When should you see a dentist near you?
Even if you have no issues, a routine dental check-up every six months is a preventive measure everyone must follow. Other common reasons patients visit dentists are discomfort in the teeth, gums, jaws, or mouth and swelling in the mouth, face, and neck region. Pain, swelling, and bleeding gums are signs of infection, and dentists are experts at treating these conditions.
They also provide preventive care and diagnose and treat conditions affecting the teeth and other parts of the mouth. Therefore, a dental appointment might be helpful if you want to get your teeth cleaned, correct minor cracks, learn how to maintain good oral hygiene, and monitor symptoms of dental illness at home.
In addition, they are among the first medical professionals to recognize and treat the symptoms of oral cancer and recommend patients to experts. Hence, make an appointment with them if you discover lumps or patches in the mouth and its surrounding areas, inexplicable discomfort or numbness, trouble chewing or swallowing, or a rapid change in voice — since these symptoms might indicate the presence of oral cancer.
Which foods are bad for your teeth?
Food and beverages can cause plaque buildup, eventually leading to cavity formation and tooth decay. While these foods need not be avoided entirely, eating them in moderation can help prevent tooth erosion.
Some common foods considered bad for your teeth include the following:
- Sodas and sweet beverages: All carbonated drinks, including diet sodas, contain sugar, which allows plaque to produce more acid in the mouth. It can often lead to tooth enamel erosion. Sodas also tend to dry the mouth, leading to lesser saliva production and worsening the decay process.
- Refined foods and white bread: When we chew bread, the saliva in our mouth breaks down the starches into sugar, which can cause cavities. Additionally, starchy foods also tend to stick between teeth. Less refined carbs, like whole grains, are much better alternatives for improving oral health.
- Citrus fruit juices, including lemon, grapefruit, and orange juice containing vitamin C, are healthy to consume. However, citrus juices are highly acidic, which can cause tooth enamel to erode. Rinsing the mouth after drinking acidic fruit juices can help avoid cavities.
- Sugary cereal and baked goods: These products contain a high quantity of sugar, which may not be the best to start the day. Instead of eating ready-to-eat breakfasts and cereals, you can switch to a low-sugar breakfast like oatmeal and fruit.
- Sweet, sticky, and sour candies: These added sugars can feed harmful bacteria in the mouth, causing the enamel to break down. Sour candies may also contain acids that are tougher on the teeth. Sticky candies tend to remain in the teeth if not brushed out properly. These factors lead to cavity formation and tooth decay.
- Alcohol: Frequent alcohol consumption can dry out the mouth and lessen the production of saliva, which is required to wash away food particles and prevent them from sticking to your teeth.
How to improve your child's oral health?
Dental cavities, or tooth decay, are children's most common dental ailments. If left untreated or ignored, cavities can lead to severe complications such as infection and toothache, resulting in eating, speaking, and learning issues. Children with poor oral health miss school more often and achieve lower grades in exams than students with no dental problems.
According to the data published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, about 50% of adolescents in the 12-19 age group have cavities in at least one of the permanent teeth. More than 50% of children in the 6-8 age group have holes in at least one of the primary or baby teeth. However, fluoride varnish or treatment reduces the risk of cavities in baby teeth by almost 33%.
Establishing healthy oral practices in young children can easily prevent dental cavities before their first tooth appears. If a child is made aware at an early age of the causes of holes in teeth, their harmful effects, and how to avoid them, it can help the child prevent cavities from developing in the teeth in the future.
Child oral hygiene best practices
For babies
- Wipe their gums twice daily with a clean, soft cloth after the first feeding in the morning and before going to sleep. It helps wipe out the sugars and bacteria that may cause cavities.
- When the teeth come out, brush them twice daily with a soft baby toothbrush and plain water.
- Visit a pediatric dentist near you when your baby completes one year to check for any signs of cavities.
- When the first set of teeth appears, talk with the dentist about applying fluoride varnish to your child's teeth. Consult the pediatric dentist on using a fluoride toothpaste for brushing if your child is below two years of age.
For children
- Brush teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
- Parents must help their child brush their teeth until they learn proper brushing skills. If the child is under six years old, parents must watch them brush their teeth and teach them the best brushing practices.
- Please encourage your child to drink tap water, as it contains fluoride.
- Ask the pediatric dentist near you to apply dental sealants to your child's teeth when required.
Rare dental conditions parents should be aware of
- Supernumerary teeth (Hyperdontia)
Hyperdontia is the presence of extra teeth, most commonly found in the upper jaw. In most cases, there is only one additional tooth, though sometimes these extra teeth don’t fully erupt and stay within the gum. This can cause issues like delayed eruption of other teeth, overcrowding, and misaligned teeth. Dentists often recommend removing these extra teeth, but orthodontic treatments might also be an alternative.
A talon cusp is a small, cone-shaped growth on the back of a tooth. It can cause a range of problems, such as:
- Misaligned bites (malocclusion)
- Crowding, which affects the development of nearby teeth
- Irritation of the gums, cheeks, or tongue
- Plaque buildup in the groove between the cusp and the tooth surface
The dentist near you must handle this condition carefully, as the cusp may or may not contain pulp. Generally, the treatment involves grinding down the cusp. However, if pulp is present, a root canal might be needed. Talon cusps can also occur in adults, so ongoing monitoring is essential.
Gemination happens when two teeth grow from a single tooth bud, resulting in a large, irregularly shaped tooth with two pulp chambers but only one root. This condition can lead to bite misalignment, increased risk of decay, and overcrowding in the mouth. If the geminated tooth is not significantly oversized, dentists may suggest monitoring it to see if it sheds naturally. However, if it disrupts surrounding teeth, extraction might be necessary.
Finding the best dentist near you in Springfield, Massachusetts
When searching for a dentist, you must look for someone who can do more than just teeth cleaning. They should be knowledgeable and experienced in handling all types of dental emergencies. So, now comes the question - How to find a good dentist?
You can start by registering on Zocdoc — a platform that allows you to filter the dentists near you based on many variables, such as your location, signs and symptoms, preferred date, and dental insurance. If your insurance plan isn’t shown on Zocdoc, you can try uploading 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, feel free to reach out to our support team. For additional questions about insurance, you can also check out Zocdoc’s insurance page.
When you input these details into the search box, Zocdoc will rapidly scan its entire database and offer you the most suitable results.
All dentists on Zocdoc have a profile page that contains all the vital information about them, like their training and qualifications, affiliations, accreditation, certifications, specializations, experience, and awards. The profile also has verified patient ratings and reviews. You can further narrow the search results based on language, age, gender, whether or not they treat children, etc.
Once you have found a good pediatric dentist near you, you can book a virtual or an in-person appointment based on the doctor's availability. All bookings on Zocdoc are fast, free, and secure!
Statistics on dentists and oral problems in Springfield, Massachusetts
According to the May 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on employment and wage estimates, the city of Springfield in Massachusetts had about 220 practicing licensed general dentists. Springfield's location quotient was nearly 0.92, lower than the national average. (location quotient is the ratio of dentists in Springfield and the U.S.). The same report stated that around 540 qualified dental hygienists and 800 licensed dental assistants were practicing in the city.
Based on findings from 2021 America's Health Rankings data, about 73.3% of adults in Massachusetts had a dentist or dental clinic visit in the past year. Females (around 75.8%) had more visits than males(about 70.6%). People aged 45-64 had more visits(about 77.7%) than those aged 18-44 (about 70%) and 65+ (about 73.7%).
According to the 20th issue of "Oral Health Access and Equity in the Commonwealth" report taken from the research provided by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, as of 2017, one out of every four adults in Massachusetts, even when they had medical insurance, did not have proper dental coverage. In 2019, about 16.6% of the residents in Massachusetts did not visit a dentist for some oral issue, the sole reason being the cost of dental treatment.
The same report stated that in 2019, there were nearly 52,843 visits to the emergency department with the complaint of an oral condition. Of these, around 29,118 visits were for non-traumatic dental diseases, which comprised about 55.1%which later decreased to about 12.5% in 2017.
Sources
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Healthine[1]
Healthine[2]
Colgate
