Not everyone knows that there is a fundamental difference between a dentist and a dentist. Today we will talk about the nuances of professions.
A dentist is a doctor with a higher medical education who has graduated not only from university, but also to a resident along with an internship. A dentist is a specialist in the treatment of diseases and injuries of teeth and other organs of the maxillofacial region. The profession includes several areas. Dentists are:
- therapists;
- surgeons;
- orthopedists;
- periodontists;
- orthodontists.
Current specialists often go beyond their specialization and receive additional training. For example, a general practitioner will be able to treat gums, taking into account the availability of appropriate education and extensive knowledge.
As for the dentist, he is a specialist with a secondary medical education. He has the right to practice medical activity at the level of certain indicators. A doctor can treat teeth without any serious complications, for example, the initial stages of caries.
There is also a dental technician profession. Many draw an analogy between him and a dentist, but this is fundamentally wrong.
A dental technician is a highly qualified specialist who is an employee of a dental laboratory. He helps in the development of dental implants, dental models, prostheses, orthodontic structures, etc. The doctor selects the most suitable materials, as well as the necessary fasteners.
The history of the development of the dentist profession
The profession of a dentist has ancient roots and a rich history. The Maya tribes also tried to fight tooth decay and “drilled” their teeth with metal tubes, and instead of a seal they inserted a small gem into the hole. However, in those days dentistry was not as in demand as it is now. People ate only natural foods, and suffered significantly less from dental pathologies.
The concept of dental hygiene first appeared in ancient Egypt 5 thousand years ago. Even then, the Egyptians used toothpaste made from crushed pumice stone, eggshells, ashes of burnt ox intestines and myrrh. They also made prosthetics and fixed them in their mouths with gold wire. Implants were made of solid materials or animal teeth were used.
Since the first beginning of the development of medicine, dentists have been engaged not only in improving the condition of the oral cavity, but also acted as healers and healers. Soreness was eliminated with the help of mixtures of various herbs, trying to preserve the tooth. However, if this did not help, then the tooth was removed without anesthesia, because in those days dentists did not have modern capabilities.
In the XVII century, these rather cruel conservative methods were replaced by innovations introduced by a talented doctor-inventor from France – Pierre Fauchard. It was he who invented the first gold crowns, fillings and even a dental chair. Pierre Fauchard wrote a book on the topic of dentistry, in which he spoke about the features of therapeutic measures.
Already in the XVIII century, anesthesia was developed and tested for the first time on a person. Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) was used as an analgesic, which provoked fainting.
A century later, dentistry has become even more developed. In the XIX century, they learned to kill the dental nerve with arsenic. It was this period that became the peak of the development of this medical section. New innovations appeared, making the dental treatment procedure more comfortable and effective. Even then it was believed that a good dentist should provide first aid and alleviate the suffering of the patient. However, of course, the methods of the past centuries cannot be compared with the real scientific breakthroughs of our time.
In modern dentistry, more and more attention is paid to the prevention of dental diseases and the detection of diseases at an early stage. After all, it is much easier to cure a tooth at the beginning of the disease, and a timely prevention program will exclude the occurrence of dental diseases.
There are technologies that allow you to grow new teeth, in case it is not possible to save the natural ones. The latest equipment and materials, modern medical knowledge allow us to provide care to patients at the highest level.
The development of dentistry took place not only in terms of technology. A change in the attitude to dental treatment, the separation of dentistry into an independent medical direction led to the development of a new attitude to teeth among the population. There is a demand for the services of a dentist not only for emergency treatment, but also for routine prevention, restoration and care of teeth and dentures. There are new specializations of dentists:
doctor on duty – provides emergency assistance, as a rule, the office of the doctor on duty works around the clock
therapist
hygienist
prosthetist
implantologist
surgeon
orthodontist
children’s dentist
The complexity of treatment technologies, the amount of necessary knowledge, increased requirements for the qualification of a dentist also contributes to the division of the general concept of a dentist into specializations. One person is physically unable to fully master all types of dental care. Therefore, modern clinics necessarily have doctors of different specializations in their composition, and when a patient applies, all specialists participate in the preparation of a treatment plan, unless, of course, it is not a simple caries.
Pediatric Dentist
It is worth noting that pediatric dentistry, as an independent direction, appeared relatively recently. For a long time, children were not even told about dental treatment, it was believed that milk teeth should not be treated. However, many children need treatment at a very early age, and sometimes it becomes necessary to remove baby teeth when they do not fall out on their own or are affected by various diseases. Special attention should be paid to children’s teeth during the change of baby teeth to permanent ones. As a rule, this is the age from 5 to 12 years, when there is a gradual change of teeth. The health and functional qualities of permanent teeth are largely determined during this period.
Any general dentist has the right to treat children. Many specialists additionally study the basics of child psychology in order to find an approach to the child and carry out procedures without causing psychological trauma. This is especially true for procedures such as tooth extraction in children. A good pediatric dentist is obliged to establish contact between himself, the child and his parents, to come to an understanding. With young children, dentist games help well. The scenario being played out should remove the possible fear of the child, make the procedure of visiting the dentist habitual, form an understanding of the importance of dental health control in the child.
