Though we go to our general dentist all the time, one thing that not everyone considers is the fact that the dentist is the one that handles most of our oral health issues. How is it that one dentist is responsible for treating and diagnosing so many of our problems without the help of specialists and other doctors? After all, dentistry is a very broad field, but most of the time, people only ever visit a regular dentist. The answer is quite simple, much of the care that a dentist provides is designed specifically to help them diagnose and treat dental problems.
There are plenty of dental specialists out there, but they are typically only brought in when the situation requires their special expertise, and the dentist will do everything they can to keep it from getting that far.
One of the first things you do when you first meet with your dentist is to discuss your entire oral health history and the likelihood of your developing certain conditions. Knowing this information and your history is what helps a dentist prevent certain issues from recurring or happening in the first place.
Our oral history contains information about our family, our previous health concerns, and any issue relating to our oral health that might cause a concern.
Part of a general dentist's job is to manage patients' health and refer them to specialists if necessary. This means that they have to have extensive knowledge of the types of conditions a person can develop in their mouths. Gum disease, cavities, broken teeth, oral cancer, and more are all possible, and so preventing these problems comes down to knowing what causes them and what to do about them.
This is what makes the dentist such a critical part of oral healthcare, having so much knowledge about dentistry that they can look for and oversee the treatment of all these different possible problems.
One final way that a dentist detects and treats our oral health issues is through the use of routine exams and cleanings. Exams look for any potential issues as early as possible, and cleanings try to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Everyone should get a routine exam and cleaning at least twice a year to help with the detection and prevention of dental problems.
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As you can see, a general dentist has to have a lot of information and training to be able to keep up with people’s oral health. That allows them to prevent and treat most issues without the need for help from outside specialists and other dentists. By collecting our oral health history, learning about the different issues that can happen to a person, and performing routine checkups and cleanings, the dentist is able to make sure we stay healthy year-round.
Request an appointment or call Davis & Dingle Family Dentistry at 803-567-1804 for an appointment in our Columbia office.
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