Dental Insurance
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Dentistry is the practical application of knowledge of dental science (the
science of placement, arrangement, function of teeth) to human beings. A
dentist is a professional practitioner of dentistry. In most countries, to
become a qualified dentist, one needs several years of training in a
university (usually 4-8) and some practical experience working with actual
patients' dentition. The patron saint of dentists is Saint Apollonia, martyred
in Alexandria by having all her teeth violently extracted, not, one would have
thought, such a very desirable exempla.
In the United States, dentists obtain either a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree
after 4 years of postgraduate education. (That is, another 4 on top of the 4
years of an undergraduate college.)
There are nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental
Association - The American Dental Association or the ADA is an American
advocacy group that promotes good tooth care - (http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/specialties/definitions.asp)
and require 2-6 years of further formal university training after dental
school. The specialties are orthodontics (straightening of teeth), oral and
maxillofacial surgery (extractions and facial surgery), pedodontics (treatment
for children), periodontics (treatment of gum disease), prosthodontics
(replacement of missing facial anatomy by prostheses such as dentures, bridges
and dental implants), endodontics (root canal therapy), dental public health
(study of dental epidemiology and social health policies), oral and
maxillofacial radiology and pathology (study of oral and dentally related
diseases). Specialists in these fields are designated registrable (U.S.
"Board Eligible") and warrant exclusive titles such as orthodontist,
oral surgeon, pedodontist, periodontist, or prosthodontist upon satisfying
certain local (U.S. "Board Certified") registry requirements. |
