Ten Dental Health Care Plan Providers
Written by admin on Friday, September 5th, 2008 in Dental health care.
Many different dental health care providers can be involved in an overall dental health care plan.
General Dentist
A general dentist is the primary dental provider in a dental health care plan. These doctors have a DDS or DMD. Three years of undergraduate work and four years graduate work is required for general dentistry.
Dental Public Health Clinic
Dental public health clinics are used by dental health care plans to promote dental health through organized community efforts. These clinics administer various dental care programs with a goal of prevention. Services offered by a clinic include:
Finding a dentist
Developing dental care programs
Providing information and answers to common questions
Providing oral health resources
Endodontist
This is the dental specialist who treats the dental pulp or tooth nerves. They diagnose, and treat injuries or diseases by performing simple to difficult root canals or other surgical procedures. This is the dentist used by dental health care plans when in need of root or nerve ending treatment.
Oral Radiologist
A radiologist is the oral health care provider who specializes in the production and interpretation of all types of X-ray images and data that are used in the diagnosis and management of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral and maxillofacial region.
Oral Medicine
This specialized doctor is brought in by dental health care plans to treat medically complex patients through integration of both medicine and oral health care. This field includes:
Oral cancer
Complex medical patients prior to open-heart surgery
Chemotherapy
Hospital patients
Oral Pathologist
The oral pathologist is the specialist who studies the causes of diseases which affect the oral structure, parts of the face and neck. This includes the teeth, lips, cheeks and jaws. This specialist is brought in by dental health care plans to diagnose the following:
Biopsy
Tissue or Lesions
Oral Surgeon
An oral surgeon is the doctor who performs surgical procedures in and around the face, mouth and jaw. Dental health care plans use these specialists to treat accident victims and other reconstructive or implant surgery. Other areas which fall into this specialty:
Tooth extractions
Impacted teeth
Removal of tumors
Jaw realignment or repair
Orthodontist
This is the specialist who deals mainly with fixed or removable corrective appliances for such conditions as:
Bad bites
Crowded, missing or extra teeth
Jaws which are out of alignment
This specialist is used most often by family dental health care plans covering children needing braces and other appliances.
Pediatric Dentist
A pediatric dentist is usually a part of a family dental health care plan specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of dental considerations for toddlers up to young adults. This dentist receives at least two additional years of training in the special needs of children’s dentistry.
Periodontist
The Periodontist is the specialist of the dental health care plan who treats issues of the gums, bones and teeth. This specialist performs the following services:
Root Planing
Crown Lenthening
Gum or Bone Grafting
Gingivoplasty
Hard Tissue Recontouring
Implant Placement
Prosthodontist
This specialist uses dentures, caps, or ceramic crowns to replace missing or extracted teeth. The prosthodontist is also involved in dental implants as well as artificial replacements for the face and jaw.
Dental health care plans provide for many oral services using any combination of the specialists listed above.
