Types of dental care providers
Your general dentist helps you maintain good oral health by providing preventive services such as checkups, cleanings, and fillings. When a dental issue requires additional care or special treatment, your dentist may refer you to a dental specialist. Here is a list of the different types of dental care providers:
- Endodontist: Diagnoses and treats diseases and injuries of the dental pulp/nerve. An endodontist performs root canal treatments and other types of surgical root procedures.
- Oral Surgeon: Performs surgical procedures that involve the face, mouth, and jaw area including simple and complex extractions involving removal of soft tissue or overlying bone or remaining roots, impacted teeth (especially wisdom teeth), soft tissue biopsies, removal of tumors and implant placement.
- Orthodontist: Diagnoses, intercepts, and treats malocclusions, or "bad bites," of the teeth and surrounding structures. Straightens a patient's teeth by moving the teeth through bone using bands, wires, elastics, headgears and other fixed or removable appliances or retainers.
- Pedodontist or Pediatric Dentist: Diagnoses and prevents dental issues in children from infancy through the teen years (including those with special health needs) and detects, treats, or refers (as needed) problems with decayed, missing or crowded/crooked teeth.
- Periodontist: Diagnoses, treats, and prevents diseases of the gums and bones of the teeth (both natural and man-made teeth) including gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis (gum and bone disease). A periodontist may perform simple and deep pocket cleanings, root planning and implant placement.
- Prosthodontist: Repairs natural teeth and/or replaces missing teeth using crowns (caps) and/or artificial teeth. A prosthodontist may perform crowns, fixed bridges, partial dentures, full dentures, overdentures and implant placement.
Use our convenient Find-A-Dentist search tool to find an in-network dentist or specialist near you!