Dentistry

From Wikinfo

Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the dental profession. For tooth care, see oral hygiene.
File:Dental surgery aboard USS Eisenhower, January 1990.JPEG
A Dentist and Dental Assistant perform surgery on a patient.

The World Health Organisation defines Dentistry as "the science and art of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases, injuries and malformations of the teeth, jaws and mouth". A dentist is a healthcare professional qualified to practice dentistry after graduating with a degree of either Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent), Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc), or Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) or (B.Ch.D) or equivalent. In most western countries, to become a qualified dentist one must usually complete at least 4 years of postgraduate study. Generally, 2 years of clinical experience working with patients in an educational setting are required.

The first dental school, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, opened in Baltimore, Maryland in 1840. Harvard Dental School was the first dental school to affiliate with a university in 1867 (renamed Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1940.)

Contents

General dentistry

General dentistry is the only non-speciality field of dentistry. General dentists typically do not focus their clinical practice on any particular discipline within dentistry, and instead provide basic care within a variety of disciplines. However, they can (and often do) further their training in one or more speciality areas (such as surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, etc.). Hence, there can be a great deal of variation between the level of skill in different disciplines from dentist to dentist, however all dentists must achieve a certain degree of skill in various disciplines in order to graduate from dental school and earn licensure. General practitioners, unlike specialists, have the luxury of choosing which services they will provide and which they will refer to specialists. It is important to note that most general practitioners perform restorative, prosthetic, routine endodontic therapy, routine periodontal therapy, and simple exodontia, as well as performing examinations. Others are comfortable treating more complex cases, as well as placing implants and extracting third molars...among many other procedures frequently referred to specialists. Contrary to popular belief, most dentists do not regularly clean teeth, and instead delegate this task to their support staff (e.g. dental hygienists).

Specialities

File:Teeth model front.jpg
Development of teeth sculpture is a major improvement among dentistry.

In addition to general dentistry, there are 9 recognized dental specialties in the US, Canada, and Australia. To become a specialist requires one to train in a residency or advanced graduate training program. Once residency is completed, the doctor is granted a certificate of specialty training. Many specialty programs have optional or required advanced degrees such as (MD/MBBS specific to Maxillofacial Surgery), MS, or PhD.

Specialists in these fields are designated registrable (U.S. "Board Eligible") and warrant exclusive titles such as orthodontist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, endodontist, pedodontist, periodontist, or prosthodontist upon satisfying certain local (U.S. "Board Certified"), (Australia/NZ: "FRACDS"), or (Canada: "FRCD(C)") registry requirements.

Two other post-graduate formal advanced education programs: General Practice Residency (advanced clinical and didactic training with intense hospital experience) and Advanced Education in General Dentistry (advanced training in clinical dentistry) recognized by the ADA do not lead to specialization.

Special category: Oral Biology - Research in Dental and Craniofacial Biology

Other dental education exists where no post-graduate formal university training is required: cosmetic dentistry, dental implant, temporo-mandibular joint therapy. These usually require the attendance of one or more continuing education courses that typically last for one to several days. There are restrictions on allowing these dentists to call themselves specialists in these fields. The specialist titles are registrable titles and controlled by the local dental licensing bodies.

Forensic odontology consists of the gathering and use of dental evidence in law. This may be performed by any dentist with experience or training in this field. The function of the forensic dentist is primarily documentation and verification of identity.

Geriatric dentistry or geriodontics is the delivery of dental care to older adults involving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of problems associated with normal ageing and age-related diseases as part of an interdisciplinary team with other health care professionals.

Veterinary dentistry, a speciality of veterinary medicine, is the field of dentistry applied to the care of animals [2][3].

History

File:Johann Liss 002.jpg
Farmer at the dentist, Johann Liss, c. 1616-17.

Evidence has been found of teeth having been drilled dating back 9,000 years. [1] The people of the Indus Valley Civilization, even from the early Harappan periods (c. 3300 BC), had knowledge of medicine and dentistry. A physical anthropologist that examined exhumed bodies from that time period, Professor Andrea Cucina from the University of Missouri-Columbia, made the discovery when he was cleaning the teeth from one of the men. Stone age people in India and Pakistan were using dental drills made of flint 9,000 years ago. [2][3]

Some information contained in the Edwin Smith Papyrus dates as early as 3000 BC and includes the treatment of several dental ailments. [4][5] Hammurabi's Code contains some references to dental procedures and fees[6]. The Ebers papyrus also discusses similar treatments.[7] Examining the remains of some ancient Egyptians and Greco-Romans reveal early attempts at dental prosthetics and surgery.[8]

File:Medieval dentistry.jpg
Medieval dentist extracting a tooth. London; c. 1360-75.

Historically, dental extractions have been used to treat a variety of illnesses. During the Middle Ages and through the 19th century, dentistry was not a profession into itself, and often dental procedures were performed by barbers or general physicians. Barbers usually limited their practice to extracting teeth, which not only resulted in the alleviation of pain, but often cured a variety of ailments linked with chronic tooth infection. Instruments used for dental extractions date back several centuries. In the 14th century, Guy de Chauliac invented the dental pelican (resembling a pelican's beak) which was used through the late 18th century. The pelican was replaced by the dental key which, in turn, was replaced by modern forceps in the 20th century.

It is said that the 17th century French physician Pierre Fauchard started dentistry science as we know it today, hence he was named "the father of modern dentistry". Among many of his developments were, the extensive use of dental prosthesis, introducing dental fillings as treatment for dental caries and stating that sugar derivate acids like tartaric acid were responsible for dental decay.

Dentistry throughout the world

Main article: Dentistry throughout the world

Organizations

Brazil

  • Conselho Federal de Odontologia [9]
  • Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgia e Traumatologia Bucomaxilofacial [10]
  • Faculdade de Odontologia da UFPa [11]
  • Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo [12]
  • Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Ibirapuera [13]
  • Sociedade Brasileira de Estomatologia e Patologia Oral - Brazilian Society of Stomatology and Oral Pathology [14]
  • Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica / Brazilian Society of Dentistry Research [15]
  • Associação Brasileira de Radiologia Odontológica / Brazilian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology [16]

Canada

Costa Rica

  • Colegio de Cirujanos Dentistas de Costa Rica [21]
  • Universidad de Costa Rica: Facultad Odontologica [22]
  • Universidad Latina de Costa Rica [23]

Fiji

Dental Association of Fiji

Germany

  • German Dental Association [24]

Hong Kong

  • Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong [25]
  • The Hong Kong Dental Association [26]
  • The Dental Council of Hong Kong [27]

India

Ireland

  • Irish Dental Association [32]
  • Dental Health Foundation [33]

Israel

  • Israel Dental Association [34]

Macedonia

  • Macedonian Dental Association [35]
  • Dental Chamber of Macedonia [36]
  • Faculty of Dentistry, Skopje [37]

Malta

  • Malta Association of Dental Students [38]

Mexico

  • Asociación Dental Mexicana [39]

Miscellaneous

  • American Veterinary Dental College [40]
  • European Veterinary Dental College [41]

Netherlands

  • Associatie Nederlandse Tandartsen (ANT) [42]
  • Nederlandse Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Tandheelkunde (NMT) [43]
  • Dutch association of dental hygienists (NVM) [44]
  • Dutch association of denturists (ONT) [45]
  • Dutch association of wholesalers in dentistry (VGT) [46]

Nigeria

  • Nigerian Dental Association

Portugal

  • Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas
  • Sociedade Portuguesa de Estomatologia e Medicina Dentária
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Mestrado em Medicina Dentária(Viseu)

Philippines

  • Philippine Dental Association [47]
  • Filipino-Chinese Dental Foundation, Inc.

Romania

  • Colegiul Medicilor Romania [48]

Slovakia

  • Slovak Chamber of Dentists [49]
  • Association of Dental Hygienists in Slovak Republic [50]
  • Slovak Chamber of Dental Technicians [51]

South Africa

  • South African Dental Association [52]

Sweden

Taiwan

  • Taiwan Dental Association [53]
  • Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China [54]
  • Taipei Dental Association [55]
  • Taichung Dental Association [56]
  • Kaohsiung Dental Association [57]
  • Taiwan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry [58]
  • ROC Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons [59]
  • Taiwan Association of Orthodontists [60]

United Kingdom

United States

See also

 Dentistry Portal
There may be material at Wikiversity where you can learn more and teach others about Dentistry at:
File:Tooth Section.svg
Sagittal section of a tooth

References

  1. ^ news.bbc.co.uk [1]
  2. ^ BBC News. Last Updated: Thursday, 6 April 2006
  3. ^ Coppa, A. et al. 2006. "Early Neolithic tradition of dentistry: Flint tips were surprisingly effective for drilling tooth enamel in a prehistoric population." Nature. Volume 440. 6 April, 2006.


Further reading

External links


Template:Dentistry Template:Medicine


Reference

Retrieved from "http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Dentistry"