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Dentist in Edmonton | Different Roles In Dentistry Industry
The Tooth Doctor has been serving Edmonton and area families for many years now. Dr. Peter Yoo is the founding owner and operator of The Tooth Doctor. It is his mission to save as many teeth as possible for as long as possible for as cheap as possible. He is enthusiastic about helping the whole family and even opened three clinics to be able to serve more patients. There are two clinics in Edmonton and one in Tofield. The clinics have extended hours in the evenings and on weekends.
Dr. Yoo believes every person from very young to very old deserves excellent dental care. Something else that makes him unique is that he will offer a second opinion on what can be done for your dental health with no obligation.
Dr. Yoo and all his staff are highly trained and in fact are constantly learning and applying the latest techniques. All three clinics are housed with the latest equipment and technology to help patients get the best dental care. Children are special clients for The Tooth Doctor, since Dr. Yoo is a father to four young boys himself. He has a great rapport with children and makes even the most nervous child feel less fear when they visit. He is great at explaining what he is doing which alleviates any anxiety the patient might feel in the dentist chair no matter what age they are.
Having the right staff with excellent dental and people skills is of utmost importance to The Tooth Doctor. Do you understand the separate roles in dentistry of the staff in a dental clinic? Each staff member has an important part in your dental health. This includes the front desk administrator to the dentist. We will discuss some of the more known roles to ones that are more specialized.
The main role in the office
The general dentist is the hub of the dental clinic, and it takes many years of training at dental school to earn that title. From there, the dentist puts in a year or more of supervised work. The main jobs of the dentist are routine dental check-ups, fillings, and some cosmetic treatments. Many dentists like to take their training further by becoming specialized in a certain field and thus the need to go to school for further education pops up.
Dr. Peter Yoo is a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and is passionate about learning and training. He is constantly adding to his skills and expertise.
Important support staff roles in dentistry
Another role that is especially important in the dental clinic is the dental hygienist. This person is responsible for cleaning teeth, teaching patients how to properly care for their teeth and mouth, taking x-rays and providing fluoride treatments.
Dental assistants are another key role in the dental clinic. They take care of many duties in the clinic and alongside the dentist and dental hygienist. They collect patient data, prepare, and maintain dental instruments and equipment, and prepare the materials used in dental treatments such as composites, amalgams, and cements. They prep the patient for procedures or surgery.
They assist the dentist with fillings, crowns, extractions and more. They are known to make dental impressions and when the patient is all taken care of and gone, they are responsible for post procedure cleanup, no matter what treatment has been performed.
Do you understand the fundamental differences between an orthodontist, periodontist, endodontist, prosthodontist, and an oral surgeon? Did you know there were that many titles in the dentist line up? We will cover these specialties in more detail.
Specialties Roles In Dentistry Profession
An orthodontist helps correct the position of your teeth, so they are aligned in the most ideal way for biting and chewing. This dentist helps diagnose, prevent, and manage poorly positioned teeth and jaws so that the patient has an aligned bite pattern. This is not just for aesthetics but to fix the quality of the bite and in turn help the teeth last as long as possible. If teeth are straight the bite will not cause extra wear and tear, and they will be easier to keep clean.
A periodontist is a special dentist that treats periodontal disease. This is also known as gum disease. This inflammatory disease affects the gums, bone and connective tissue that support the teeth. This type of dentist works to prevent, diagnose, and treat the gums and bone so you do not experience tooth loss.
An endodontist is another roles in dentistry, it is unique in that this special dentist treats the inside of your teeth where the pulp is. This pulp is what gives your tooth life. It can be affected and become inflamed if you have severe decay or trauma. This dentist essentially ‘saves your teeth.’ If they are unable to treat the damage done inside the tooth they will often recommend a root canal to keep the tooth intact.
A prosthodontist specializes in restoring the teeth. This dentist’s job is to restore damaged or missing teeth with the use of crowns, bridges, veneers, dental implants, or dentures. What sets the prosthodontist apart from the general dentist is their abundance of experience since this is what they do exclusively.
An oral surgeon has many extra years of training to get them to this level of dentistry. They specialize in treating problems that affect the neck, head, face, jaw, and teeth. Procedures like jaw surgery or fixing a cleft lip or palate as well as removing wisdom teeth that have not erupted yet are done by an oral surgeon. They may also offer treatments like dental implants or bone grafting. Some are even known to treat certain mouth cancers.
Every roles in dentistry and staff member of the dental clinic has an important job. The goal is to improve the quality of life for the patient no matter what age they are by preserving a natural toothy grin. When natural is not possible anymore these professionals have expertise in offering treatments and products that are as close to the real thing as possible so that the patient can still enjoy life while showing a confident smile.