You may be wondering, what does a dentist actually do? Apart from taking care of your teeth, there are many things that you may not be aware of that a dentist actually does or can do that make him/her a vital member of society.
The activities that a dentist can be involved in include the following services:
1. Oral Health Care
• Cosmetic dental procedures help give you the beautiful smile that you deserve. A healthy smile goes a long way in making you feel confident and more productive as a member of society.
• Dentists help restore damage to teeth caused by accidents or by disease and ailments such as gum disease.
• Dentists help correct crooked, misaligned, cracked or poorly spaced teeth.
• Reconstruction: Dentists can replace lost or totally damaged teeth through implants dentures and bridges.
• Dental Specializations: Dentists are of different skill sets and specialize in the different aspects of oral health such as surgery, radiology, orthodontics and such. All this is in order to give you the best possible care to your specific needs in a more comprehensive way.
2. Prevention of Oral and General Health Issues through Public Education:
• General health care: A dentist is part of a society’s front line health care providers. Dentists are important to you because they provide information and guidance on nutrition, specifically oral health care and this is an important part of the general health and well-being of everyone in a society.
• As part of a team of health care practitioners, dentists refer to and get referrals from other health practitioners like physicians, community health workers, and psychologists.
• Education: Dentists make you aware of oral hygiene by making society aware of what the general ailments in a community or a society are. They also inform you on what to do or not do to stay healthy.
They can do this trough TV and internet commercials, radio infomercials, newspapers and magazines and public speaking engagements.
• Community Service: Dentists also lend their knowledge to the general public through expert evidence in court trials and in identifying individuals through dental records.
3. Detection of Systemic Diseases
• Did you know that oral health has a direct link to diseases and ailments such as cancer and diabetes? Dentists can often detect early enough if you are predisposed to getting a stroke.
4. Research and Development
Dentists have to stay ahead of oral health care needs of a society and as such have to continuously update their skills through continual research and learning, necessitated by modern science and improved technology.
5. Business Management and Leadership
Dentists employ other professionals involved in oral health such as lab technicians, dental hygienists, assistants and receptionists.
A dentist also has to manage his/her practice as a business entity and thus has to be involved with financial management, marketing, interpersonal skills and technology to manage a successful enterprise.
A dentist, as highlighted, is more than a person who takes care of your teeth; he/she is a very important member of society. Woe unto any community that doesn’t respect or have any dentists in its midst.
If you would like to become part of this very important dental team be sure to visit DDS Connections and get hired by the best, and help society with your valuable skills.
