Your dentist, or dental surgeon, is a health professional who has studied dentistry. At the end of the 5th year, he opted for the short cycle and obtained a state diploma in dental surgery.
He is the one you consult for your annual follow-up, your scaling, the care of your cavities or who offers dental quotes for more important work. But, in some cases, he can direct you to colleagues who have opted for a dental specialization during their third cycle.
What is the scope of each dental specialty?
This decision to use the services of one of these specialized dental professions can be justified by the complexity of the treatment, the need to use a very precise technique or the demand for more advanced expertise.
Here are the different specialized dental professions:
To summarize, we can say that the maxillofacial surgeon makes the diagnosis and treats all pathologies, injuries and anomalies of the mouth, jaw and teeth .
Endodontics is a dental specialty that deals with the internal structure of the tooth. The endodontist will be consulted for all treatments concerning the dental pulp and the roots of the teeth .
It is, for example, he who will take care of the excision of the pulpal nerve, the disinfection of the canals and their obturation in the event of devitalization of a tooth.
The implantologist
It is this specialist who will place the dental implants . These are titanium screws that are intended to replace the roots of missing teeth in the jaw bone. He can also practice periodontology.
The orthodontist
It is perhaps one of the most well-known dental specialties and which requires the subscription of a dental mutual . Indeed, a large number of children undergo orthodontic treatment to correct the alignment of the teeth. The installation of a dental device is not reduced to an aesthetic approach. The malocclusions resulting from this bad arrangement of the teeth can affect essential functions such as chewing, breathing, phonation, etc.
However, the coverage of this dental care by the Health Insurance evolves according to the patient’s age. It is 100% when the patient is under 16 at the start of treatment.
Please note: 100% coverage of orthodontic care by Health Insurance does not mean that the patient will not have any outstanding costs. This dental reimbursement rate does not apply to the invoiced price but to a base rate set by social security. However, the prices charged by orthodontists are generally higher. It is therefore necessary to take out complementary health insurance with sufficient guarantees in terms of orthodontics.
The periodontist
It is involved in the treatment of gum disease and periodontal tissue , that is to say all the tissue that supports the tooth (bone tissue, cement, etc.).
It will intervene in case of recurrent gingivitis, but also for bone grafts or dental implants.
Your dentist may also refer you to a periodontist for a deep scaling. Generally, the two practitioners collaborate together in the follow-up of the patient.
The pedodontist
This dental care professional adapts his practice and his approach to his specific patient population, namely children. In addition to the psychological aspect, the care given to children differs from that of adults so as not to impact normal growth.
