General dentistry refers to the branch of medicine which involves the knowledge of diagnosing, treating and giving general care to the teeth and its related parts. Teeth are visible structures in a person’s mouth but their existence is indispensable with many other parts which support its functionality. This means that when one of them is affected in any way, it affects the tooth generally. The gum and the cavities are some of such sensitive areas that need a medical expert’s attention for the good health of the teeth.
General dentistry involves primary dental care services for the patients. In this there is assessment of the patient’s dental health whereby the patient is checked and the problem identified for treatment. It is also the knowledge that practitioners use to perform routine cleaning of the teeth. This has certain guidelines to follow if it is to be done effectively; therefore it needs an expert who has acquired that knowledge.
It is through general dentistry that prospective practitioners acquire the skills to handle other complex tooth-related issues such as gum disease treatment, root canal therapy, performing extractions, handling crowns and bridges, dental implants, and many others. In general dentistry, scholars have basic general knowledge to handle dental issues.
In this field of general dentistry, there is knowledge of pediatric dental health management. This involves the skills to detect children’s dental issues and treat or refer them to specialists according to the need. The problems may include crowded, crooked, decayed or missing teeth. The field also equips the trainees with the skill to handle regular teeth cleaning among these children, routine examination and many others.
General dentistry enables its professional products to perform any procedure they feel comfortable to perform in handling dental issues. They are not limited so long as they feel competent enough in their performance. This enables them to earn smartly because customers are available all the time. This is incomparable to the specialist dentistry where though there is higher expertise; there is limitation to the category of patients to handle. This is not because they lack that knowledge but they are known by their specialty. In fact most dental patients cannot decide by themselves whether they need a specialist’s attention or not; they just go to the general dentist who uses his discretion on whether to refer them or handle them.
In reality, dental specialists are also products of general dentistry because that is the basic level for all the dentists. They specialize in a post-graduate training course. Therefore they are able to perform most of the tasks studied in general dentistry and then give advanced services in their areas of specialization.
Conclusively, general dentistry is an important field in addressing the health issues in the sensitive area of a human being-oral health. It is a mother field of all categories of experts needed to handle different dental concerns. The experts in this field are able to provide both basic and complex dental care services that patients need. It is therefore ideal in equipping the professional personnel with the necessary expertise to resolve dental problems, give advice regarding prevention and avail them with useful tips on how to care for their dental components. Through the field, the experts also gain the skills to handle a variety of devices necessary for performing different tasks.
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