When it comes to your oral health, you shouldn't take any chances because it can impact your overall health significantly; your oral health affects how you smile, speak and even eat. While s general dentist is a good primary oral care provider who can diagnose, treat and coordinate all services required to meet your total dental health needs, it is sometimes better to seek specialised dentistry, which can be found by visiting any of the following dental specialists:

Orthodontists

An orthodontist is an oral health care practitioner concerned with the causes, symptoms, prevention, treatment and management of malocclusions of the teeth, jaws and surrounding structures. Malocclusions occur when teeth or jaws are misaligned, and this specialist can help to straighten the teeth by providing braces and other corrective appliances like Invisalign. Orthodontists can treat patients of all ages ranging from children, to teenagers, to adults, helping them to improve how they speak, bite, chew and even look.

Periodontists

Any problems attributed to gums and the supporting bone structures should be left to periodontists. The specialist will diagnose and treat infections and diseases, e.g. gum inflammation (gingivitis), periodontitis, and any other problems resulting from infection-plagued and diseased supporting bones and adjacent tissues (soft and hard tissues) of the teeth or their replacements. A periodontist may carry out a number of procedures to maintain the function, aesthetics and overall health of gums, supporting structures and surrounding tissues.

Endodontists

Endodontists specialise in treating dental problems associated with infected, diseased or injured root canals. This particular type of dentistry focuses on the physiology, morphology, and pathology of the dental pulp and tissues around the tooth root canal (periradicular tissues), to help prevent and treat infections, diseases and injuries of the pulp and associated periradicular conditions.

Prosthodontists

Prosthodontists are primarily concerned with the restoration of broken or damaged teeth and replacement of lost or missing teeth. Essentially, these specialists can provide dental appliances such as dentures, crowns and bridges. It is the field of dentistry that involves having good insight into the basics of a smile and preservation of a healthy, plague-free mouth.

Pedodontists

Better known as paediatric dentists, pedodontists specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of all oral health problems that affect children from their early years. Pedodontists can spot, treat, and help manage problems with decayed, crooked, missing or crowded teeth. They usually get additional training to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of children's developing teeth as well as the special challenges of children's dentistry. Hence, a pedodontist is the specialist you should take your children to when they have dental problems.

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