Understanding Dental Specialists
Your general dentist handles routine care. When something more complex comes up, they refer you to a specialist trained specifically for that problem.
Orthodontics
Orthodontists use carefully designed forces to move teeth into ideal positions over time. They treat both children and adults, and are the only specialists trained to manage complex jaw development and skeletal bite problems.
A general dentist may adjust a simple retainer, but orthodontists plan and manage full treatment programs involving complex tooth movement, jaw expansion devices, or surgical orthodontics in collaboration with oral surgeons.
COMMONLY TREATS
- ✓Crowded, crooked, or gapped teeth
- ✓Overbite, underbite, crossbite, open bite
- ✓Protruding teeth
- ✓Jaw growth discrepancies in children
PROCEDURES & TOOLS
- ▸Metal & ceramic braces
- ▸Clear aligners (Invisalign)
- ▸Palate expanders
- ▸Retainers & space maintainers
Your dentist notices bite problems at a check-up, you’re unhappy with tooth alignment, or jaw pain suggests a skeletal issue.
Oral Surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the most surgically trained dental specialists. Their scope extends well beyond teeth to the entire face and jaw — including facial trauma, tumors, and complex bone reconstruction.
A general dentist can extract straightforward teeth, but impacted wisdom teeth, surgical implant placement, jaw realignment surgery, facial fractures, and oral tumors all require an oral surgeon.
COMMONLY TREATS
- ✓Impacted wisdom teeth
- ✓Dental implant placement & bone grafting
- ✓Jaw realignment (orthognathic) surgery
- ✓Facial fractures and trauma
- ✓Oral cysts, tumors & biopsies
PROCEDURES & TOOLS
- ▸Surgical extractions under IV sedation
- ▸Bone grafting
- ▸Implant surgery
- ▸Corrective jaw surgery
- ▸Biopsies
Wisdom teeth are impacted, you need implants placed, your dentist finds a suspicious lesion, or you sustained a facial injury.
Periodontics
Periodontists specialize in the tissues that support your teeth — the gums, periodontal ligament, and jawbone. They diagnose and treat all stages of gum disease and also place dental implants.
A general dentist treats mild gum disease with a standard cleaning, but moderate-to-severe periodontitis, gum recession, bone loss around teeth or implants, and gum grafting require a periodontist.
COMMONLY TREATS
- ✓Gingivitis & periodontitis (all stages)
- ✓Gum recession and exposed roots
- ✓Bone loss around teeth or implants
- ✓Peri-implantitis (infection around implants)
PROCEDURES & TOOLS
- ▸Scaling & root planing (deep cleaning)
- ▸Osseous (gum) surgery
- ▸Gum grafts
- ▸Guided bone regeneration
- ▸LANAP laser therapy
Your gums bleed regularly, your dentist finds deep pockets around teeth, you notice gum recession, or you have bone loss on X-rays.
Endodontics
Endodontists focus entirely on diagnosing tooth pain and treating the inside of the tooth — the pulp and root canal system. They perform more root canals in a week than most general dentists do in a year, using advanced microscopes and 3D imaging.
A general dentist performs routine root canals, but complex cases — curved canals, calcified canals, multiple missed canals, or prior root canal failures — are referred to an endodontist for significantly better outcomes.
COMMONLY TREATS
- ✓Infected or abscessed teeth
- ✓Inflamed pulp causing severe pain
- ✓Cracked teeth with pulp involvement
- ✓Failed or incomplete prior root canals
- ✓Internal resorption
PROCEDURES & TOOLS
- ▸Root canal therapy under microscope
- ▸Cone beam CT (3D) imaging
- ▸Endodontic re-treatment
- ▸Apicoectomy (surgical root-end removal)
You have severe or spontaneous tooth pain, prolonged temperature sensitivity, a dental abscess, or a root canal that was done before and is now failing.
Prosthodontics
Prosthodontists are master restorers. When the damage or tooth loss is extensive — multiple missing teeth, severe wear, complex bite issues — they plan and execute the most intricate restorative work in all of dentistry.
A general dentist places routine crowns and simple bridges. When multiple teeth are missing, bite rehabilitation is needed, implant prosthetics are involved, or a full-mouth makeover is the goal, a prosthodontist provides the precision required.
COMMONLY TREATS
- ✓Multiple or all missing teeth
- ✓Severely worn, cracked, or decayed teeth
- ✓Full-mouth reconstruction
- ✓Implant-supported bridges and dentures
- ✓TMJ and bite rehabilitation
PROCEDURES & TOOLS
- ▸Crowns, inlays/onlays, veneers
- ▸Fixed and removable bridges
- ▸Complete and partial dentures
- ▸Implant prosthetics
- ▸Full-arch restorations (All-on-4)
You’re missing several teeth, have worn-down teeth from grinding, need implant-based restorations, or want a full smile transformation.
Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric dentists specialize in the unique dental needs of growing patients — from infants through adolescents. Their training includes child psychology, growth and development, and behavior management to make every visit positive.
Many general dentists see children, but pediatric dentists are specially trained for high-anxiety children, special needs patients, early interceptive orthodontics, and trauma to baby or permanent teeth.
COMMONLY TREATS
- ✓Cavities in baby and permanent teeth
- ✓Dental anxiety & behavior challenges
- ✓Eruption problems & early ortho screening
- ✓Thumb-sucking and pacifier habits
- ✓Tooth injuries from sports or falls
PROCEDURES & TOOLS
- ▸Sealants & fluoride varnish
- ▸Space maintainers
- ▸Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
- ▸Pulpotomy (child root canal)
- ▸Stainless steel crowns
Your child has dental anxiety, needs care beyond routine cleanings, is a special needs patient, or sustained a tooth injury.