Dental Specialties The profession of dentistry boasts nine specialties recognized and defined by various national and international organizations, for example, the American Dental Association. Each specialty requires additional education beyond dental school, usually 2 years, although the required education varies depending on the particular specialty, and the specific school that is chosen. Status and education for specialties vary from country to country, so one must research the specifics for any particular country in question. While some general dentists also complete a general-practice residency of 1 year or more to enhance their skills before opening their own practice, this does not mean that they are a specialist. Currently, in the United States, there are 7 recognized clinical specialties and 2 nonclinical specialties. To become a Board Certified Dental Specialist, the dentist must have successfully met all the requirements AND passed a Board Exam for that specialty. Some specialists have the words Board Eligible after their names. Board Eligibility is a term used only for candidates who have successfully completed a portion of the requirements needed. In order to become Board Certified all requirements must be met, such as successfully passing both a written and a clinical exam. Depending on the specialty, candidates have between 2 to 6 years to complete the entire examination process. You may have noted that some specialists have the credential of Diplomate after their name. A Diplomate is a specialist who has made significant achievements beyond the mandatory educational requirements of the specialty and who is certified by the examining board of that specialty. The names of dental specialists are for the most part, derived from Greek and Latin prefixes. The Greek word “odóntos” means “tooth”. The clinical specialties are: 1. Endodontics 2. Pedodontics 3. Orthodontics 4. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 5. Periodontics 6. Oral Pathology 7. Prosthodontics and the nonclincial specialties are: 1. Public Health 2. Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Dental hygienists frequently have occasion to interact and practice with many of these specialists. For example, public health dentists rely on hygienists to help launch caries prevention programs or tobacco prevention programs. A dental hygienist may be asked by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to provide periodontal therapy to a patient prior to oral surgery; and the periodontist will usually employ a dental hygienist to perform periodontal maintenance therapy after patients have undergone periodontal surgery. Nonspecialty Areas of Dentistry: You may be aware of several general dentists who may limit their practice to, or have a special interest in, a specific area of dentistry, such as 1. Esthetic Dentistry or Cosmetic Dentistry 2. Geriatric Dentistry 3. Sports Dentistry 4. Veterinary Dentistry 5. Forensic Dentistry and 6. Dental Anthropology This only indicates that the dentist prefers to do this type of therapy and may refer other needs of the patient out to other dentists or specialists. By limiting a practice to certain types of therapy, it does not necessarily mean that the dentist has completed required, additional education, (although, most have) it only means that this is a particular area of interest for that dentist.
