Dentistry Overview and Divisions

Study Notes

Dentistry Overview

Dentistry is the art and science of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases of the hard and soft tissues of the teeth and mouth.
Hard tissues include teeth and bone; soft tissues include lips, cheeks, tongue, and gingiva.
Dentistry aims to relieve pain, diagnose and treat oral diseases, restore function (mastication and speech), and restore aesthetics (natural appearance and beauty).

Dental School Divisions

Academic Divisions: Dental biomaterials, dental anatomy, oral biology, oral pathology.
Clinical Divisions: Oral medicine and diagnosis, periodontology, oral radiology, operative dentistry, endodontics, oral surgery, fixed prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics, pedodontics, orthodontics.

Academic Disciplines

Dental Biomaterials: Studies composition, manipulation, properties, behavior, and applications of materials used in dental clinics and labs; materials must be biocompatible (non-toxic, non-irritant).
Dental Anatomy: Focuses on tooth structure (crown and root), numbering (32 permanent, 20 deciduous), and function (speech, mastication [incisors, canines, premolars/molars], aesthetics). Includes tooth arrangement and nomenclature.
Oral Biology: Studies the soft and hard tissues at a microscopic level.
Oral Pathology: Studies oral and paraoral diseases affecting soft tissues, mucous membranes, teeth, jaws, and salivary glands.

Clinical Disciplines

Oral Medicine and Diagnosis: Detects and treats diseases of oral structures (tumors, cysts, etc.), identifying and differentiating oral diseases.
Periodontology: Focuses on the health of tooth supporting structures (gingiva, cementum, alveolar bone, periodontal ligament); addresses conditions like gingivitis (inflammation of the gingiva) that can lead to bone loss and pocket formation.
Oral Radiology: Uses radiant energy to produce images for diagnosing diseases and disorders of oral and maxillofacial structures (e.g., root canals, impacted teeth, jaw fractures, caries); radiopaque structures (enamel, dentin, cementum, bone) appear white, whereas radiolucent structures (pulp, periodontal ligament, caries) appear black. Restorative materials are ideally radiopaque for caries detection.
Operative Dentistry: Diagnoses and treats tooth structure defects such as dental caries (irreversible bacterial demineralization of enamel, dentin, and cementum). Caries classification uses the G.V. Black system (Classes I-VI based on location).
Endodontics: Deals with the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the dental pulp and periapical tissues. Involves pulp removal and canal cleaning and filling (with metallic or non-metallic materials).
Oral Surgery: Diagnoses, surgically treats, and provides adjunctive treatment for diseases, defects, and injuries of the jaws and associated structures (e.g., extractions, tumor removal, jaw fracture management).
Prosthodontics (Fixed and Removable): Focuses on restoring and replacing teeth using artificial devices (prostheses); includes fixed (crowns and bridges) and removable (dentures) options. Considers dentulous (all teeth present), edentulous (all teeth missing), and partially edentulous patients. Fixed prosthodontics use crowns (for single teeth) and bridges (for multiple missing teeth) and can be metallic, non-metallic, or a combination. Removable prosthodontics uses complete and partial dentures. Dental Implants (titanium or titanium alloys) are also used.
Pedodontics: Deals with the growth and development of primary and young permanent dentition, as well as the prevention and treatment of childhood oral conditions.