An Introduction To Dentistry

July 27th, 2010 posted by admin
Add comments
An Introduction To Dentistry

Dentistry is not new, evidence having been found as far back as the Neolithic period in Pakistan and drilled teeth as old as 7000 BC being found in the Indus Valley. Texts dating back to around 5000 BC refer to a ‘tooth worm’ causing decayed teeth, a belief that persisted for many hundreds of years since then. Hippocrates, the Greek ‘Father of Medicine’ described the sequence of teeth erupting, undertook extraction and attempted to treat fractured jaws and the subsequent loosened teeth by stabilizing them with wire.

Dentists undergo specific training to obtain their dental qualifications which may include up to four years of graduation followed by post-graduate training to be considered experienced and suitably qualified to take care of the oral health of people. Dentistry is often defined as the appraisal and diagnosis of diseases and other conditions of the maxillofacial, oral cavity and the structures adjacent or attached to those areas. This usually includes treatment of dental caries and other problems which can occur as the result of poor hygiene or trauma. Dentistry also covers more serious surgery of facial bones and other areas in the oral cavity and neck region.

When it comes to filling decayed teeth, various dental supplies and composites are used such as amalgam, porcelain and assorted metals. Other functions associated with the job of dentistry involve radiography, prescribing medication and carrying out specialized surgery. Dentists have the knowledge to use their recognition of symptoms revealed by dentistry to diagnose other indicative illnesses such as bilateral odontogenic keratocysts which can reveal neural illnesses and symptomatic diseases.

Prevention is as much a part of a dentist’s job as carrying out endodontic and periodontal therapy, or extracting and filling teeth under an anesthetic. Many dentists work as hygienists, advising their clients on the proper techniques of brushing and flossing, advising on fluoride anaphylaxis and undertaking regular polishing.