Oregon Careers in Healthcare

People can easily be confused if dentists and oral surgeons are the same kind of dental practitioners. Historically different in names, these two are the same degrees but the functionality of a dentist and oral surgeon are different. For example, an oral surgeon can help you remove impacted wisdom teeth while your dentist can maintain your oral hygiene needed after the surgery. Knowing the difference between an oral surgeon vs dentist will help you find the best dental practitioner needed for your specific dental needs. This will save you time and effort in going to or inquiring about an office that might not cater to what you are desiring for as a result.

Similar Names, Different Focus in Practice

There’s a better explanation with how everyone seems to interchange the two titles easily. In fact, history played a role in this confusion of dentistry titles since universities have started using the words “DDS” and “DMD”. Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) is a degree that was coined during 1840 by the Baltimore College of Medicine through Horace Hayden and Chapin Harris. Not a long while later, Harvard constructed its own dentistry school in 1867 and coined the term Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) which caused controversy later on. However, after a long agreement in history, the two titles for the oral surgeon vs dentist have been accepted to be the same degree even if their title names are different. Both definitely need a state exam to pass and a certification license to practice their degrees as well. Let’s zoom in these two functions and establish what they are all about.

What is a Dentist?

Also known as a general dental practitioner, a dentist usually can either be an undergraduate practicing before they graduate from their degree or a degree holder that hasn’t chosen a specialization for the advancement of their career. Dentists focus on the overall health of your mouth, gums, tooth, and can give treatments. However, when it comes to treating serious dental concerns, they can refer you to oral surgeon practitioners or other dental medicine doctors who focus on a specialization. Dentists have their own dental clinic or can share with their colleagues while finishing their DMD/DDS degree.

What is an Oral Surgeon?

An Oral Surgeon is someone that has completed their residency in dental medicine. A specialization may be chosen by the resident doctor once there is a specific focus that he or she might have. An Oral Surgeon should be able to determine and diagnose you of any oral diseases during the physical examination. Oral surgeons can also be doctors that practice cosmetic procedures to correct or improve your specific issue. Oral Surgeons are residents in a hospital setting and should have a private clinic for tools and equipment needed in surgical treatments.

When to choose between a Dentist or an Oral Surgeon?

Choosing between an oral surgeon vs dentist can be confusing if you’re not sure which one to go to for your specific concern. The initial consultation for dental concerns is being brought to dentists first before they are able to refer you to another dentist. If they are comfortable to perform the treatment on their own, they’ll proceed to do so. This commonly involves procedures such as crowning and bridging, fillings, general oral cleaning, root canal procedure, extracting teeth and other appropriate procedures. However, oral surgeons will be recommended by the dentist once there have been detected complications in dental hygiene such as cancer, fractures, complex tooth removal, and cosmetic concerns.

If you’re looking for a trusted dentist, you can visit Leichhardt Marketplace Dental’s website today.