Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is a general dentist?
A: General dentists are the primary care providers for patients of all ages. They can treat you and your entire family and care for your overall oral health. This is crucial to your total health. Your general dentist takes responsibility for the diagnosis, treatment, and overall coordination of services to meet your oral health needs. If you need a specialized dental procedure performed, your general dentist may work with other dentists to make sure you get the care you need.
Q: Where do general dentists practice?
A: General dentists make up the majority of the 143,000 dentists practicing in the United States and Canada. Sometimes they become partners or associates with other dentists in a group practice. Other general dentists own their practice. Some general dentists work in government health services, research programs, higher education, corporations, and even the military.
Q: What kind of procedures do general dentists provide?
A: Many! General dentists are highly educated and trained on all dental procedures. Instead of specializing in just one area of dentistry, they can provide plenty of different services for you and your family. Some of these services include: cosmetic procedures, crowns and bridges, dental implants, dentures, gum disease treatment, home care instruction, mouthguards, nutrition counseling, oral surgery, orthodontics, partial dentures, restorative care, root canal therapy, sealants, teeth cleanings, tobacco cessation, TMD/TMJ therapy.
Q: What's the difference between DMD and DDS?
A: Nothing. Both dentists receive the same education and complete the same curriculum requirements. DDS stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery and DMD stands for Doctor of Dental Medicine. Different schools may call the degree different names.
Q: How much education is required to become a general dentist?
A: To become a general dentist, three or more years of undergraduate college education (typically with a strong science foundation) plus four years of dental school is required. After graduating, dentists must take a licensure examination which is required by the state, in which they practice.
Q: What is continuing education?
A: Continuing education (CE) or continuing dental education (CDE) consists of classes, courses, and organized learning education programs. Dentists take these courses after they graduate from dental school so they can stay up to date in their field and learn about the latest techniques and procedures. CE can include for-credit programs of study or non-credit programs. Taking extra courses helps to enhance a dentist's professional goals.
Q: Who is required to take CE?
A: Doctors, dentists, and psychologists are among the many professionals required to take predetermined amounts of CE to maintain licensure and certification if they would like to continue to work within a given region or a particular state.
Q: How is CE beneficial
A: State regulations require dentists to take a certain amount of CE to ensure they are aware of new developments, techniques, and treatments in their fields. These requirements allow only the best professionals - including doctors or dentists - to maintain their practice. Dentists also take CE to learn and extend new service offerings to their patients, such as laser dentistry, cosmetic procedures, or sleep dentistry. Many dentists exceed the number of state-required CE hours.
These questions and answers were taken from the journal of the Academy of General Dentistry. There is a link for this academy on the "Links" page.