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What Is a General Dentist?

A general dentist focuses on general dental needs instead of specializing in a particular field, like surgery or orthodontics.

Your children should see a general dentist every six months for routine cleanings. If they need to see a specialist, your general dentist will tell you. Forming a relationship with your child’s general dentist is a lifelong commitment to a stronger, healthier smile.

What Does a General Dentist Do?

General dentists are the first line of defense for your child’s dental health. A general dentist’s duties include the following:

  • Identify disease and look for signs of infection
  • Promote early prevention of disease
  • Interpret x-rays
  • Provide emergency care
  • Administer anesthesia safely
  • Care for special needs patients
  • Run diagnostic tests
  • Find cavities and abnormalities in teeth, gums, and jaws
  • Perform surgery
  • Write prescriptions and create plans to treat and manage oral health
  • Treats pain and anxiety related to oral health

What to Expect from Your Child’s General Dentist

All dentists should be well-educated. General Dentistry Education involves studies across many areas. Most general dentists are either a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) or a doctor of dental medicine (DDM).

General dentistry practices look at everything from the teeth and the gums to jaws, tongues, salivary glands, and the head and neck of every patient that walks through the door.

If a dentist finds something wrong, he or she can treat the problem or refer the patient to a specialist. When general practitioners go on to post-graduate education, they may focus on becoming a specialist.

Dental specialists can become orthodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons, and pediatric dentists.

Schedule an Appointment with a General Dentist at Kool Smiles

Start your child’s relationship with a general dentist at an early age to make sure he or she is comfortable and excited about visiting the dentist.

Kool Smiles is a general dentistry with a focus on caring for kids. Our network of general practitioners and specialists can be found at more than 120 locations across the US. All of our locations accept Medicaid and TRICARE, as well as other convenient payment options.

Call us today to set up an appointment with the Kool Smiles dentist in your area.

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Sources:

ADA: http://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/general-dentistry

ADA: http://www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada/dentists-doctors-of-oral-health