The short answer is yes, oral surgeons are dentists. What makes them different from general dentists is that they have additional training that prepares them to perform additional procedures that a general dentist cannot.
If you’re looking for an oral surgeon or dentist near you, come to Kool Smiles. All of our 120+ locations throughout the country have general dentists, and many of them also have oral surgeons on site. If not, we can refer you to one in the area.
The best part is that our kid-friendly dentists and oral surgeons not only enjoy working with children to keep their smiles happy and healthy, but our dental care is affordable. We accept a variety of payment options, including most insurances, Medicaid, CareCredit, cash/credit and more.
To schedule your no-cost consultation with an oral surgeon or dentist at Kool Smiles, call 254-781-0553 today.
Let’s start with a look at training for dentists. Dentists are essentially doctors. They have earned either a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree or a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree, which the American Dental Association calls basically the same thing. As part of their extensive education—four years of dental school after four years of undergraduate education—dentists learn to do the following:
Oral surgeons treat problems of the mouth, teeth, jaw and even the surrounding tissues in the head and neck that go beyond general care. When dental issues become severe, your child’s regular dentist will be the one to refer them to a surgeon.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, or OMSs, typically complete an extra two years of education. During this time, they study alongside medical residents in a hospital setting to learn general surgery and anesthesiology (numbing) practices, with a special focus on the face and mouth. This experience, paired with general internal medicine training, makes oral surgeons particularly skilled at treating a number of issues, including wisdom tooth removal.
Keep reading to learn if you or your child needs an oral surgeon dentist.
Oral surgeons treat a variety of common and more severe dental issues. These issues can be caused by improper dental hygiene as well as birth defects, trauma and other conditions that may develop.
For more information on issues that oral surgeons treat, visit the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons website.
Here are a few common issues and procedures your dentist can handle:
Dentists and oral surgeons often work together, especially if complications arise from simple procedures. Here are a few situations in which a dentist and oral surgeon might work together:
If you think you or your child is in need of oral surgery, call 254-781-0553 to make an appointment with Kool Smiles for a no-cost consultation. Our dentists have years of experience working with children, and many of our offices have oral surgeons on staff. If your child needs oral surgery and your local Kool Smiles does not have one on staff, we’ll refer your child to a nearby surgeon who can help.
Kool Smiles believes all children deserve quality dental care. Call 254-781-0553 today to make an appointment at your local Kool Smiles office.
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Sources:
ADA: ada.org/en/about-the-ada/dentists-doctors-of-oral-health
WebMD: webmd.com/oral-health/guide/oral-surgery
Mayo Clinic: mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tmj/symptoms-causes/syc-20350941
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: myoms.org/
WebMD: webmd.com/oral-health/need-oral-surgery#2
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: myoms.org/procedures/extractions-and-other-oral-surgeries
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