A Guide to Dentistry | Guest Post

In dentistry, there are various different levels and expertise. Do you know the difference between an endodontist does and an orthodontist? Most people don’t, but they’re both vitally important for the health of your teeth. If you want to have a perfect smile forever, and you want to avoid dying a slow, painful death in your 40s or 50s, you need to understand how these two types of doctors can help you.

An Endodontist

These are specialised dentists who deal with the soft inner tissue of the teeth – called the pulp. They study infections in this area which can cause tooth sensitivity and intense pain. An endodontist can diagnose a variety of illnesses related to infected roots and traumatic dental injuries.

They do root canals, and endodontic surgery. These are the types of dentists you might go to if you’ve already been diagnosed by a dentist with dental or other oral health problems.

An Orthodontist

Orthodontists specialize in other kinds of oral health problems like improperly positioned jaws and teeth. They use hardware and appliances like braces, retainers, spacers, headgear, and more. Manhattan Invisalign fits into this category as an example.

Crooked teeth are really difficult to keep clean, and they’re more likely to be lost due to tooth decay and gum disease. Crooked teeth can also cause other problems, like eating, chewing, and speech problems, jaw pain, unhealthy gums, and even headaches.

Problems They Can Fix

Both types of doctors can solve a wide range of health problems that seem unconnected or uncorrelated. For example, a chronic headache you’re having might be caused by a malocclusion, a misaligned jaw, or something else, which is putting pressure on your bones, and triggering pain through your temporal region.

By fixing the underlying problem, you can resolve the headaches.

But, your problems can be even more severe, with no pain or other obvious symptoms.

How They Can Save Your Life

A dentist can save your life by doing one simple procedure, like aligning your teeth with braces. How can braces save your life?

When your teeth are misaligned, it can create gaps, and other issues, which make it difficult to clean and maintain good oral hygiene. You might not think about it on a day-to-day basis, but deep inside your mouth are resident bacteria.

Some of these are good or beneficial bacterial. But many are not. They’re pathogenic. They cause disease.

And, not just in your mouth, either.

Disease-causing bacteria can be sheltered by misaligned and difficult-to-clean teeth. They can work themselves between the gums and teeth, and into your bloodstream. Happens all the time. This is why gum disease is so dangerous. And, at the same time, very underdiagnosed.

The problem worsens as bacteria find their way to different organs in the body, where they can cause disease. If they end up in the heart muscle, for example, they will cause heart disease and it could lead to may more problems. Scary, right?

The preventative measure is easy: go to the dentist. Get your teeth cleaned regularly. And, get your teeth aligned and any oral problems fixed, immediately.

Ben Tucker writes articles on dentistry topics, using his job at a busy dentist practise, to come up with new ideas for topics. His articles appear on a range of general health and lifestyle topic blogs.