Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the mandible (jaw), the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered necessary for complete overall health.
Specialized Areas of Dentistry include:
- Endodontics: This sub-specialty deals with the tooth pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of a tooth. If the pulp (containing nerves, arterioles and venules, as well as lymphatic tissue and fibrous tissue) has become diseased or injured, endodontic treatment is required to save the tooth.
- Orthodontics: Orthodontics is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions (improper bites), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. Orthodontic treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth. Orthodontic treatment can be carried out for purely aesthetic reasons with regards to improving the general appearance of patients' teeth. However, there are orthodontists who work on reconstructing the entire face rather than focusing exclusively on teeth. Treatment is most often prescribed for practical reasons such as providing the patient with a functionally improved bite (occlusion).
- Pediatric Dentistry: This branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth through adolescence. Differentiating itself from general dentistry, pediatric dentistry emphasizes the establishment of trust and confidence between children with their dentists. Consequently, one of the main components of pediatric training is child psychology. This manifests itself in special office designs, different communication styles and an emphasis on teaching preventative dental habits to children in an effort to make dental visits enjoyable.
- Periodontics: This field involves the supporting structures of teeth, and diseases and conditions that affect them. The supporting tissues are known as the periodontium, which includes the gingiva (gums), alveolar bone, cementum, and the periodontal ligament. A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases, and the surgical placement and long-term maintenance of dental implants.
General Dentistry and Chester County Hospital
For more information about Dentists on the Medical Staff at Chester County Hospital in West Chester, PA, call our Physician Referral Service at 800-789-PENN (7366) or visit the Find a Doctor section of our website.
Chester County Hospital also has the resources of the Dental professionals from Penn Medicine. Learn More!