Introduction
Dentistry is art and science of prevention and treatment of diseases of the oral cavity and associated maxillofacial region. Oral health is an integral part of general health. The dental surgeon provides professional support to the community to achieve and maintain optimum oral health.
The practice of dentistry involves several speciality areas including the following:-
- Conservative dentistry (Restoration of teeth damaged by disease or trauma. This can be filling, a root filling, crown or bridge),
- Prosthetic dentistry (Replacement of teeth that has been extracted by a removable prosthesis called denture),
- Paediatric dentistry (Prevention and treatment of the diseases of the oral cavity of children),
- Periodontology (Prevention and treatment of the diseases of the supporting tissues of the teeth consisting of the gums, ligaments and bone),
- Oral pathology (diagnosis of oral diseases),
- Oral medicine (non-surgical treatment of oral diseases),
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Procedures to treat infected painful teeth, operations in the oral cavity, management of pathological conditions trauma in the oral cavity and the jaws),
- Orthodontics (Corrections of mal-alignment of teeth),
- Dental Public Health (Dental services organization and prevention of oral diseases) and
- Research (Generation of new knowledge for the progress of the profession).
