Most folks don’t dance with joy at the thought of going to the dentist. It is almost always ranked in the top ten things people fear, or are the most anxious about. People don’t get to go to the dentist -; they have to go to the dentist. The practice of dentistry is as old as human civilization itself, dating back at least 7000 years. Dentists are highly skilled practitioners, undergoing several years of schooling, which includes the completion of an accredited dental school program, mastering all competencies and board exams. Graduates are awarded the DMD, Doctor of Dental Medicine, degree or the DDS, Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, depending on the school attended. Both degrees are equivalent.
Due to the nature of their training, Dentists in North Mississippi can perform most dental procedures, including restorative procedures (bridges and crowns), braces, dentures, root canals, gum therapy, and tooth extraction. Dentists also perform oral health examinations, diagnose oral diseases, and take x-rays. Some dentists choose to specialize in certain aspects of dentistry, such as oral surgery, periodontology (the study of gum disease), and endodontics (root canal therapy and the study of dental pulp disease).
Dentists in North Mississippi that practice family dentistry offer a complete array of dental services for folks 3 to 100 years of age. A dentist like Bruce A. Denney and his support team work together to providing the best in oral health services. The dental support team consists of dental hygienists, dental assistants and dental technicians. They will advise the patient in the areas of proper home care, dental cleaning and provide exams to address problems early on. For those patients anxious about dental procedures, sedation dentistry is available, with the options ranging from mild to deep sedation, the latter making the patient almost unaware of the procedure.
Oral health is extremely important to an individual’s overall health. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, there is a correlation between gum disease and health issues such as stroke and diabetes. Research also indicates that greater than 90% of systemic diseases manifest orally as mouth ulcers, swollen gums, dry mouth, or significant gum disease. The diseases include diabetes, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, oral cancer, heart disease, and kidney disease. Avoiding the dentist can impact far more than just the condition of your teeth and gums. The simple act of an oral examination can diagnosis a health problem in its early stages.
