Dental Specialists

After obtaining a basic degree in dentistry, a dental surgeon may choose to specialise in any of the following fields:

Oral Surgery

Oral surgery is a branch of dentistry, which deals with the treatment of facial injuries, reconstruction of the oral and maxillofacial region and dental implant surgery, care for patients with tumours and cysts of the jaws as well as correct functional and aesthetic conditions of the maxillofacial areas. The oral surgeon is based at a hospital and works as part of a team with other specialists in the hospital for the management of patients.

Orthodontics

Orthodontics deals with the prevention and correction of irregularities of the teeth, bite, and jaws. Orthodontists have specialised training to manage such conditions.

Paediatric Dentistry

Paediatric dentistry deals particularly with the oral healthcare of children from infancy through the teenage years, including medically-compromised children and those with special needs. This field of dentistry deals with problems related to growth disorders, oral diseases and traumatic injuries arising from accidents.

Medically-compromised patients include children with childhood cancers, cardiac diseases, blood abnormalities and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and liver disease, and those undergoing organ transplants. Meanwhile, children with special needs are those with physical disabilities, severe learning difficulties and behavioural problems that require special management techniques for dental treatment.

Periodontology

Periodontology is a field of dentistry specialising in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to the supporting structures of the tooth, namely the gums and the surrounding bone. The treatment of gum diseases includes scaling, root planing, bite adjustment and periodontal surgery.

Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology

Oral medicine and oral pathology is a speciality of dentistry that deals with the identification and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. It is a science that investigates the causes, processes and effects of these diseases and their subsequent treatment. They carry out biopsies to diagnose diseases of the mouth, face, salivary glands and jaws as well as manage oral mucosal lesions, oral cancers and facial pain. The oral pathologist is usually based in a research laboratory. The Stomatology Unit in the Institute for Medical Research is one such laboratory and is responsible for diagnosis and research of oral and maxillofacial diseases.

Dental Public Health

The dental public health specialist is responsible for providing oral healthcare to the community through population-based strategies and community programmes. The dental public health specialist is also responsible for oral health policy development, programme management, oral health promotion and oral disease prevention as well as the safety and health aspects of the clinical environment.

Restorative Dentistry

Restorative Dentistry involves the restoration of function to ensure a healthy and pain-free dentition for patients with complex problems. Patients that come under the restorative dentist's care include those with special or complex clinical needs referred by the dental officers or specialists, and those with particular needs, with congenital or acquired facial defects, medical problems or learning difficulties, that have implications for their care.

The scope encompasses advanced conservative procedures, endodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, together with implant techonology. The use of various dental materials for particular needs of the patient is balanced against the technical skills involved.