What is General Dentistry?

(General Dentistry is one of nine specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.) A general dentist is your primary dental care provider. Alpharetta dentist, Dr. Robert Woods, works with his patients to diagnose, treat and prevent oral diseases to help promote oral health. Rather than just specializing in one particular area, a general dentist is able to provide a wide range of services such as tooth cleaning, restorative care, dentures, crowns, inlays, implants, orthodontics, cosmetic procedures and more.

In addition to treating oral health problems as they arise, Dr. Woods can provide preventive care to help protect you from periodontal disease and decay. In general, poor oral health is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for poor overall health. Studies show a correlation between gum disease and major health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

Training for General Dentists

In the United States, a general dentist will have attended one of sixty dental schools and must have passed a specialized Dental Admission Test before training to become a General Dentist. Upon getting licensed, a general dentist may be a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). A general dentist must also pass a licensing examination in order to be authorized to practice in any state, including Alpharetta, GA.

While there is some confusion between the differences of a DMD and a DDS degree, both require your general dentist to have completed the same rigorous training and passed the same licensing examinations. A general dentist with a DMD simply went to a different school than a general dentist with a DDS. The training and expertise conferred by the two degrees is exactly the same.