The field of dentistry is a wide open and fascinating one. People tend to think, “Oh, yeah — dentists — they fill cavities and clean teeth — but in truth, they provide those services and so many more. Dentists have traditionally taken care of toothaches, cleaned and extracted teeth. Today, however, the dental field is full of people who specialize in just one aspect of dentistry as well as people who do it all. Some Dentists in Oklahoma City, such as Baumann and Lanman Dentistry, provide care in several specialty areas for their patients.
Examples of the areas in which a dentist might choose to specialize, depending upon his talents and areas of interest include sedation dentistry, pediatric dentistry, root canals, wisdom tooth extraction, cosmetic dentistry, gum disease, oral surgery, preventive care, etc. Studies are continuing to show a definitive link between the health of one’s teeth and gums and one’s overall health. Many people don’t realize this, but it has been proven many times over that, for example, gum disease is linked to heart health. It is believed that the bacteria in the infected gums will travel through the bloodstream and affect the heart.
One important aspect of dentistry is that of relating to the children his or her practice serves. Negative experiences at the dentist’s office in one’s formative years could conceivably go on to create a permanent negative association with the place in a child’s mind. A good dentist recognizes that the child who is sitting in his chair today is still going to be his client tomorrow … and ten years from now … if he is competent, personable and shows integrity. Therefore a good dentist takes advantage of every available opportunity to engage children, establish rapport with them, and to leave them with the impression that the dentist is a Teddy Bear and not a Barracuda, as they might have feared.
A good dentist has a gentle bedside manner, respects his patients, shoots them straight information and is patient with their questions and concerns. He remembers that while he may have seen this situation or circumstance a thousand times, it is the first time for his patient, and he respects that.
