A dentist's job is to provide regular check-ups on your teeth and gums.
The job also includes restoration of teeth damaged or lost by decay, trauma or other reasons, using a wide variety of techniques and materials.
A dentist listens to your problems, diagnoses the cause and helps you prevent and treat disorders of the teeth and gums.
There are a number of treatments they use.
Depending upon your problem, they employ various treatments to preserve and restore the natural teeth, remove decayed teeth if necessary, and provide artificial replacements.
Some of the dentists also provide oral prosthetics utilizing implants.
A dentist can either be a solo practitioner or can form groups to work together.
General practitioners examine teeth and other tissues of the mouth, and evaluate dental health using X-rays, diagnostic procedures and instruments.
They emphasize preventative dentistry with their patients.
Dentists also perform routine periodic checkups, remove decay, prepare and fill cavities, fit bridges and take impressions for crowns and dentures.
They also treat gums, and perform corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones to treat gum diseases.
Dentists use a variety of equipment like x-ray machines, drills, mouth mirrors, probes, brushes, forceps, scalpels and others.
To protect from infectious diseases they wear masks, gloves, and safety glasses while examining or treating a patient.
Dentists can also administer anesthetics if required.
There are about eight specialty areas recognized by the American Dental Association.
Many dentists specialize as orthodontists, while others prefer to be oral surgeons.
These two are the main preferences of any dentists.
Other areas include pedodontics, which is dentistry for children; periodontics, which is about the treatment of gums; prosthodontics, which deals with making teeth or dentures; endodontics, which focuses on doing root canal therapy; public health dentistry; and oral pathology, which covers diseases of the mouth.