Category: Specialties
The GDC currently recognises 13 various fields of dentistry with regards to their specialist register. In addition, there is also the field of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, which in the UK is recognised as a medical specialty. You are not required to join a specialist list to practise a specialty, however, only dentists on these specialist lists have the right to use the ‘specialist’ title.
Specialising allows a dentist to focus on one particular field. In the following pages you can find out more about each specialty from experts in their respective fields, with advice on the specialty pathway as well as sharing their experiences as a specialist.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Restorative Dentistry involves the restoration of diseased, injured, or abnormal teeth to normal function. This includes all aspects of Endodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics and Implantology. In the second article of a two-part series, Stephanie King, Specialty Registrar in Restorative Dentistry, discusses the NHS Pathway for specialty training in Restorative Dentistry.
There are two main training pathways in most dental specialties, the NHS and academic routes. Restorative Dentistry involves the restoration of diseased, injured, or abnormal teeth to normal function. This includes all aspects of Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics and Implantology. In the first article of a two-part series, Jamie Dickie, Specialty Registrar in Restorative Dentistry, discusses a career as an academic in this field.
Oral Surgery involves the treatment and ongoing management of irregularities and pathology of the jaw and mouth that require surgical intervention. This includes the specialty previously called Surgical Dentistry. In the following article, Kurt Naudi, Consultant in Oral Surgery, discusses how you can establish a career in the specialty.
Endodontics involves the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries of the tooth root, dental pulp, and surrounding tissue. In the following article, Bob Philpott, Consultant in Endodontics, discusses how you can establish a career in Endodontics.
Dental & Maxillofacial Radiology involves all aspects of medical imaging which provide information about anatomy, function and diseased states of the teeth and jaws. In the following article, Kirstyn Donaldson, discusses how you can establish a career in Dental & Maxillofacial Radiology.
Prosthodontics involves the replacement of missing teeth and the associated soft and hard tissues by prostheses (crowns, bridges, dentures) which may be fixed or removable, or may be supported and retained by implants. In the following article, Consultant Prosthodontist Krishnakant Bhatia, discusses how you can establish a career in the field of Prosthodontics.
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology involves the diagnosis of diseases of the mouth, jaws, face and neck by microscopic examination of tissue samples. In the following article, Professor Keith Hunter, Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, discusses how you can establish a career in this field.
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery deals with the diagnosis and treatment, both surgical and non-surgical, of diseases affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck. In the following article, Tom Handley discusses how you can establish a career in this field.
Oral Microbiology involves the diagnosis and assessment of facial infection, typically bacterial and fungal disease. This is a clinical specialty undertaken by laboratory-based personnel who provide reports and advice based on interpretation of microbiological samples. In the following article, Deborah Lockhart, Specialist Registrar in Microbiology, discusses how you can establish a career in this field.