General and Pediatric Dentistry

General/Family dentists are those that have not specialized in any specific field. These are the guys that you visit every six months for a visit. These dentists are trained to do a little bit of everything, but not to as high of a degree of knowledge as a dental specialized. After high school, you must complete four years of college education, taking the required science courses, and then take an additional for years of dental school. After school, you must take your board exams and get a license to practice general dentistry in your state of choosing. In addition to this schooling, dentists must be able able to socialize with patients in a way that makes them feel comfortable, since going to the dentist isn't exactly a happy time in everyones life. You need to be a social person that likes to interact with other people in a positive manner.

These dentists are trained to diagnose, prevent, and treat problems with teeth or oral tissue. General dentists remove decay, fill cavities, examine x-rays, straighten or repair fractured teeth, extract, perform corrective surgery, and much more. For the complete description and list of their duties, click here.

In this video, Dr. David Carr descibes the road to general dentistry and gives you a quick look into what life as a general dentist is like. Dr. Carr is a graduate of Baylor University School of Dentistry and has owned his own office for several years. He shows us the aspects of being a dentist: both medical and business related. In addition to your duties as a dentist, Dr. Carr emphasizes the importance of being a good business man - since most dentist up and run their own office.

                                                                                                                                             

Many of these general dentists may decide to work with just children - this field is called pediatric dentistry. After college, they are required to take the same four years in dental school as other dentist PLUS an additional 2-3 years of education in pediatric specialization. They perform many of the same procedures as general dentists, but work with a younger range of patients. Like other dentists, these dentists mostly work in their own private office or work with other dentists like them. The AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) is the leading organization in children's health and provides dentists with valuable resources for their career. Click here to learn more about pediatric dentistry and. As with general dentists, it is vital that you learn to interact with your patients. In pediatric dentistry, you need to learn how to talk to children and make them feel comfortable with coming to the dentist. Finding patients is not the only thing that matters in dentistry, you need to know how to make them happy and keep them as your patients in the future. In the video above, you see Dr. Lee Weinstein and how he creates a comfortable environment for children. Hotel key cards, post cards, license plates from all over the country, and  many other colorful items add to the look and feel of his office. You can see by his personality and speaking behaviors that he has learned how to properly interact and behave with children to make them feel comfortable and happy.

"Being able to help children overcome their fear of the dentist and to actually enjoy their visits with me is a great joy. I try to create an environment in my Scottsdale, Arizona (AZ) office that is both fun and relaxing while instilling great dental habits. This helps ensure that your children grow up with healthy teeth and bright smiles. As a pediatric dentist, I also get to act like a child. What’s most rewarding is playing with the kids, turning a difficult patient into a great one, and seeing the kids’ beautiful and happy smiles. My staff and I look forward to meeting you and your children soon!" - Dr. Lee Weinstein