There are dentists, dental specialists, denturists, and dental hygienists working in a wide variety of settings, and it may not be clear to the public where to turn for their Barrie dental care. In Ontario, each of the above professions are self-regulating by a college under the RHPA (Regulated Health Professions Act). The college that governs each profession is the body that “licenses” the practitioner. Each of these colleges are set up for the protection of the public, and it should be noted that they are different from the provincial dental associations. Dentists and dental specialists are regulated by the RCDSO (Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario). Denturists are regulated by the College of Denturists of Ontario, and Hygienists are regulated by the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario. If you are seeking dental services in Barrie, the individuals providing the services must belong to one of the above colleges. If not, and that person is providing oral care (not just cosmetic whitening), then that person is operating illegally. Furthermore, each of the above mentioned professions have limits on what types of work their members can perform.
But here is the meat of the confusion: given so many providers, who will best meet the needs of any given patient? Let’s start with dentists. In Barrie, we have dentists with DDS degrees and DMD degrees. In fact, these are the same thing. Dental surgeons and dentists are the exact same. The only difference lies in the three letters given to them by their university. Starting with a dentist is always a good decision when deciding on your oral care, whether you have teeth or not. The role of the dentist can be likened to that of the family physician. Dentists can legally provide the whole spectrum of dental care, and will serve as a quarterback for your dental care.
Why is this important? Dentistry is not an easy thing to understand, and the general public cannot be expected to fully know its dental needs. Dentists will look at everything in the mouth, and not just the problem at hand. They are trained to evaluate the mouth and spot not just the run-of-the-mill dental and periodontal (gum) issues, but also sort out TMJ (jaw joint) and oral pathology concerns such as hidden chronic infections or even oral cancer. If there is no thorough screening of your mouth, there may be all sorts of oral problems brewing painlessly that are not discovered until too late.
Think of the patient who has sky-high blood pressure but doesn’t get checked regularly and therefore has no idea until the heart attack. When you seek the full services of a dentist in Barrie, you should experience a complete oral exam first, which will culminate in a treatment plan based on your needs. (Notably, this complete exam should also include the appropriate x-rays and/or other tests). This treatment plan may be as simple as a regular dental cleaning (hygiene dental services), to as complex as a whole mouth reconstruction (see our Gallery and Services Offered pages to get an idea of what kind of dental treatment we are talking about).
More importantly, the dentist will then provide the best sequence for management of your dental needs so things are not done out of order. For example, most people will want front-teeth concerns addressed before back teeth. However, since it is the back teeth that hold up the bite, we need to take those into account as well.
And what about the gums? Fortunately we live in a part of the world where the quality of dentistry is high, and extensive dental needs can be addressed in a structured, organized manner. In Barrie, we are lucky to have all of the dental care services at our disposal either in-town or nearby. Sometimes a dental patient’s needs cannot be managed by a dentist alone. This is why dental specialists are needed. Barrie has a great complement of dental specialists who can deal with specific problems and play a vital role in the community dental team. When a dentist encounters situations that are beyond the scope of his or her practice or comfort level, a specialist needs to be enlisted.
Dental specialists are dentists who have undergone additional postgraduate training and licensing in order to provide specialty-level care. This is not to say that certain procedures can only be done by specialists, but the time and complexity of a procedure often makes more sense when done by a specialist. Dentistry in Ontario has many recognized specialties, the best-known of which may be orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics. The dental care options in Barrie include all of these specialists, and it is up to the family dentist to determine where referrals are to be sent.
Quick Primer
Orthodontists – these are individuals who will straighten teeth and potentially correct growth pattern problems, usually through braces and other appliances. Barrie has several quality orthodontists.
Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons – these are specialists trained to handle the more extensive surgical problems in the oral / facial region. While most commonly familiar through dental implant placement and wisdom tooth extractions, these practitioners are also involved with more severe problems such as trauma / jaw fractures, tumour removals, major infections, and systemic pathology. Dentists in Barrie have great help in the oral surgeons available (note: oral surgeons are the specialists, dental surgeons are the family dentists).
Endodontists – these are the specialists in problems involving the root canals of teeth. Typically this would mean conventional root canal treatment or re-treatment, but can include things like determining difficult-to-diagnose sources of mouth pain. Barrie dental care providers have very qualified endodontists to carry out their root canal needs if necessary.
Paediatric dentists – these specialists are trained to handle the dental needs of the very smallest of patients. For dentists, Barrie offers several offices that focus on children’s needs. Since many children are too young to offer any sort of cooperation, paediatric dentists can also use sedation to complete dental work on children while they sleep.
Periodontists – these specialists focus on the health of the gums and their underlying bone. For those with gum problems in particular sites or perhaps have had the fortune of generalized gum disease that is severe, periodontists can offer solutions that will allow patients to maintain their teeth for longer. Increasingly, people can also have their gums reshaped if they do not like the look of their smiles.
Dental Hygienists – Most commonly seen in general dental practices, dental hygienists are individuals trained to maintain the cleanliness of the teeth and roots in an effort to prevent gum disease. In Barrie, dental hygienists can also be found in orthodontic offices and some other dental specialty offices performing tasks specific to the specialty. Although it is possible that a hygienist may operate independently at a facility without a dentist, it is Dr. Elston Wong’s view that the best care arises from a multidisciplinary setting. Having a dentist present while a patient is being seen enables clearer communication and organization to manage complex problems. Not having one present necessarily means added complexity and confusion.
Denturists – They are the ones who can provide removable replacements for teeth if some or all teeth are missing from a mouth. Denturist offices cannot take x-rays and cannot legally provide a comprehensive evaluation of a mouth. For that, a patient in Barrie would still need to go to a dentist. Also, since only the removable appliances can be offered, a separate visit to a dental office would be required in order to receive information about fixed (i.e.: non-removable) tooth replacement options. Obviously, there would again be added time and expense to receive the same services.
The bottom line: we always recommend that a dentist be consulted first about oral health. Once complete, then visits to a dental specialist, dental hygienist, or denturist can be carried out with a measure of confidence that things are well coordinated.