Dental Specialties: Who Does What?
Last updated November 2023
Endodontists
Specialize in treating the pulp of teeth, including performing root canal therapy.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Specialize in surgery of the mouth and face, including removing wisdom teeth, removing tumors, performing biopsies, and performing cosmetic face reconstruction after trauma such as car accidents.
Orthodontists
Specialize in the diagnosis, prevention, interception, and correction of malocclusion (bad bite), as well as neuromuscular and skeletal abnormalities of developing or mature orofacial structures. Best known for performing treatments involving braces.
Pediatric Dentists
Specialize in treating children from birth to 21 years of age, a period when most dental growth occurs.
Periodontists
Commonly referred to as “gum doctors,” they specialize in the tissues that support, attach to, and surround the teeth, and the treatment and prevention of disease affecting these tissues, including gum surgery and sometimes implants.
Prosthodontists
Specialize in repairing and replacing teeth and oral structures, such as installing crowns, bridges, implants, and dentures. General dentists do these things too, but prosthodontists often treat the more complicated cases.
