A career in dentistry extends beyond providing primary care for patients. Dentists educate patients and the community about dental health and its impact on well-being, they provide leadership in their practice, they manage financial and business matters in the practice setting, and they are sometimes called as expert witnesses in legal cases. Good sources of information on current issues in dentistry and dental education are publications from the American Dental Association and the American Association of Dental Schools.
Most dentists are general practitioners.
In addition, there are eight recognized specialties that permit a dentist to concentrate exclusively with patients who have specific problems. General dentists bring their oral diagnostic, preventative, and rehabilitation skills directly to the patient by restoring damaged or missing tooth structure and treating diseases of the bone and soft tissue in the mouth and adjacent structures. They also provide patients with proactive programs of preventative oral health care. Individuals who enter the dental public health field are involved in developing policies and programs, such as health care reform, that affect the community at large. Oral pathologists are dental scientists who study and research the causes, processes, and effects of diseases that have oral manifestations.