Dr. Derick Carstens

The Dentist's Role

Dentists are doctors who specialize in oral health. Their responsibilities include:

Diagnosing oral diseases.
Promoting oral health and disease prevention.
Creating treatment plans to maintain or restore the oral health of their patients.
Interpreting x-rays and diagnostic tests.
Ensuring the safe administration of anesthetics.
Monitoring growth and development of the teeth and jaws.
Performing surgical procedures on the teeth, bone and soft tissues of the oral cavity.

Dentists' oversight of the clinical team is critical to ensuring safe and effective oral care. Even seemingly routine procedures such as tooth extractions, preparing and placing fillings or administering anesthetics carry potential risks of complications such as infection, temporary or even permanent nerve damage, prolonged bleeding, hematomas and pain.