Dental specialists like Orthodontists (braces), Periodontists (gums), Oral Surgeons (extractions & dental implants) and Endodontists (root canal) have a higher level of education and experience in their specialty than general dentists. Generally, you are better off seeing a specialist whenever you need specialty dentistry.  General dentists have a financial disincentive to refer patients to specialists because they typically lose the economic value of the procedure. This video on Good vs. Bad Dentistry. Part 9. Specialists was created in our Dental Anxiety Dental Fear office. We prefer to refer specialty work to our specialists because that will frequently increase the comfort and speed of the visit.

Hi this is Dr. Jeff Dorfman at The Center for Special Dentistry in New York talking about 12 ways people can differentiate good from bad dentists and good from bad dentistry. Let’s talk about dental specialists. There are root canal specialists, orthodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons—there are many kinds of specialists in dentistry—many dentists say “I’m so good I can do it myself!” Let me tell you something, they can’t. For example, a root canal specialists is only doing root canal procedures for their entire work day, and a general dentist who is only doing several of them a week or several of them a day or whatever it may be, doesn’t have the skill set or all the training where they can do it as well. The problem is if you refer out the patient, then general dentist loses the income, and/or if the general dentist brings the specialist in house, the general dentist has to give up a portion of the income. General dentists have a financial disincentive to want to share specialty work with specialists. At The Center for Special Dentistry, that is the only way we go, and that is what I recommend for you. This is Dr. Jeff Dorfman at The Center for Special Dentistry in New York City.