When most people talk about visiting a dentist, they are thinking about a general practice dentist where they might go to have a routine check-up, to have their teeth professionally cleaned or when they are experiencing toothache. However, in addition to general practice dentistry, a dentist can choose to undertake further study and become a specialist in a particular area of dentistry. Depending on the nature of an oral issue, a family dentist may refer a patient to a specialist. Here is a helpful overview of some of the different areas of dentistry.