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Dentistry is the art and science of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases of the teeth, jaws, and surrounding soft tissues of the mouth. Dentists care for their patients in many ways, but mainly through their skill at recognizing, correcting, and preventing problems of the teeth and the tissues that support them. Dental treatment includes a wide range of dental services. Some of these services focus on correcting problems of the teeth caused chiefly by dental decay. Such treatment, called restoration, often involves the use of some kind of dental filling. Other dental services deal with the prevention and treatment of diseases of the teeth and their supporting tissues and nerves. Still others concentrate on the position of the teeth in relation to each other and to the jawbones. Sometimes teeth require removal. This process, usually performed using an anesthetic (painkilling drug), is called extraction.
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