When you feel sick, you go to the doctor and if further testing is required they will refer you to a specialist. But when you have a dental problem you have the option to go to a cosmetic dentist or practice of general dentistry. The issues you have may not always be dealt with using a general dentist, but they can at least see you and then refer you more if needed. But you can choose to go to a cosmetic dentist without a referral.
The point is, not everyone will see a dentist to have a filling put in or to have their teeth cleaned. Many times it's much more complicated than that. You can go to a cosmetic dentist when you need to improve the overall look of your mouth. To place porcelain veneers, dental caps, dental bonding, teeth whitening, and related services, general dentistry may not suffice.
You have the option to be able to manage your smile when you see a cosmetic dentist. However, there are many things that can be performed by general dentistry. A general dentist can handle most of your dental problems. The practise of general dentistry is set to handle cavities. Usually, cavities occur when food particles are not dislodged and ferment to release chemicals that eat away the enamel or due to poor oral health.
Most of the time, it is because of eating and not brushing properly. A cavity needs to be scraped out of gear and a certain amount of drilling will be required. This is done to get cavities completely out and to clean up the area where the filling will be placed in the puffs.