Dentists typically work in dental offices or clinics, providing patients with cleanings and more in-depth procedures like root canals and cavity fillings. They work closely with Dental Hygienists to clean teeth and suggest treatment options and good hygiene practices for patients.
Their job is to evaluate a patient’s oral health to spot cavities and diagnose conditions like Gingivitis and more severe diseases like oral cancer before they develop further. They may also take X-rays and provide patients with other professional resources for those who need braces or retainers.
Dentistry is among the highest-paid professions in the U.S. However, dentists also graduate with heftier student loans than most. The American Dental Education Association estimates that the average debt per dental school graduate in 2021 was $301,583.
Typical duties of a dentist
Dentists help their patients protect, restore and maintain their oral health. They diagnose and treat diseases, and administer care to injuries and malformations of the teeth, oral tissues and the mouth. Dentists also check a patient’s head and neck areas as they relate to oral health.
Your job duties as a dentist include restoring and replacing teeth that have been damaged through disease or injury, and advising patients on proper oral health care to prevent future problems. This includes teaching your patients how to floss, brush their teeth and choose an appropriate diet. Other tasks include applying sealants to teeth, taking molds of teeth, extracting teeth, and performing cosmetic dental procedures to improve a patient’s appearance.
Dentists employ a variety of procedures and equipment to prevent and treat oral health problems. You’ll use advanced technologies to examine the teeth and mouth, including X-rays and computer-generated imaging. You’ll fill cavities and remove tooth decay using brushes, forceps and drills. You may prescribe antibiotics and other medications, perform oral surgeries, and administer anesthetics as required.
In addition to patient care, a dentist’s duties may include administrative and business-oriented tasks related to owning or running a dental practice. For instance, you might interact with suppliers and vendors. Depending on the size of the practice, you might also do bookkeeping. Management of personnel, including hiring, training and supervising hygienists, receptionists and other dental staff, may be part of the job.
Dentist job description
Dentists are medical healthcare professionals who focus specifically on the oral and dental hygiene of their patients. Dentists clean teeth, correct bite issues, perform surgeries and extractions, and perform other duties to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy.
This dentist job description below includes the list of most important duties and responsibilities. It can be modified to fit the specific profile you’re trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.
Responsibilities
A dentist’s job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:
- Examine patients’ medical records
- Prepare patients for treatment (e.g. by applying oral sedation or anesthesia)
- Check teeth, gums and other parts of the mouth, along with X-rays and tests, to diagnose dental problems
- Clean teeth and remove plaque
- Identify tooth decay and replace cavities with fillings
- Prescribe medication as needed
- Educate patients on proper brushing techniques, flossing and fluoride use
- Promote good oral health and preventive dental care (e.g. by scheduling regular check-ups)
- Design and fit dental prosthetics, such as bridges, crowns and dentures
- Apply teeth-whitening treatments
- Conduct tooth extractions and root canal procedures
- Perform surgeries on diseased tissues and bones
Requirements
A dentist’s job description should include these common skills and qualifications:
- Doctorate of Dental Surgery or Dental Medicine.
- State license and malpractice insurance.
- Additional experience, certifications, or licensing may be required.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to keep detailed records.
- Comprehensive knowledge of dental procedures, tools, and diagnostics.
- Good management skills.
- Strong computer skills and experience with healthcare databases and applications.
- Willingness to comply with all local, state, and federal laws regarding dental and health care.
As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal dentist starts with crafting a good job description. You can use this dentist job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.
Job seekers interviewing for the role of a dentist may also reference it in preparation for the interview.
Specialty areas
While most dentists practice general dentistry, some choose to undertake additional training in order to work in one of nine specialties. Among specialist dentists are orthodontists, who use braces and related dental appliances to move or straighten teeth; periodontists, who treat the dental issues related to gums and bone; and oral and maxillofacial surgeons, who operate on teeth, gums and jaws.
Pediatric dentists focus on treating children and patients with special needs. Prosthodontists use bridges, crowns and dentures to help patients with missing teeth, while root canals are performed by endodontists.
Other areas of specialty include oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology and dental public health.
Qualifications
You must have an approved degree in dentistry to practise as a dentist and courses take at least five years to complete. You’ll typically need high grades at A-level/Highers, with chemistry and biology being required subjects. Some dental schools offer a one-year pre-dental course for those who don’t have the required A-levels or equivalent.
If you’ve already completed a degree, achieved at least a 2:1 and the course had a large element of biology or chemistry, you may be able to do an accelerated four-year dental course.
All dental schools in the UK are regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC) and a list of available courses can be found at GDC Dentistry Programmes and Qualifications. Competition for dental schools is fierce and many require you to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) or BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT).
Once you’ve successfully completed your undergraduate degree, you’ll need to register with the GDC in order to practise as a qualified dentist.
Skills
You will need to show:
- manual dexterity and technical dental skills, plus the ability to maintain intense concentration for prolonged periods
- the ability to build relationships with patients and colleagues
- high level communication and interpersonal skills, for interaction with patients of all ages and backgrounds
- an interest in the welfare of others and a sympathetic manner, particularly to deal with patients’ fears
- good administrative and managerial abilities to run a dental practice
- information technology skills, due to the increasing use of computers for keeping records and accounts, and for digital imaging of radiographs and intra-oral photography.
Dentist salary outlook
Currently, the average monthly salary for a dentist in the United States is $15,831 a month, according to ZipRecruiter.
While there are salaries as high as $28,167 and as low as $4,958, the majority of dentist salaries currently range between $10,916 (25th percentile) to $19,666 (75th percentile) across the United States. The average salary range for a dentist varies greatly (by as much as $8,750), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
ZipRecruiter also identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a dentist job is above the national average. With these cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Dentist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corcoran, CA | $304,395 | $25,366 | $5,853 | $146.34 |
| Malibu, CA | $240,577 | $20,048 | $4,626 | $115.66 |
| Justin, TX | $240,554 | $20,046 | $4,626 | $115.65 |
| Berkeley, CA | $236,770 | $19,730 | $4,553 | $113.83 |
| Fort Belvoir, VA | $236,162 | $19,680 | $4,541 | $113.54 |
| North Bergen, NJ | $231,274 | $19,272 | $4,447 | $111.19 |
| Groton, MA | $230,268 | $19,189 | $4,428 | $110.71 |
| Renton, WA | $229,125 | $19,093 | $4,406 | $110.16 |
| Rohnert Park, CA | $228,495 | $19,041 | $4,394 | $109.85 |
| Santa Monica, CA | $227,394 | $18,949 | $4,372 | $109.32 |
How to increase your salary as a dentist
Whether you are an employee or run your own practice, there are always ways to earn more and increase your salary as a dentist. You can do this by:
Start your own practice
Transitioning from an employee to an owner is one of the most effective ways to boost your earnings. You have two options: to buy an existing dental practice or start your own from scratch.
The main benefit of acquiring an existing practice is its developed client base. If you decide to buy, check the ADA Marketplace, which lists practices for sale, and the Small Business Administration, a federal government agency that offers financing options for dental practice acquisition.
If you’d rather start your own practice, follow these steps:
- Find a community with a need for dental services
- Calculate whether it’s best to buy, construct, or lease a building
- Create financial projections for your dental business
- Secure financing from lenders, investors, or personal savings
- Buy equipment and dental supplies
- Hire at least one receptionist, dental hygienist, and dental assistant
- Ensure that you have the proper license and insurance
- Create and implement a marketing plan to attract new patients
Increase patient acquisition and retention
The most effective way to consistently acquire and retain dental patients is to provide stellar customer service. When you create positive rapport with patients, they are more likely to return and refer friends and family. With this in mind, be sure to focus on customer service in every client interaction.
It’s also a good idea to start a referral program or reward scheme for loyal patients. Referrals and return business are the cornerstones of a successful dental practice. Show loyal patients that you appreciate them by offering gifts or discounted whitening or cleaning treatments.
You should also consider starting a dental membership health plan that offers benefits or discounts to patients who pay a monthly or yearly fee. The plan can replace their dental health insurance or function as an add-on to their existing health coverage. A typical dental plan includes:
- Two free cleanings per year
- Annual X-rays
- One fluoride treatment or teeth whitening
- Discounted rates for other procedures, such as fillings or dental surgery
Invest in the right tools
As a dentist, you have enough on your plate as it is, especially if you run your own practice. It can be hard to find time in your busy schedule to also think about marketing, client retention, and new income streams.
This is where dental software like Weave comes in. Weave is our proprietary all-in-one solution for dental practices that allows you to automatically:
- Communicate with patients via phone and text
- Manage schedules and appointments
- Request reviews and payments
- Collect and view patient data and analytics
Step up your marketing efforts
Establishing a solid online presence is key to marketing your practice in today’s internet age. The first step is to create an informative, professional, and user-friendly website.
You should also consider setting up a dental blog or YouTube channel to share helpful tips. Providing valuable content for free is a fantastic way to build brand loyalty and establish yourself as a trusted resource on health care, dental medicine, and oral health. You could even put out content from guest specialists such as pediatric dentists.
Last but not least, find out which social media channels your patients use the most and create accounts for your practice. Post dentistry news, dental care tips, discount announcements, and more to stay top of mind with your audience.
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