Dentists are oral care experts who get to the root of the dental problems affecting their patients. Dentists try to make the world a better place, one smile at a time, with appropriate tools and treatment procedures wielded in a caring manner. Continue Reading
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Explore Career What are the typical responsibilities of a Dentist?
A Dentist would typically need to:
The workplace tends to be a dental office or dental hospital. The environments tend to be typical clinical environments - clean and sterile and working with the same professionals every day. The variation will be in the patients and interaction with different people every day.
As all towns and cities require dental offices, it should be possible for a Dentist to find a workplace within easy commuting distance. Travel within a working day and overnight absence from home is uncommon in general practice, but may occasionally be necessary for work in hospitals.
Opportunities for overseas travel may arise to attend international conferences. When treating patients, Dentists will be required to wear a tunic, surgical gloves, and safety glasses for protection and to reduce the risk of cross-infection.
Work within hospitals tends to be on short-term contracts and involves more irregular hours, with on-call responsibilities. Self-employment and freelance work in hospital Dentistry are only possible for consultants.
If you work as a general dental practitioner, you will be self-employed and can arrange your working hours, which may include weekend or evening sessions to suit patients. Career breaks and part-time work opportunities are available.
Private dental practices vary in size from a single practitioner, part-time surgeries to multiple-site partnerships with several associates. Jobs are available throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas.
Dentists are generally employed by:
Once a Dentist completes their degree, becoming an active participant in the local Dental Association can help build long-lasting connections within the field. They may receive access to professional publications, e-books, discounts on books, and networking events.
Professional associations and organizations are a crucial resource for Dentists interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications.
Pre-entry Dentistry experience is not essential, but a few weeks of related work experience and work shadowing will indicate your motivation for the work. All dental schools include practice where students work with patients in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed Dentist.
All nine dental specialties require dentists to complete additional training before practicing that specialty. They must usually complete a one or two-year residency in a program related to their specialty. General dentists do not require any additional training after dental school.
Dentists who want to focus on teaching or research spend two to five years more in advanced dental training.
You must have an approved degree in Dentistry to practice as a Dentist. In some countries, the program takes at least five years to complete. If you have already completed a degree with a large element of biology or chemistry, you may be able to do an accelerated four-year dental course.
Elsewhere, although requirements vary by school, most dental students need at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biology to be accepted.
College undergraduates who plan on applying to dental school must usually take a qualifying exam during their junior year. Admission to dental schools can be competitive. Dental schools use these tests and other factors, such as GPA and recommendations, to admit students into their programs.
Dentists need a license to practice; requirements vary by location, but the most common ones are a degree from an accredited dental school and success in a written and practical exam. A Dentist who wants to practice in one of the nine specialties must have a license in that specialty.
Licensing usually requires two to four years of additional education after dental school and, in some cases, the completion of a particular state exam. A postgraduate residency term also may be required, usually lasting up to two years.
Many Dentists eventually go on to own and run a practice. They will need to take responsibility for the management of staff, budgets, tax, equipment, premises but will have the freedom to arrange their working hours and specialist area.
Most Dentists are general practitioners and handle a variety of dental needs. Specialists include Dental Public Health Specialists, Endodontists, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologists, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Oral Pathologists, Orthodontists, Pediatric Dentists, Periodontists, or Prosthodontists.
Whether running your own office or working as part of a team of Dentists in a corporate environment, there are three steps every Dentist can take to advance their career. Following successful completion of the basic course, a Dentist may enter a practice as either a self-employed associate or an assistant employed on a salary basis. Completion of foundation training will make progression possible to the role of Associate or Partner in general practice.
Dentists who choose hospital Dentistry will follow a defined career structure and training pathway and will have to obtain recognized postgraduate qualifications to progress to senior posts. They may choose to specialize in oral & maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric Dentistry, and restorative Dentistry.
The position of Community Clinical Dental Officer will help you gain valuable experience. You will have the chance to gain postgraduate qualifications through part-time study. You could progress to a Senior Dental Officer role, with a special responsibility in areas such as epidemiology or treating patients with special needs.
If you work in universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals, you can progress to a senior lecturer or professorial post with relevant postgraduate qualifications. Many practicing Dentists also teach part-time, including supervising students in dental school clinics.
Job prospects for dentists are expected to be relatively good, especially for dentists who are willing to work in underserved areas.
However, the number of graduates from dental programs has increased in recent years. And the rate at which these workers leave the occupation is expected to be lower than that for other occupations. Therefore, there may be competition for jobs, particularly in areas where there are already sufficient numbers of dentists.
Dentists who have the requisite experience, knowledge, expertise, and an exemplary chair-side manner will have the best job prospects.
In some countries, dental foundation training is a period of work-based training that all Dentists must complete. An experienced practitioner will be your trainer. You will receive weekly tutorials in practice and attend a day-release course of lectures and demonstrations, usually held in dental departments of hospitals.
After you have completed your Dentistry degree, and before being able to practice as a Dentist, you must register with a professional body. To maintain registration throughout your career, you will need to follow a professional code of ethics and complete continuing professional development (CPD).
A Dentist considering a career as a Hospital Consultant will need to take further specialist training in a hospital setting. Courses for specialist qualifications in areas such as orthodontics, Implant Dentistry, and Aesthetic Dentistry are available.
Specialization
Beyond educating and building relationships with existing patients, dentists need to attract new ones. You need to choose an area of Dentistry to master to separate yourself from the pack. To do this, you must complete a residency within the specialty and, in all likelihood, pass a state-issued exam. The areas of specialization within Dentistry include public health Dentistry, endodontics, oral & maxillofacial pathology, oral & maxillofacial radiology, oral & maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric Dentistry, periodontology, and prosthodontics.
Public Health Dentistry
Public Health Dentistry provides leadership and expertise in population-based Dentistry, oral health surveillance, policy development, community-based disease prevention, health promotion, and maintenance of the dental safety net.
Endodontics
Endodontics focuses on diagnosing tooth pain and root canal treatment and other procedures relating to the tooth’s interior.
Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology, and Surgery
Oral & maxillofacial pathology studies diseases of the mouth (oral cavity), jaws (maxillae), and related structures such as salivary glands, facial muscles, and the skin around the mouth.
Oral & maxillofacial radiology studies and interprets radiographic images to help diagnose and manage diseases and disorders affecting the head, neck, face, and jaws.
Oral & maxillofacial surgery recognizes and treats problems such as the extraction of wisdom teeth, misaligned jaws, tumors, cysts of the jaw and mouth, and dental implant surgery.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics corrects crooked teeth and misaligned teeth. Such teeth are challenging to clean, are at risk of being lost early due to tooth decay and periodontal disease, and cause extra stress on the chewing muscles, leading to headaches, TMJ syndrome, as well as neck, shoulder, and back pain.
Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric Dentistry focuses on the oral health of children from infancy through the teen years. Proper dental care for children helps prevent and treat oral decay and disease that can otherwise lead to a lifetime of pain and complications.
Periodontology
Periodontology is the study of the specialized system of hard and soft tissues that supports the teeth and maintains their position in the jaw. A trained periodontist is the first to detect diabetes or blood disorders when examining a patient’s mouth.
Prosthodontics
Prosthodontics focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance, and health of patients with missing or deficient teeth.
General Dentist Practice
The most common role in Dentistry is that of a general dental practitioner (GDP) who work as self-employed contractors providing dental care to the general public. You might provide services through the government or private practice.
What Else?
You may find employment with a government hospital trust as a salaried dentist specializing in pediatric Dentistry, orthodontics, or restorative Dentistry.
A community dental service offers you work in various clinical settings as a salaried dentist within the government, including health authority surgeries, mobile clinics, and residential homes. Dentists choosing to work in the armed forces may find themselves employed at different locations across their country or overseas.
Universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals offer Dentists the option of combining academic teaching with research to pursue special interests in depth.
A good dentist is that perfect amalgamation of a Doctor / ENgineer / arTIST who will never get on your nerves.
The best and cheapest Dentistry is when the right thing is done exceptionally well the first time, and it lasts for a long time.
Your tongue has a pattern which, like your fingerprint, is unique to you. Biometrics companies are working on a technology that scans a person’s tongue print as proof of identification.
What do Dentists do?
A Dentist would typically need to:
Accredited
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