Where Can a Dentist Work? Exploring Alternative Careers in Dentistry

Explore alternative careers for dentists such as dental education and research. Learn about job duties, education requirements & salary for dentists.

Where Can a Dentist Work? Exploring Alternative Careers in Dentistry

Dentistry is a dynamic health profession, offering opportunities to become a successful and highly respected member of the community. The vast majority of graduates work as dentists in general dental practice, NHS hospitals and community dental services. Compare job duties, education, job growth, and salary for dentists with similar occupations. Dentists should pay attention to the shape and color of the teeth and the space between them.

For example, they may need to closely match one false tooth to the patient's other teeth. The Pay tab describes typical earnings and how workers in the occupation are compensated for annual wages, hourly wages, commissions, tips, or bonuses. Within each occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, position, and geographic area. For most profiles, this tab has a table with salaries in the main industries that employ the occupation. The Job Outlook tab describes factors affecting employment growth or declining occupancy and, in some cases, describes the ratio between the number of job seekers and the number of vacancies. Dentistry, while primarily focused on oral care and maintaining dental health, has several career options.

Dental career opportunities are in demand and available, based on your educational and professional qualifications. Every professional dental assistant from dentistry, dental hygienists, dental laboratory technicians, etc.works within a team to deliver value to their customer base. See below for a summary of the various career opportunities in the dental field. To learn more about further study and find a course that interests you, see Master's Degrees and search for graduate courses in dentistry.

Trained dentists play many roles in the ADA and other organizations, serving as researchers, product evaluators, and program managers. Dentists can work for long periods with patients who need special care, including children and people afraid of dental work. Dentists use a variety of equipment such as x-ray machines, drills, oral mirrors, probes, forceps, brushes and scalpels. Full-time dentists spend approximately 36 hours per week in their offices of which approximately 33 hours per week are spent treating patients. Demand for dentists is expected to increase as more seniors need dental services. Dentists wear masks, gloves and safety goggles to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases.

That's why it's important to develop your manual dexterity if you're interested in a career as a dentist. In addition, a dentist who wants to practice in one of the nine specialties must have a license in that specialty. Already in high school students interested in becoming dentists can take courses in subjects such as biology chemistry and mathematics. In addition a dentist who wants to practice in a dental specialty must have a license in that specialty. Learn more about dentists by visiting additional resources such as O*NET a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations. For more information about dentists including information on accredited dental schools and state boards of dental examiners visit.

General dentists treat all patients adults and children in many different centers and treatment settings.