Dentists, General

Also Called: Dentist, Family Dentist, General Dentist, Pediatric Dentist

Doctoral Degree

usually needed

Not Available
(Students Only)
Match Percentage

$80,820

Entry Salary

Average

Job outlook

What Dentists, General do

Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.

  • Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
  • Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments.
  • Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
Industry Areas:

Health Care

Expand For Additional Details

Work Context

  • Face-to-Face Discussions
  • Physical Proximity
  • Frequency of Decision Making
  • Work With Work Group or Team
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

Tools

  • Dental forceps
  • Dental probes
  • Dental hand pieces or accessories
  • Dental elevators
  • Dental material pluggers or tips or accessories

Technology

Medical software
Henry Schein Dentrix
Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Office suite software
Microsoft Office

The Education & Training You Need

Skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Active Listening
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Monitoring

Knowledge

Health
medicine and dentistry
Business
customer service
management
Arts and Humanities
English language
Math and Science
biology

Education

  • 81% Doctoral degree
  • 7% Some college, no degree
  • 6% Associate's degree

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

What are some related occupations at different educational levels?


Job Training Match

Dental Laboratory Technicians

Educational Level

High School Diploma or Equivalent

 Job Training Match

Dental Assistants

Educational Level

Post-secondary, non-degree

Dental Hygienists

Educational Level

Associate's Degree

Bioengineers & Biomedical Engineers

Educational Level

Bachelor's Degree

Dentists, General Currently Selected

Educational Level

Advanced Degree

What are your training options on the pathway to this occupation?

Advanced Training

There are currently no advanced training opportunities for this career.

ACT & College

  • Abilene Christian University

    Abilene, TX

  • Allen County Community College

    Iola, KS

Apprenticeships

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Are You a Good Fit?

Occupation Traits

    • Investigative (Thinker)
    • Realistic (Doer)
    • Social (Helper)

Work Styles

  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Concern for Others
  • Self Control
  • Stress Tolerance

Values

  • Independence
  • Achievement
  • Relationships

Abilities

  • Hand and Finger Use
  • Verbal
  • Ideas and Logic
  • Attention

This is what Dentists, General across the country typically make.

$38.86 / hour
$80,820 /year

Entry Level

$79.95 / hour
$166,300 /year

Median Level

$115.00 / hour
$239,200 /year

Experienced Level

Income information reflects a regional average.
Income information reflects a national average.

This career’s National Job Outlook is

Average

Please be sure to verify the outlook of this occupation with your instructor.

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