What You'll Do

  • Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
  • 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.
  • Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
  • Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services.
  • Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
  • Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
  • Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
  • Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
  • Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
  • Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.

Essential Skills

Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.12/5
Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Monitoring 4.0/5
Complex Problem Solving 4.0/5
Active Learning 3.88/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.88/5
Service Orientation 3.88/5
Time Management 3.88/5
Science 3.75/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Integrity, Dependability, Concern for Others, Self-Control

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Problem Sensitivity 4.25/5
Finger Dexterity 4.25/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 4.12/5
Near Vision 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 4.0/5

Technologies & Tools

ABELSoft ABELDent Accounting software ACE Dental AlphaDent AltaPoint Data Systems AltaPoint Dental Data Team DDS Dental charting software Dental clinical records software Dental digital radiology software Dental imaging software Dental intra-oral imaging software DentiMax DSN Software Dental-Exec DSN Software Oral Surgery-Exec DSN Software Perio-Exec eClinicalWorks EHR software EZ 2000 Genesis Dental Henry Schein DentalVision Professional Henry Schein Dentrix

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.66/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.49/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.42/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.32/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.31/5)

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Dental Medicine Doctor (DMD) Dental Officer Dental Surgery Doctor (DDS) Dentist Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Endodontist Family Dentist General Dentist Pediatric Dentist Periodontist Public Health Dentist