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Dentists, General

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they 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.

Related: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Orthodontists Orthopedic Surgeons Pediatric Surgeons Prosthodontists

Industries: Health & Counseling

Summary
Details

Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
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.
Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.
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.
Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
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.
Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
Manage business aspects such as employing or supervising staff or handling paperwork or insurance claims.
Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
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.
Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth.

Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.

Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

197950/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

95.17/hr

Currently Employed

4,620

Yearly Projected Openings

230

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

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

Air compressors
Attachments or replacement parts for dental instruments
Awls
Bands for dental matrix
Calcium hydroxide placement tools
Chemical or gas sterilizers
Composite placement tools
Cosmetic dentistry curing lights
Crown or bridge removers
Dental absorbent holders
Dental amalgamators
Dental burnishers
Dental burs
Dental calipers
Dental carvers
Dental cord packers
Dental dam supplies
Dental depth gauges
Dental drills
Dental elevators
Dental examination chairs
Dental excavators
Dental files or rasps
Dental film processors
Dental forceps
Dental handpieces
Dental impression trays
Dental instrument sharpening accessories
Dental knives
Dental laboratory air abrasion units
Dental laboratory burners or torches
Dental laboratory lathes
Dental laboratory model trimmers
Dental laboratory plaster traps
Dental laboratory vibrators
Dental lasers
Dental mallets
Dental margin trimmers
Dental material pluggers or tips
Dental materials dispensers
Dental matrices or sets
Dental mirrors or mirror handles
Dental mouth prop or bite block or gag
Dental pressure indicating kits
Dental probes or explorers
Dental prophylaxis kits
Dental pulp or vitality testers
Dental reamers
Dental retainers
Dental retractors
Dental root tip picks
Dental saliva ejectors or oral suction devices
Dental scalers
Dental scissors
Dental shades
Dental spatulas
Dental spreaders
Dental syringe accessory kits
Dental syringes or needles or syringes with needles
Dental tongs
Dental x ray units
Dental x-ray bite blocks or wings or tabs
Desktop computers
Electronic blood pressure units
Electronic medical thermometers
Electronic stethoscopes
Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment
Endodontic kits
Endoscopic hemostatic balloons or needles or tubes or accessories
Eyewashers or eye wash stations
Facial shields
Foot switch
General dental lights
Grinding machines
Medical exam or surgical headlights or headlamps
Medical imaging dry laser printers or imagers
Medical imaging wet darkroom or daylight processors
Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes
Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
Mobile medical services non-suction antichoke devices
Notebook computers
Orthodontic band drivers or pushers or setters
Orthodontic ligature cartridges
Orthodontic pliers
Oxygen therapy delivery system products
Patient carbon dioxide detectors
Periodontal chisels
Periodontal curettes
Periodontal knives
Personal computers
Pharyngeal airways or airways kits
Pointers
Pulse oximeter units
Safety glasses
Scanners
Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
Surgical clamps or clips or forceps
Surgical gloves
Surgical isolation or surgical masks
Surgical suction machine or vacuum extractor or ultrasonic surgical aspirator
Teeth cleaning devices
Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
Videoscopes

Accounting software
Internet browser software
Medical software
Office suite software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

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