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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

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

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

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

Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
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.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
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.
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.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
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.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
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.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
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.

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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Dentists, General

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