General Dentist
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to 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.
Common job titles of General Dentist include:
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Experience and Education
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.
81.44% said they needed a Doctoral Degree.
7.17% said they needed a Some College Courses.
Tasks
Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
Manage business aspects such as employing or supervising staff or handling paperwork or insurance claims.
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.
Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services.
Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
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.
Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth.
Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.
Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
Tools
Wiring pliers
Wire and arch bar scissors
Visible light curing units
Ultrasonic scaler tips
Ultrasonic cleaners
Turvey maxillary expander
Towel clamps
All ToolsTooth-whitening argon lasers
Tooth color shade guides
Tongue retractors
Tongue forceps
Tissue retractors
Tissue forceps
Thyroid shields
Thyroid collars
Suture scissors
Surgical scissors
Surgical masks
Surgical handles
Surgical gloves
Surgical elevators
Surgical burs
Straight scissors
Straight mosquito forceps
Straight hemostats
Straight elevators
Straight dental handpieces
Straight attachments
Spoons
Spoon excavators
Slow-speed dental handpieces
Single-ended periodontal probes
Single-end explorers
Sickles
Sharpening stones
Scanners
Scalpels
Saliva ejectors
Safety glasses
Rubber dam punches
Rubber dam frames
Rubber dam clamps
Rubber dam clamp forceps
Root tip picks
Root elevators
Root canal spreaders
Root canal reamers
Root canal rasps
Root canal pluggers
Root canal files
Root canal enlargers
Root canal barbed broaches
Rongeur forceps
Pulse oximeters
Pulp testers
Protective gowns
Prophylaxis cups
Prophylaxis brushes
Prophylaxis angles
Prophy contra angle head assemblies
Pretracheal stethoscopes
Posterior scalers
Porcelain crown pliers
Pointing devices
Pluggers
Plastic filling instruments
Plaster vibrators
Plaster knives
Photo-activated disinfection systems
Personal computers
Periotomes
Periosteal elevators
Periodontal probing devices
Periodontal pocket markers
Periodontal knives
Periodontal elevators
Periodontal curettes
Pedodontic forceps
Panoramic x ray equipment
Oral evacuation equipment
Occlusal force analysis systems
Notebook computers
Nitrous oxide administration equipment
Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG dental lasers
Needle holders
Mouth mirrors
Molar forceps
Model trimmers
Metric calipers
Metal spatulas
Matrix retainers
Masks
Manual film processing systems
Ligature instruments
Laryngeal mask airways LMA
Intraoral x ray equipment
Intraoral printers
Intraoral microscope systems
Intraoral camera systems
Interproximal carvers
Instrument sharpeners
High-speed evacuators
High-speed dental handpieces
High heat sterilizers
Headsets
Gutta percha dispensers
Gauze packers
Gates-Glidden drills
Furcation probes
Foot controls
Fiberoptic periosteal elevators
Fiberoptic diagnostic probes
Fiberoptic dental mirrors
Fiberoptic aspirators
Eyewash stations
Extraoral x ray equipment
Explorers
Endodontic pluggers
Endodontic obturating cones
Endodontic micro-torches
Endo excavators
Enamel hatchets
Electrically powered dental amalgamators
Dycal instruments
Double-end periodontal probes
Double-end explorers
Disimpaction forceps
Digital radiographic equipment
Digital medical thermometers
Desktop computers
Dental x ray protective aprons
Dental wire cutters
Dental wax spatuals
Dental syringes
Dental scissors
Dental operating lights
Dental mouth props
Dental matrix bands
Dental margin trimmers
Dental mallets
Dental lasers
Dental laboratory plaster traps
Dental laboratory lathes
Dental impression trays
Dental handpieces
Dental fiberoptic retractors
Dental excavators
Dental excavating burs
Dental electrosurgery devices
Dental drills
Dental cord packing instruments
Dental condensers
Dental chisels
Dental chairs
Dental carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
Dental burnishers
Dental aspiration syringes
Dental amalgam carvers
Dental air abrasion systems
Daylight loader film processing systems
Curved mosquito forceps
Curved hemostats
Crown splitting forceps
Crown scissors
Crown removing pliers
Crown removers
Cross-bar elevators
Cricothyrotomy devices
Crane picks
Cotton pliers
Copalite retainers
Copalite bands
Contra angle sheaths
Composite placing instruments
Chin-length plastic face shields
Chemical vapor sterilizers
Cement spatulas
Cement placing instruments
Capnographs
Bulb irrigators
Broaches
Bridge removers
Bone files
Bone clamps
Blood pressure monitors
Bite blocks
Biscuspid forceps
Bayonet forceps
Band setters
Ball bearing contra angle assemblies
Awls
Automatic film processing systems
Automated external defibrillators AED
Autoclaves
Articulating paper forceps
Apex locators
Anterior scalers
Anterior forceps
Angled pliers
Angle dental handpieces
Amalgam wells
Amalgam retainers
Amalgam condensers
Amalgam carriers
Amalgam bands
Air/water syringes
Air/water syringe tips
Air compressors
Technologies
ABELSoft ABELDent
Accounting software
ACE Dental
AlphaDent
AltaPoint Data Systems AltaPoint Dental
Data Team DDS
Dental charting software
All TechnologiesDental 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
EZ 2000
Genesis Dental
Henry Schein DentalVision Professional
Henry Schein Dentrix
Henry Schein Easy Dental
Henry Schein EndoVision
Henry Schein PerioVision
Kodak Dental Systems Kodak PRACTICEWORKS Practice management software PMS
Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS
MDC Services DentalMate
MOGO Dental Software MOGO
OCS Office-Partner
Open Dental
Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
PEB XLDent
Teleo Practice Services The Complete Practitioner
ToothPics
Voice-activated perio charting software
Windent OMS
Windent SQL
Abilities
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Fine Manipulative Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Finger Dexterity
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Fine Manipulative Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Arm-Hand Steadiness
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Control Movement Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Control Precision
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering
Quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Fine Manipulative Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Manual Dexterity
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility