Dentist Job Description Information

Dentists diagnose and treat problems with teeth and tissues in the mouth, along with giving advice and administering care to help prevent future problems. They provide instruction on diet, brushing, flossing, the use of fluorides, and other aspects of dental care. They remove tooth decay, fill cavities, examine x rays, place protective plastic sealants on children's teeth, straighten teeth, and repair fractured teeth. They also perform corrective surgery on gums and supporting bones to treat gum diseases. Dentists extract teeth and make models and measurements for dentures to replace missing teeth. They also administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other medications.

Dentists use a variety of equipment, including x-ray machines, drills, mouth mirrors, probes, forceps, brushes, and scalpels. Lasers, digital scanners, and other computer technologies also may be used. Dentists wear masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases.

Dentists in private practice oversee a variety of administrative tasks, including bookkeeping and the buying of equipment and supplies. They may employ and supervise dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental laboratory technicians, and receptionists. (These occupations are described elsewhere in the Handbook.)

Most dentists are general practitioners, handling a variety of dental needs. Other dentists practice in any of nine specialty areas. Orthodontists, the largest group of specialists, straighten teeth by applying pressure to the teeth with braces or other appliances. The next largest group, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, operates on the mouth, jaws, teeth, gums, neck, and head.

The remainder may specialize as pediatric dentists (focusing on dentistry for children and special-needs patients); periodontists (treating gums and bone supporting the teeth); prosthodontists (replacing missing teeth with permanent fixtures, such as crowns and bridges, or with removable fixtures such as dentures); endodontists (performing root-canal therapy); oral pathologists (diagnosing oral diseases); oral and maxillofacial radiologists (diagnosing diseases in the head and neck through the use of imaging technologies); or dental public health specialists (promoting good dental health and preventing dental diseases within the community).

Work environment. Most dentists are solo practitioners, meaning that they own their own businesses and work alone or with a small staff. Some dentists have partners, and a few work for other dentists as associate dentists.

Most dentists work 4 or 5 days a week. Some work evenings and weekends to meet their patients' needs. The number of hours worked varies greatly among dentists. Most full-time dentists work between 35 and 40 hours a week. However, others, especially those who are trying to establish a new practice, work more. Also, experienced dentists often work fewer hours. It is common for dentists to continue in part-time practice well beyond the usual retirement age.

Dentists usually work in the safety of an office environment. However, work-related injuries can occur, such as those resulting from the use of hand-held tools when performing dental work on patients.

Article Source: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos072.htm#earnings 

Dentist Salary Information

Median annual wages of salaried general dentists were $142,870 in May 2008. Earnings vary according to number of years in practice, location, hours worked, and specialty. Self-employed dentists in private practice tend to earn more than salaried dentists.

Dentists who are salaried often receive benefits paid by their employer, with health insurance and malpractice insurance being among the most common. However, like other business owners, self-employed dentists must provide their own health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits.




Article Source: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos072.htm#earnings

How to Become a Dentist

In answering the question ‘How to become a Dentist,’ one should understand that it is quite a challenging career and a highly rewarding profession too. But, before aspiring to become a dentist, one has to make sure that one has the right motivation and the right aptitude to enter the profession. One has to be fully aware of the dental work environment including the long hours and hard work that would have to be put in to become a successful dentist.

Dentist Salary Information:

Dentistry is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States and is slated to grow by more than 16 per cent by the year 2018, faster than any other profession. It is also one of the highly paid professions. Relatively in the medical field dentistry will always be in demand and is a profession that can be practiced anywhere. Dental specialists can earn anything between $160,000 and $190,000 per annum depending upon the specialty.

Dentist Education Requirements:

To become a dentist it is necessary for you to take biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and health subjects in high school and also obtain high grades. You will then have to complete a four-year Dental degree course in an accredited college. To get into Dental College, after high school, you will have to appear for a Dental Admissions Test. The test score along with your overall high school grades, science grades and recommendations will be taken into consideration for admission to Dental College.

After completing the four-year Dental degree course you will then have to complete 2 to 4 years of internship to learn hands-on practical dentistry including dental surgeries on patients. After the completion of the internship you have to obtain a license to practice the profession. The board of dental examiners of the State where you wish to practice will conduct a test to evaluate you, and then issue the license.

Dentist Work Environment:

You then decide whether you would want to work as general dentist or a dental specialist/surgeon. A general dentist normally provides all types of oral care at the basic level. The dental specialist specializes in any one particular area of dentistry. Orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and endodontics are the areas of specialization.

The orthodontist is specialized in irregularities of the teeth. Periodontist is specialized in other structures around the teeth and deals with the diseases of the gum. The prosthodontist is a specialist in the making of complete dentures or false teeth. The endodontist is a specialist dealing with the diseases of the dental pulp.

Dentists can work in hospitals, dental clinics and also do military service which will provide good opportunities to practice the profession. Dentists can also set up a dental clinic and practice privately based on the business potentiality of the locality of setup of the clinic.

Article Source: How to Become a Dentist