What Do Dentists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Dentists 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. They also use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.

Other tasks include:

• 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.
• Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
• Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
• 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.
• Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.

We asked Dentists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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82% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 86% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Dentists use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases. They 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.

A typical day for a Dentist will also include:

• Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
• Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
• 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.
• Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.

We asked some Dentists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	70% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	87% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	80% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	7% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	90% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Dentists also treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments. They may also fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Dentists Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth. They might also Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.

In addition, they Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.

To some Dentists, it is also their responsibility to Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.

Working life

Less than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Dentist, you can expect to work less than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/dentists.htm

http://www.ada.org/en/coda

http://www.adea.org/

http://www.agd.org/