Book
Dental Practice Success Guide
Essential Strategies for Dentists: Dental Practice Mastery: Proven Tactics to Achieve Long-lasting Success in the Dentistry Field
See more 👉
Dentist
The first ever recorded dentist, the Egyptian -Hesi-Re – was renowned as the very first tooth expert – 3000 BC!
Dentistry has since become a vigorous and intriguing field, where art and science meet beautiful, healthy smiles. Dentistry is on the cutting edge of technology using lasers, 3D imaging, and advanced materials to restore teeth. It can transform a person’s life!
Dentists solves problem everyday by diagnosing issues, performing complex procedures, and making decisions that can improve, not only the oral health of a patient, but their overall mental and physical well-being as well.
Dentists perform routine cleaning of teeth, that leaves someone feeling refreshed or they perform intricate smile makeovers that boosts confidence. The effect of dentistry is instantaneous and profound. The career of a dentist combines precision, creativity, and compassion while giving patients the tools to maintain a lifetime of dental health. There is excitement from constant learning of new techniques, innovations, and revolutions that make the dentistry more rewarding than ever.
In a time where first impressions matter to people, dentistry is more than just about teeth—it’s about enhancing your pearly, dazzling smile. It’s a hands-on profession that is thrilling and exciting and directly influences the way people laugh, relate and live their lives.
Summary
Dental professionals perform a wide range of hands-on tasks including cleaning teeth, filling cavities, performing routine checkups, x-rays as well as complex surgery. You will have a direct impact on peoples overall wellbeing and this nature of the job, makes for an appealing career as a dentist. You will not only improve a patients health but you can increase their confidence and quality of life by relieving them of dental issues like pain, restoring their smile and overall health and wellbeing. This makes the profession a very rewarding career.
Working in dentistry also offers ongoing professional development as the field is ever evolving and offers advancements in technology, techniques -like3D imaging laser surgery- and materials used. This makes the job very diverse and exciting.
While being one of the highest paid healthcare professions, it also offers a wide range of flexibility. Most dentists work in private healthcare, often as self-employed contractors in their own dental general practice and thereby, can set their own schedule and improve work-life balance. This is an appealing aspect, especially if you value independence in your career. So although the profession requires many years in dental schools, the financial reward and autonomy makes for a very lucrative career with opportunities for specialist advancements to further increase your income potential.
Specialist training pathway include orthodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, or oral surgery, among others. By specializing in a subject of dentistry you can advance you expertise in a certain field and enjoy a wealth of career progression.
Being a dentists , though very technical, does require some social aspects and ability to create connections and build relationships. Many people rely on their dentist and need to trust they are looked after, not only for their health, but also overall wellbeing. Being in a dentist chair can feel very intimate and overwhelming, and a emphatic personality, can make patients relax and feel at ease.
Dental professionals may in addition, also play an important role in discovering other health issues that can manifest themselves in the mouth, like some cancers and diabetes.
Responsibilities
A dentists responsibilities are many and varied but centers around the oral health and well-being of their patients’ teeth and gums. They will also be managing a practice and ensure to be on top of new developments in the field. The career requires a combination of medical expertise, technical skill, communication, and patient care.
Diagnostics and treatment planning You will identify and treat dental problems during routine check-ups like cavities, gum disease, oral infections, and oral cancer followed by a thorough examination of a patients teeth, gum and mouth. To examine the oral health of a patient, you will use a range of tools like x-rays, 3D imaging and other tests. Based on the dental health needs and diagnosis, you will develop a personal treatment plan while considering the patients health history and preferences.
Dental Procedures and Dental Care. Based on your the treatment plan, there can be a range of procedures to carry out like fillings, scaling, extractions, root canals, bridges and crowns to treat and restore damaged teeth. Some cosmetic procedures to improve a patients smile may include teeth whitening, veneers or implants. Some of these procedures could require you to administer anesthesia and pain relief and discuss any complications and concerns with the patients. After treatment, a dentist should offer advise on preventive care like hygiene and lifestyle choices as well as highlighting the importance of regular check-ups and cleaning, for long-term oral healthcare.
Emergency care may be needed in case of accidents, injuries or serious infections, here included- pain management.Practice Management. Dental health centers will maintain accurate patient records of treatment and diagnoses as well as health records. This will allow the dentist to monitor the patients history and keep up to date with long-term care. They will handle treatment appointments, billing and insurance processing. Management of dental nurses, dental therapist, undergraduates and reception staff must be managed, as well as also ensuring compliance with health regulations, safety standards, and ethical practices.
Collaboration. Some dental irregularities might require specialist treatment and ongoing collaboration with other healthcare providers is needed, as you maybe have to refer your patient to a specialist department and ensure complex issues are treated in a timely manner with the best qualified department.
Training and development. Keeping up to date on latest advancements in procedures, dental services, treatment and research is an integral part of a dentists work responsibility. Continuing professional development and certification by completing dental courses, is important to further expertise knowledge and progression, That will ensure the best treatment for the patients.
Key skills & traits
A good dentist has a good dental foundation training, that combines clinical expertise with strong interpersonal skills. They must possess emotional intelligence, and be eager to continuously learn and improve themselves. This will enable them to provide the best care, decrease patient concerns, and build long-lasting and trusting, positive relationships.
Problem Solving.
A dentist must be able to diagnose complex issues and offer the best and most effective treatment plan. Critical thinking along with creativeness is required for the best patient outcome.
People skills.
A dentist genuinely cares for peoples wellbeing and must use their empathy and understanding for a patients concern around pain, fear and anxiety and create a treatment plan that will ensure them, they're in the best hands. This will in turn create trust and build lasting relations with a clientele.
Physical Abilities and Coordination.
You will need great coordination and fine motoric skills. Precision and hand-eye coordination for performing delicate dentistry, using small intricate tools in tight spaces are required for accuracy and efficiency.
Leadership & Teamwork
To manage a dental team, dentists must have great leadership skills as well as the ability to collaborate across many healthcare professions to ensure elaborate care. You must be organized and assertive in the day to day running of team of healthcare professionals.
Excellent Communication.
You must be able to communicate with patients young and old alike, to explain complex dental procedures in simple terms. You will also be a good listener to understand your patients concern and needs.
Education & qualifications
Prospective students need at least five years’ study at a dental school, followed by one to two years of supervised practice. Most entrants will require three As at A-level, although some dental schools may offer one year pre-dental training.
Lifestyle
Most dentists work full-time but might be able to choose flexi-working depending on their employment arrangement. It can be very demanding and full on and specialized roles might influence working hours.
The role has very good earning potential and you can make a positive impact on many peoples lives.
0%
Remote SuitedThe role is very customer focused and attendance in a practice is required most of the time for face to face dental examination and treatment.
70%
StressfulYou will deal with a lot of anxious patients and can come across complex issues that need focus and precision as well as having to deal with emergencies. Many dentists additionally have a practice and dental team to manage and must deal with insurance and other healthcare teams.
80%
Work Life BlanceThere are very good opportunities for work life balance and flexibility around hours worked. Freelancers and contractors may be able to dial their workload up and down making it a popular choice for stability and flexibility.
Around 70–85% of dentists enjoy their roles, with satisfaction from helping patients, good earnings and career opportunities. There are some challenges in form of stress or physical requirements that can impact the overall enjoyment though most dentists find their work meaningful and rewarding.
40/hrs
WeeklyStandard hours are between 9-5 There are often options for flexibility around hours.
Salary data
The average salary for an experienced dentist is around £51.000 per year. A newly graduated dentist's starting salary is around £30000 per year. The earning potential is a high towards £100,000 mainly as a senior or running your own dental practice. Dental specialties like orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery may earn an average £115.000 per year.
£30,000
Entry
£51,000
Average
£110,000
Senior
Career path
Dentists undergo extensive education and training before they can practice, which includes a four-year undergraduate degree in dentistry, 2 years of practical training. This is followed by further training to specialize in a particular field. The education and training required to become a dentist are rigorous.
General Dentist
The majority of dental students will go on to work as general dental practitioners (GDPs) in private practices, corporate dental services, community clinics, or as associates in established practices.
Experienced Dentist
Many experienced dentists decide to start their own practice or continue to work as senior dentist for a larger corporation, which creates opportunities for leadership roles within the organization. Other dentists decide to work in public health like community clinics or schools and hospitals.
Advanced Specialization
Dentist can do additional 2-6 years of training to specialize in any of the following: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Paediatric Dentistry, Endodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics.
Leadership and beyond
Dentists can progress into leadership roles either as faculty leaders or in research. There also options to work for specialty boards or regulatory bodies.
Many senior dentists continue their careers as consultants advising practices on new trends and latest innovations or consulting for healthcare companies or insurance providers.
Some dentists decide to expand their clinics or become frontrunners with new innovative tools and products in techniques and dental care.
History of the profession
The history of dentistry spans over thousand of years with many exciting developments. While nowadays the art of dentistry has revolutionized, in ancient times, this was not the case.
Reviews
Life as a dentist can be very varied and all depends on your own ambitions and personality. You can have a perfect work life balance and great earning potential.
Newly graduated
Jamie Mills
After successful completion of my Dental accreditation, I was lucky to find a position at the greatest practice in my area. The manager value work life balance and is very flexible as long as all requirements are met. I am currently getting work experience and love working with patients and strive to achieve satisfactory outcome. I am specifically interested in paediatric dentistry and really want to make children at ease and help them develop healthy habits. The dental career path offers a lot of variety and I will continue training as an orthodontist.
💰£29,500Annual
salary
salary
💼38Weekly hours
🏝️0%Remote suited
🤷♀️40%Stressful
⚖️80%Work life balance
No 2 days are ever the same.
Lynn
I have worked in dental public health for 20 years after completing my dental foundation training. I currently work as a self employed consultant, for community clinics and other dental services. I provide guidance on community dental care and dental treatment for nhs or private hospitals. This is a very demanding job but it allows for a lot of flexibility, though core hours are in general required to meet customer demands. I love it and I love working with people.
💰£85,000Annual
salary
salary
💼45Weekly hours
🏝️40%Remote suited
🤷♀️80%Stressful
⚖️60%Work life balance
Good career path
A Santana
After completing the dental core training / postgraduate dental training, I have been working as a general dental practitioner in a hospital setting. Hospital dentistry is very demanding but I enjoy every moment and the workforce community makes all the difference. I have applied for student funding to continue my education as a dental therapist and hoping to start my own mobile clinic after I have improved on my managerial abilities.
💰£35,000Annual
salary
salary
💼37Weekly hours
🏝️0%Remote suited
🤷♀️70%Stressful
⚖️50%Work life balance
Similar careers
There are similar careers in healthcare that you might want to explore.
Resources
Below we have collected resources that will help you with more information on becoming a dentist, being a dentist and to decide if this is the career for you.
Article
British Dental Association
Membership offers you the support and services you need throughout your career, whether you are an associate or a practice owner, or working in the community or hospital services. Use this overview of our core plans to find out which one is right for you.
See more 👉
CourseSee more 👉
Master the Art of Dentistry : Prepare for Dental School/Work
This course includes:
- 3.5 hours on-demand video
- 15 downloadable resources
- Access on mobile and TV
- Full lifetime access
- Certificate of completion
Podcast
The Life and Dentistry Podcast
The Life and Dentistry Podcast feels like sitting down with a group of friends who also happen to be passionate about all things dental.
Equal parts humor, encouragement, and professional development, this roundtable-style show offers everything from personal stories to clinical insights, making it one of the most relatable and popular dentistry podcasts out there.
See more 👉
Specialisms
A general dentist offer services in many fields of dentistry overlapping those services provided by a specialist including restorative, cosmetic, and pediatric dental treatment. There are 9 specialist professions but only 6 of these provide individual patient care.
Regulatory bodies
As with any health profession, as a dentist you will work with several regulatory bodies covering both dentistry, medicine and surgery.