Once you have the proper education, you will be able to work as almost any member of a dental team. From treating oral conditions to being a laboratory technician you will be able to do everything that you would like. But for a while, you will have to be under the guidance of a licensed professional. So, if you finished your education, here is where a young upcoming dentist can work.
Common types of dentists:
Periodontist
The primary duties of a periodontist are examining the patients as well as diagnosing and treating diseases related to gums. A periodontist will treat partners by giving root canals, scaling as well as debridement. After some time, you can specialize in placing implants, but in order to do so, you will need to have a license as well as at least three years of practice in that field. An average salary for this type of dental-related job is around $211,864 per year.
Prosthodontist
The primary duties of a prosthodontist are taking care of a patient’s jaw, teeth as well as mouth functions as well as overall appearance. In most cases, they will make molds of mouths as well as create all the needed prosthetics such as replacement teeth or bridges. To apply for this kind of job, you will have to have a bachelor’s degree along with a completed doctoral dental program that will specialize in this particular field. In some states, you will also need to have a license in order to work this job. The average salary for this job is $214,870 per year.
Pediatric Dentist
A pediatric dentist is one of the most popular young people to apply for. The primary duties of a pediatric dentist are to treat and examine patients under 18. They also take molds of teeth, recommend treatments as well as review X-rays. Just like other dental-related jobs, you will most likely have to have a doctoral program or pass a licensing exam. In order to work on your own, you will need to have a couple of years of working under supervision. The average salary for a pediatric dentist is around $218,216 per year.
General dentist
A general dentist is what its name says, your workplace will be a dental laboratory. As one, you will examine teeth for any cavities, signs of different conditions as well as any misalignment. You will also examine X-rays and go through the medical tailor in order to create a perfect treatment plan which means that you will need to know when to refer a patient to an orthodontist or an oral surgeon. A general dentist will also pull teeth, perform root canals or other procedures on patients’ teeth. For this, you will need to have a bachelor’s degree as well as a finished dental school. The average salary for this job is similar to a pediatric dentist.
An Orthodontist
Another very popular dental related job for young and upcoming dental workers is being an orthodontist. An orthodontist will specialize in diagnosing as well as treating misaligned jaws, teeth as well as severe alignment issues. They will have to review x-rays as well as the medical history or a patent. That is key to making the best treatment plan for retainers, braces or even headgear. An orthodontist will also need to follow each patient’s treatment and adjust it until it’s complete. To be an orthodontist you need to have a bachelor degree as well as a DDM program and a postgraduate residency that is focused on orthodontics. They make the most money out of all dental-related jobs and that number is approximately $324,050 per year.
Other Types of Dentist Office Jobs
If those above are too much for you, here are some other supporting roles that you can pursue that are dental-related.
- Dental Assistant- A dental assistant will help dentists with appointments by sterilizing as well as setting up equipment, preparing patients and recording dental records. For this position, some places will hire you with a finished online course.
- Orthodontic Assistant- An orthodontic assistant will be there to clean and organize all the equipment, prepare all the patients for procedures such as getting their braces on and collect X-rays or any other important documents for the orthodontist.
- A Dental lab technician- using molds that have been taken and sent by other dentists as well as orthodontists, dental lab technicians will also take measurements and make prosthetics such as dentures and bridges that will match the patient’s mouth.
As you can see, there are a lot of dental-related jobs someone who has just finished getting their degree can do, depending on what you are interested in. Keep in mind that in most cases, you will have to work under supervision for some time. That is why you need to prove yourself and excel so you can get better jobs in the future.
