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Career Details : Dentists, General

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Description

Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums and related oral structures. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting vitality of teeth.

Experience

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.

Education

A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Training

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Tasks

  • Fills, extracts, and replaces teeth, using rotary and hand instruments, dental appliances, medications, and surgical implements.
  • Applies fluoride and sealants to teeth.
  • Treats exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
  • Fills pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
  • Examines teeth, gums, and related tissues to determine condition, using dental instruments, x-ray, and other diagnostic equipment.
  • Eliminates irritating margins of fillings and corrects occlusions, using dental instruments.
  • Plans, organizes, and maintains dental health programs.
  • Produces and evaluates dental health educational materials.
  • Fits and adjusts prosthodontic appliances in patient's mouth.
  • Fabricates prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, dentures, and obturating appliances.
  • Counsels and advises patients about growth and development of dental problems and preventive oral health care services.
  • Analyzes and evaluates dental needs to determine changes and trends in patterns of dental disease.
  • Restores natural color of teeth by bleaching, cleaning, and polishing.
  • Removes pathologic tissue or diseased tissue using surgical instruments.
  • Formulates plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
  • Treats infected root canal and related tissues.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    • Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
    • Consequence of Error
    • Provide a Service to Others

    Related Majors

    Major Add to MyFSA
    Craniofacial Biologyadd Craniofacial Biology to MyFSA
    Dental Hygieneadd Dental Hygiene to MyFSA
    Dentistryadd Dentistry to MyFSA
    Endodonticsadd Endodontics to MyFSA
    General Dentistryadd General Dentistry to MyFSA
    Geriatric Dentistryadd Geriatric Dentistry to MyFSA
    Oral Biologyadd Oral Biology to MyFSA
    Oral Pathologyadd Oral Pathology to MyFSA
    Oral Sciencesadd Oral Sciences to MyFSA
    Orthodonticsadd Orthodontics to MyFSA
    Periodonticsadd Periodontics to MyFSA
    Philosophy/Pre-theologyadd Philosophy/Pre-theology to MyFSA
    Prosthodonticsadd Prosthodontics to MyFSA
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