Occupation Details
Dentists, General
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.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Work Values
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$92,700.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$168,010.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$227,130.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
8,830
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
10,110
+128 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
382
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.1%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
More School - Graduate or advanced degree
Experience Requirements
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 Requirements
Most of these occupations 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 Details
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.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
New York State requires workers in this occupation to hold a license or certification.
Dentist
Learn MoreSkills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Air compressors
- Air/water syringe tips
- Air/water syringes
- Amalgam bands
- Amalgam carriers
- Amalgam condensers
- Amalgam retainers
- Amalgam wells
- Angle dental handpieces
- Angled pliers
- Anterior forceps
- Anterior scalers
- Apex locators
- Articulating paper forceps
- Autoclaves
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Automatic film processing systems
- Awls
- Ball bearing contra angle assemblies
- Band setters
- Biscuspid forceps
- Bite blocks
- Blood pressure monitors
- Bone clamps
- Bone files
- Bridge removers
- Broaches
- Bulb irrigators
- Capnographs
- Cement placing instruments
Technology
- ACE Dental
- Accounting software
- MOGO Dental Software MOGO
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Practice management software PMS
- Spreadsheet software
- Voice-activated perio charting software
- Web browser software
- Windent SQL
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- communicate technical information
- make presentations on health or medical issues
- counsel patients concerning diet
- prescribe or recommend drugs, medical devices or other forms of treatment
- interpret medical laboratory test results
- interpret x-rays
- write technical health or medical documents
- order medical laboratory tests
- prepare patient reports
- analyze dental data
- operate dental equipment
- calculate medical dosages
- conduct patient assessments
- observe patient condition
- monitor patient's condition
- identify body response variations
- understand properties or composition of drugs
- understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
- make decisions
- use clinical problem solving techniques
- follow confidentiality procedures
- use counseling techniques
- use dental treatment procedures
- use emergency medical treatment procedures
- follow infectious materials procedures
- use interpersonal communication techniques
- follow dental or medical office procedures
- follow dental or medical x-ray procedures
- follow patient care procedures
- use research methodology procedures in health care
- use sanitation practices in health care settings
- use knowledge of medical terminology
- follow clinical radiation safety procedures
- use knowledge of investigation techniques
- administer anesthetics
- administer injections
- administer medications or treatments
- diagnose or treat oral diseases
- diagnose or treat oral injuries
- perform dental hygiene procedures
- perform minor surgery
- collect clinical data
- collect dental laboratory diagnostic data
- obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
- 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.
- Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services.
- Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
- Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
- Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
- Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
- Manage business aspects such as employing or supervising staff or handling paperwork or insurance claims.
- Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
- Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
- Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
- Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth.
- Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
- Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
- Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Dentists
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn More