Career Path

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

• Identifying and diagnosing problems with patients’ teeth, gums, and mouth, and providing or prescribing appropriate treatment.
• Instructing patients in proper care of the teeth and gums, and general oral health.
• Supervising dental assistants, dental hygienists, and office staff.
• If operating their own practice, dentists are also responsible for the general administrative tasks of running a business, such as bookkeeping and inventory.

Dentists may specialize in one of the following areas:

• Dental Public Health
  • Public Health Dentists specialize in bringing dental care and education to entire communities rather than just individuals, through education, outreach, research, and policy, as well as through treating patients.
• Endodontics
  • Endodontists specialize in performing root canals and other procedures aimed at treating the causes of tooth pain and saving diseased teeth.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists specialize in studying, researching, and diagnosing the causes, effects, and progression of diseases originating in the mouth and jaw. You may spend more time performing tests such as biopsies in consultation with dentists and physicians providing direct patient care, than providing direct patient care yourself.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologists specialize in taking and interpreting radiographic images of the mouth, face, head ,and neck, including x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons specialize in diagnosing and surgically treating diseases, defects, and injuries of the mouth, teeth, jaw, and neck.
• Orthodontics
  • Orthodontists specialize in the diagnosis and correction of alignment problems in teeth and jaws.
• Pediatric Dentistry
  • Pediatric Dentists specialize in providing comprehensive oral health care for infants, children, and adolescents.
• Periodontology
  • Periodontists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of gum disease and oral inflammation, including the ligaments and bones supporting the teeth, as well as placing dental implants.
• Prosthodontics
  • Prosthodontists specialize in replacing missing natural teeth with prosthetic substitutes such as dentures, bridges and implants.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find job listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about this career, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires a doctorate.

To practice as a dentist in the U.S., all internationally trained dentists are REQUIRED to complete a two- to three-year advanced standing program at a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), resulting in a DDS or DMD degree. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this requirement. Most, but not all, of these programs can be applied to through the ADEA Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (ADEA CAAPID).

If you wish to practice as a specialist, you must also complete a post-doctoral advanced certificate program (also called a “residency”) in your specialty.

• Some residency programs are combined with master’s degree programs, so that you graduate with both a specialty certificate and a master’s degree, although only the certificate is required for specialty board certification.

You MUST complete your advanced standing DDS or DMD program BEFORE applying to post-doctoral advanced certificate or master’s degree programs.