Dental jobs are mostly focused on preventing and treating dental problems with the mouth and teeth. Dental jobs specialists will be also expected to be able to correct dental issues and deal with injuries. The most common role that is a part of dental jobs is a general dental practitioner. General dental practitioners are the specialists offering dental care and to the general public in high street practices and occasionally part-time in hospitals. This kind of dental job is usually for self-employed specialists too. However, there are other kinds of dental jobs you may be interested in. In addition, practising dental jobs means you may be working under the NHS, privately, or both at the same time.
A general dental practitioner will usually be the leader of a team of dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians. All these possible career paths are part of the dental jobs field too. You may also be interested and opting for dental jobs involving young/child patients or adult patients, or both.
Dental Jobs: Types of Dentistry
In case you are interested in dental jobs, there is a wide range of different areas in dentistry you may choose specializing in, including:
- Community dental care – This area of dental jobs mainly involves working in patients’ homes, nursing homes, community clinics. Community dental care is a kind of that dental job where the specialist will treat patients with special requirements, who are unable to visit the high street practices.
- Dental public health – This type of dental job usually means the specialists are carrying out non-clinical work and rather than working with individuals they are assessing the dental care needs of the population.
- Hospital dental care – Dental jobs in the field of hospital dental care would involve specialists dealing with more specific cases and log-stay hospital patients in need of specific and more in-depth treatment or emergency treatment for short-stay hospital patients.
- Armed forces – specialists involved in dental jobs in the field of armed forces provide dental services for armed forces personnel in the UK and abroad.
Dental Jobs: Professional Responsibilities
As a professional working in the dental jobs field or a dentist, your responsibilities will include:
- Educating patients on oral and dental care
- Examining teeth, diagnosing dental and mouth conditions
- Assessing treatment options, discussing and explaining treatments to patients
- Carrying out clinical treatments
- Maintaining patient’s dental records
- Recruiting, training, managing a team of different professionals with dental jobs
- Overseeing budgets, maintaining stocks of equipment
- Marketing dental care services to potential clients
Dental Jobs: Working Hours
Different dental jobs and careers will require different working hours and schedules. In general, if you work as a general dental practitioner or a similar position in the field of dental jobs, you will be self-employed, which means you have the freedom and flexibility to arrange your own working hours and schedule. Weekend and evening working hours may be a part of dental jobs too in order for a professional to be able to suit different needs of different patients.
Working dental jobs within hospitals involves more irregular working hours in addition to on-call responsibilities. However, you can also opt for self-employed or freelance dental jobs within hospitals as these are also an option in some places.
Dental Jobs: What to Expect?
Dental jobs are available all around the country, including in rural areas. When working with patients and treating them, dental jobs specialists are required to wear a tunic, surgical gloves and safety glasses. This is required for everyone’s safety and to minimise the risk of cross-infection. Dental jobs could also come with some professional health conditions, including eye strain, neck and back fatigue, high-stress levels.
However, dental jobs are usually very rewarding and there is a high level of satisfaction in dental jobs because of the contribution to patient’s improved health and well-being. In general practice, dental jobs will not require you to travel within a working day and overnight absence. However, these may be occasionally necessary if you are practising dental jobs in hospitals or the community.
Dental Jobs: Qualifications You Need
Practising dental jobs in almost all cases requires specific qualifications. For example, practising as a dentist means you must obtain an approved degree in dentistry. A degree in dentistry takes at least five years to complete. In order to enrol in a dentistry university program, you will need high grades at A-level, with chemistry and biology being the required subjects. All dental schools in the UK are regulated by the General Dental Council. A list of available courses can be found on their website. Once you have successfully completed your undergraduate degree, in order to start practising dental jobs, you need to register with the General Dental Council, otherwise, you are not allowed to practice as a qualified dentist.
Dental Jobs: Skills You Need to Show
In order to be successful and good at dental jobs, here are some of the skills you are required to show:
- Technical dental skills, manual dexterity, the ability to maintain intense concentration for long periods of time
- The ability for teamwork and building relationships with patients and colleagues involved with dental jobs
- High level of communication skills, interpersonal skills
- Interest in others’ welfare, a sympathetic manner
- Administrative and managerial abilities, leadership skills for maintaining a successful dental practice
- Information technology skills
Dental Jobs: Career Prospects
Dental jobs provide a lot of opportunities for your career. For example, when a dentist finishes their foundation training, they can progress to the role of associate or a partner in general practice. Many dentists will also take the step of owning and running their own general practice. Despite the fact that running your own practice comes with a lot of additional responsibilities, it also offers a lot of flexibility and freedom too.
Hospital dentistry specialists usually follow a defined career path and will have to obtain recognised postgraduate qualifications in order to progress to senior posts and a successful career in the field. When it comes to hospital dentistry, there are four main types of specialism: oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, restorative dentistry.
Dental jobs: Types of dentistry
Dental jobs: Professional responsibilities
Dental jobs: Working hours
Dental jobs: What to expect?
Dental jobs: Qualifications you need
Dental jobs: Skills you need to show
Dental jobs: Career prospects
