Dental Related Careers

Include Dentistry in Your Employment Options.

     When you and your child or teen are talking about what they would like to do with their future, consider mentioning the Dental Field.  There are multiple areas of Dentistry including: Dentists, Hygienists, Dental Assistants, Office Team Members, and Lab Technicians.  Related careers would include sales representatives from Dental Supply companies and Repair Technicians as well.

     Dentists have such a rewarding job.  They are able to change lives through the skills they learn and perfect.  There are many different categories of dentistry that you may be unaware of.


     General Dentist - Practices all phases of dentistry including placing fillings, preparing  teeth for crowns, bridges or porcelain facings, working with dentures and perform root canals.  The General Dentist also works with a hygienist to promote healthy teeth and gums.  The general dentist and the following specialists work together to provide the optimum oral health and patient care.

The American Dental Association recognizes the following 9 dental specialties:

• Dental Public Health - the specialty concerned with the prevention of dental disease.  The public health dentist works with the community to promote dental health.
• Endodontics - concerned with the pathology and morphology of the dental pulp and surrounding tissues due to injury or disease.  
• Oral and maxillofacial pathology - the specialty concerned with the diagnosis and nature of diseases affecting the oral cavity.  A patient with a lesion may be referred to the oral pathologist.
• Oral and maxillofacial radiology - the specialty of dentistry and the discipline of radiology concerned with the production and interpretation of images and data (X-ray) for the diagnosis and management of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral and maxillofacial region.
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery - concerned with diagnosis and treatment of the oral and maxillofacial region due to injury, disease or defects.  If you need wisdom teeth removed you will often see an oral surgeon.
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics - concerned with the diagnosis, supervision, guidance and correction of malocclusion in the dentofacial structure (mouth/head).
• Pediatric Dentistry - concerned with the prevention of oral disease and the diagnosis and treatment of oral care in children, from birth through adolescence.  Other patients requiring special care due to emotional, mental, or physical problems are often referred to a pediatric dentist.
• Periodontics - concerned with diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth.
• Prosthodontics - concerned with the diagnosis, restoration and maintencance of oral functions.  This specialty is also concerned with the replacement of missing teeth through artificial means

There is another area that would require additional training which is forensic dentistry.  This is a newer area of dentistry that deals with many services, such as the identification of bite marks on a body and or the identification of an individual using dental records.  

Hygienists are a vital component of Dentistry.   This is a licensed position that requires graduation from a two- or four- year dental hygiene school and passing written and clinical tests in the state in which they will practice.  Once this is completed they receive the title registered dental hygienist (RDH).
     The Dental Hygienist is responsible for dental prophylaxis which includes removing plaque, stains and calculus from the teeth, along with patient education.  In some states the dental hygienist is allowed to take and develop dental x-rays, place sealants on teeth, chart conditions in the mouth, place restorative materials and administer local anesthetics.  Lasers are also becoming more frequently used by the dental hygienist in certain circumstances.



Dental Assistants    Depending on the state and licensing of the assistant a wide range of responsibilities can be assigned to the dental assistant.  Certification can be obtained by individuals who pass a comprehensive written exam from DANB, The Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.  Other specialized certification can be obtained in areas including certified orthodontic assisting and certified dental practice management.
     Some states allow assistants to obtain the credential of RDA, or Registered Dental Assistant or Registered Dental Assistant in Expanded Functions (EDAEF)


 Dental Laboratory Technicians - some dental lab techs are employed by the dentist, however, others work in privately owned dental laboratories.  These technicians provide extraoral services such as fabricating gold and porcelain restorations (crowns, bridges, etc) as well as partial and complete dentures.

Office Team Members  - responsible for scheduling patients, working with insurance companies and possibly marketing and accounting.  This position is becoming more specialized with the use of computers and computerized dental claims.

Other Members of the Dental Team - Other important members of the Dental practice include dental service technicians, dental supply companies and their representatives and dental software representatives.