ABOUT THE ROLE
Dentists are graduate level health care professionals who provide preventive and restorative treatments for problems that affect the teeth and mouth. Typically, dentists work in the community as self-employed practitioners in general practice dentistry, providing dental care to the public under the National Health Service (NHS) and/or privately. Other dentists work as salaried staff within a wide ranging variety of organisations including
- Schools and community dentistry
- Hospital dentistry, including university teaching hospitals
- Armed forces
- Larger, corporate practices
- Industry, for example on a large cruise ship
EMPLOYABILITY
Dentists work very hands on with patients and therefore need many of the skill-sets required by doctors, nurses and other front line healthcare staff. And with places at university quite difficult to obtain, your character to do the job is even more important than usual. Some helpful attributes for the role of dentist include
- Enjoy working with people, a helping and caring nature
- Excellent interpersonal skills and good communicator
- Demonstrably want to make a difference to patient lives
- Ability to listen, empathetic attitude to alleviating patient fears
- Problem solving, scientific nature
- Adaptable to new techniques and sophisticated equipment
- Organisational skills to safely collate patient information and data
- Managerial talents to manage a professional team
- Ability to use their own initiative as well as the ability to work as a team member
- Reliability, honesty and trustworthiness
- Enthusiasm, dedication and determination
CAREER ENTRY
All dentists must undertake a 5 year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). In England and Wales school leavers are normally required to have three A levels at grade A-C (one should be a biological science) and a minimum of five GCSEs at grade A-C. These GCSEs should include maths, English language and a selection of science subjects. In Scotland a typical student profile is 5 Scottish Highers at grades AABBB taken at one sitting (minimum of two science subjects)
EMPLOYERS AND SALARIES
Typically, dentists work in the community as self-employed practitioners in general practice dentistry, providing dental care to the public under the National Health Service (NHS) and/or privately. Other dentists work as salaried staff within other organisations including
- Schools and community dentistry
- NHS hospital dentistry, including university teaching hospitals
- UK Armed Forces, both home and war zone
| First year vocational dental practitioner (VDP) | £30,460 |
| Self-employed NHS contractor (self set hours) | £60,000 – £110,000 |
| Salaried posts in the Community Dental Service | £37,344 – £79,875 |
| NHS Trust Hospital | £74,504 – £176,242 |
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