Dentists diagnose, treat and prevent diseases, injuries and abnormalities of the teeth, mouth, jaws and associated tissues by applying the principles and procedures of modern dentistry. They use a broad range of specialized diagnostic, surgical and other techniques to promote and restore oral health.
Skill level:
Highly skilled
Check your Wage
- Salary range for the majority of workers in Dentists - from $2,776 to $9,725 per month - 2024.
- A Dentists typically earns between $2,776 and $6,306 gross per month at the start of the job.
- After 5 years of service, this is between $3,218 and $7,090 per month for a working week of 40 hours.
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Tasks and duties
- Diagnosing diseases, injuries, irregularities and malformations of teeth and associated structures in the mouth and jaw using a range of methods such as radiographs, salivary tests and medical histories
- Providing preventative oral health care such as periodontal treatments, fluoride applications and oral health promotion
- Administering anaesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures
- Prescribing medication for relief of ongoing pain after procedures
- Providing restorative oral care such as implants, complex crown and bridge restorations and orthodontics, and repairing damaged and decayed teeth
- Providing surgical treatments such as extraction of teeth and biopsy of tissue, and performing orthodontic treatment
- Measuring and taking impressions of patients' jaws and teeth in order to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses
- Designing, making, and fitting prosthodontic appliances such as space maintainers, bridges and dentures, or writing fabrication instructions or prescriptions for dental prosthetic technicians
- Restoring oral function with removable and fixed oral prostheses
- Assisting in diagnosing general diseases having oral manifestations such as diabetes
- Educating patients and families on dental hygiene, nutrition and other measures to take care of oral health
- Supervising dental hygienists, dental assistants and other staff
