Activities	Make oral prostheses to replace missing teeth and other oral structures to correct natural and acquired deformations of mouth and jaws, to restore and maintain oral function (such as chewing and speaking), and to improve appearance.
Outlook	Slower-than-average job growth
Median Income	$109,300+ per year in 2011
Work Context & Conditions	Most dentists work 4 or 5 days a week. Some work evenings and weekends to meet their patients’ needs. Most full-time dentists work between 35 and 40 hours a week, but others work more.
Minimum Education Requirements	D.D.S. or D.M.D.
Skills	Equipment Selection, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Technology Design, Science
Abilities	Finger Dexterity, Visualization, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Near Vision
Interviews	Mary Walker

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		Design and build dental prostheses and correct natural and acquired deformation of mouth and jaws through use of prosthetic appliances. They record physiologic position of jaws to determine shape and size of dental prostheses, using face bows, dental articulators, and recording devices. They may also replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with artificial teeth to improve chewing, speech, and appearance.
Working Conditions		Prosthodontists work indoors, in a dental office or clinic, usually wearing a white lab coat. Accuracy and thoroughness are essential in their dealings with their patients. Most work 4 or 5 days a week. Some work evenings and weekends to meet their patients' needs. Most prosthodontists are "solo practitioners," meaning they own their own businesses and work alone or with a small staff. Some prosthodontists have partners.
Salary Range		The median annual wage of dentists was $146,920 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $71,210, and the top 10 percent earned $166,400 or more.

Education Required		High school students who want to become dentists should take courses in chemistry, physics, biology, anatomy, and mathematics. Most dental students need at least a bachelor's degree before entering dental school; requirements vary by school. All dental schools require applicants to have completed certain required science courses, such as biology and chemistry. Majoring in a science, such as biology, might increase the chances of being accepted, but no specific major is required to enter most dental programs. College undergraduates who plan on applying to dental school must usually take the Dental Acceptance Test (DAT) during their junior year. Admission to dental school can be competitive. Dental schools use these tests, along with other factors such as grade point average and recommendations, to admit students into their programs. Dental schools require students to take classes such as local anesthesia, anatomy, periodontology (the study of oral disease and health), and radiology. All dental schools include practice where students work with patients in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed dentist. All nine dental specialties require dentists to complete additional training before practicing that specialty. They must usually take a 1- or 2-year residency in a program related to their specialty. Dentists who want to teach or research full time usually spend an additional 2 to 5 years in advanced dental training. Many practicing dentists also teach part time, including supervising students in dental school clinics. For more information, see the profile on postsecondary teachers.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Physics
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language
Certification and Licensing		All 50 States and the District of Columbia require dentists to be licensed. To qualify for a license in most States, candidates must graduate from 1 of the 57 dental schools accredited by the American Dental Association’s (ADA’s) Commission on Dental Accreditation in 2008, and then must pass written and practical examinations. Candidates may fulfill the written part of the State licensing requirements by passing the National Board Dental Examinations. Individual States or regional testing agencies administer the written or practical examinations. In addition, a dentist who wants to practice in one of the nine specialties that all states recognize must have a license in that specialty. This usually requires 2 to 4 years of additional education after dental school and, in some cases, the completion of a special state exam. A postgraduate residency term also may be required, usually lasting up to 2 years.

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Social Service Do things for other people. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Autonomy Plan work with little supervision. Compensation Get paid well in comparison with other workers. Responsibility Make decisions on your own.
Skills		Equipment Selection Determine the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. Judgment and Decision Making Be able to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Technology Design Generate or adapt equipment and technology to serve user needs. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Finger Dexterity Able to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. Visualization Able to imagine how something will look after it's moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. Arm-Hand Steadiness Able to keep the hand and arm steady while making an arm movement or while holding the arm and hand in one position. Near Vision Able to see details of objects at a close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Related Jobs		Dentist, Orthodontist, Dentist, Therapist, Respiratory, Chiropractor, Optometrist, Veterinarian, Dental Hygienist, Technician, Dental Laboratory, Assistant, Dental, Physician, Surgeon, Physician, Family and General, Podiatrist, Technologist, Surgical
Job Outlook		In 2012, dentists held about 155,700 jobs, of that Prosthodontists only held about 1,000 jobs. About one third of dentists were self-employed and not incorporated. Almost all dentists work in private practice. According to ADA, 28 percent of dentists in private practice are sole proprietors, and 15 percent belong to a partnership. A few salaried dentists work in hospitals and offices of physicians. Many members of the baby-boom generation will need complicated dental work. In addition, because each generation is more likely to keep their teeth than past generations, more dental care will be needed in the years to come. Dentists will continue to see an increase in public demand for their services as studies continue to link oral health to overall health. Employment of dentists is not expected to keep pace with the increased demand for dental services. There are still areas of the country where patients have little access to dental care. Whether patients seek care is largely dependent on their insurance coverage. People with new or expanded dental insurance coverage will be more likely to visit a dentist than in the past. Cosmetic dental services, such as teeth-whitening treatments, will become increasingly popular. This trend is expected to continue as new technologies allow for less invasive, faster procedures. Dentists are likely to hire more hygienists and dental assistants to handle routine services. Productivity increases from new technology should allow dentists to reduce the time needed to see each patient. These factors allow the dentist to see more patients when their practices expand. Dentists will continue to provide care and instruction aimed at promoting good oral hygiene, rather than just providing treatments such as fillings.
More Information		American Dental Education Association, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Dentists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-1024.00