Dentist Job Description
Dentists are health care professionals who provide preventive
and restorative treatments for problems that affect the mouth and
teeth.
Most dentists work as self-employed practitioners in general
practice, providing dental care to the public under the National
Health Service (NHS) and/or privately. Others work in salaried
posts within a variety of specialisms in hospital dentistry,
community dentistry, the armed forces, corporate practices,
industry, or university teaching and research.
A general dental practitioner (GDP) typically leads a team made
up of dental care professionals (DCPs) and treats a wide range of
patients, from children to the elderly.
Typical work activities
Most dentists work in dental practices where, in addition to the
dentist(s), the dental team may include a receptionist, dental
nurse, dental hygienist, dental therapist and dental technician.
Some practices also employ practice managers so that dentists can
concentrate on clinical work.
A dentist is typically responsible for:
- educating patients on oral health care;
- examining teeth and diagnosing patients' dental conditions,
using tools such as X-rays;
- assessing treatment options and agreeing treatment plans with
patients;
- carrying out agreed clinical treatments, such as treating gum
disease, restoring teeth affected by decay, etc.;
- maintaining patients' dental records;
- recruiting, training and managing staff;
- managing budgets and maintaining stocks of equipment;
- keeping abreast of new developments through structured
continuing professional development (CPD);
- marketing services to potential clients.
Hospital dentists usually treat patients who have been referred
by a general dental practitioner (GDP) and therefore dental care is
more specialised and complex. Additional postgraduate
qualifications are required for career progression.
Dental officers working in the Community Dental Service (now
known in England as the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service
(SPDCS)) are employed by primary care trusts and provide dental
care to adults and children with special needs and disabilities, as
well as providing school visits.
Dentists in the armed forces hold a commissioned rank and
provide a comprehensive range of dental services for armed forces
personnel and their families, both in the UK and abroad.
Salary and conditions
- Typical starting salary as a vocational dental practitioner
(VDP): £28,600 (salary data collected Jan 08).
- Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience
(e.g., after 10-15 years in role): £60,000 - £141,000.
- In trust hospitals of the National Health Service (NHS),
dentists are paid according to nationally defined scales. Salaries
at consultant level range from £71,000 to £161,000 (all salary data
collected Jan 08 from NHS Careers ).
- Earnings can be higher in private practice, where income is
determined by the amount and type of work done.
- Most general dental practitioners (GDPs) are self-employed, and
can arrange their own working hours, which may include weekend or
evening sessions to suit patients. Career breaks and part-time work
opportunities are available.
- Hospital dentists tend to be employed on short-term contracts
(6-12 months) and work more irregular hours, with on-call
responsibilities. Self-employment and freelance work in hospital
dentistry are only possible for consultants.
- Some dentists choose to work in salaried posts in the Community
Dental Service (CDS), known in England as the Special Primary
Dental Care Service (SPDCS). Salaries in the CDS/SPDCS range from
£36,000 to £77,000 (salary data collected Jan 08). Other salaried
posts exist in the armed forces and in corporate practices.
- Jobs are available throughout the country, in both urban and
rural areas.
- Current data from universities indicates that up to 63% of
dental students are women and it has been predicted that over 50%
of practising dentists will be female by 2020 (data collected Jan
2008).
- When treating patients, dentists wear a tunic, surgical gloves
and safety glasses for protection and to reduce the risk of cross
infection.
- All dentists must abide by a professional code of ethics. They
may experience high stress levels when handling patients' pain and
anxiety and/or as a result of working within strict time
schedules.
- In hospitals, working long days and nights may limit your
social life, and short contracts of employment may mean repeated
job search and relocation.
- Travel within a working day and absence from home overnight are
uncommon in general practice, but may occasionally be necessary for
hospital dentists. Opportunities for overseas travel may arise to
attend international conferences.
Training
An increasing number of dental graduates now start with general
professional training (GPT) - a recently introduced qualification,
which is a structured introduction to both junior hospital posts
and vocational training (VT) for general dental practice. UK dental
school graduates need to complete the VT year in order to be able
to work in National Health Service (NHS) primary dental care.
VT in general dental practice consists of one year as a
vocational dental practitioner (VDP) in an approved practice. VDPs
work four days a week, initially under supervision, then
increasingly more independently. They learn to manage teams of
people by working with dental nurses, receptionists, hygienists and
others, to manage the surgery as a business. VDPs also attend a day
release course of lectures and demonstrations, usually run in the
dental departments of hospitals. They are required to keep a log of
their progress and undergo performance appraisals according to set
guidelines.
Dentists wishing to work in the Community Dental Service (CDS) -
called the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS) in England
- must normally undertake a period of vocational training.
Courses for specialist qualifications in areas such as
orthodontics, implant dentistry and aesthetic dentistry, are
available. Consult the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP)
and the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) for details.
Career development
The majority of dentists choose to become self-employed general
dental practitioners (GDPs), but some aim to become consultants in
the hospital dental service, or enter other salaried posts, e.g. in
the Community Dental Service (CDS), corporate practices, the armed
forces or academia.
A dental graduate entering general dental practice starts in a
one-year salaried post as a vocational dental practitioner (VDP).
From here, progression is possible to the role of associate or
partner in the practice. Most dentists eventually go on to own and
run their own practice as general dental practitioners (GDPs).
Self-employed dentists are not ordinarily entitled to benefits
such as paid annual or sick leave and they also have responsibility
for the management of staff, budgets, tax, equipment and premises.
However, they have the freedom to arrange their own working hours
and choose their specialist areas of interest. In general practice,
a reputation for competent work is crucial for attracting and
retaining patients and to the success of the business.
Hospital dentists follow a defined career structure and training
pathway, and have to obtain recognised postgraduate qualifications
in order to progress to senior posts. The four main specialisms in
the hospital dental service are: oral and maxillofacial surgery;
orthodontics; paediatric dentistry; and restorative dentistry.
In the Community Dental Service (CDS) - known in England as the
Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS) - experience is gained
as a community clinical dental officer (CCDO) with further
opportunity to gain postgraduate qualifications by part-time study.
Ambitious CCDOs may wish to become senior dental officers (SDOs),
with a special responsibility, e.g. for epidemiology or treating
patients with special needs.
In the armed forces, cadetships at undergraduate level lead to
commissions and dental officers share in many aspects of service
life.
Dentists working in universities with dental schools and
teaching hospitals can, with relevant postgraduate qualifications,
progress to a senior lectureship or professorial post.
Typical employers
Search
our Dental Vacancies here.
General dental practitioners (GDPs) are self-employed as
performers or providers of National Health Service (NHS) dental
services. Dental practices vary in size from single-handed
part-time surgeries to multiple-site partnerships with several
associates. Practice may be under the NHS or private - most
dentists run mixed practices.
Approximately 3,000 hospital dentists in the UK are employed in
NHS hospital trusts in a variety of dental specialisms, including
paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral pathology, restorative
dentistry and dental public health. Many of their patients are
referred by GDPs. Specialists in oral medicine and oral
maxillofacial surgery are doubly qualified in dentistry and
medicine. Hospital dentists see fewer patients than GDPs but cases
are more complex.
Approximately 2,000 salaried dentists in the UK have a contract
of employment with the Community Dental Service (CDS), now known in
England as the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS),
providing dental care for patients with special needs of various
kinds, such as people with disabilities, children, the elderly and
the housebound. Salaried dentists work in a variety of clinical
settings, such as: health authority surgeries; mobile clinics;
residential homes.
Dental officers in the armed forces provide dental care for
service men and women and their families at locations in the UK and
overseas. For details, contact the Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) ,
Royal Navy Careers and Royal Air Force Careers .
Corporate practices and regional dental access centres also
employ dentists. These are relatively recent developments which are
likely to grow.
Universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals offer
dentists the option of combining academic teaching with research to
pursue special interests in-depth.
Contact us
on 020 784 32410
Email: info@resourcing.uk.com