Dentists, General
Health ScienceO*NET 29-1021.00United States
Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth.
- Median annual earnings
- $172,010
- Projected change
- +7.9%
- Typical education
- Doctoral degree or more
- Employment
- 150.72K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
81.4% of the workforce
Growing to 162.6K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What dentists, general do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
- Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments.
- Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
- Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
- Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
- Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
- Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services.
- Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
- Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
- Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
- Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
- Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
- Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
- Manage business aspects such as employing or supervising staff or handling paperwork or insurance claims.
- Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
- Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
- Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth.
- Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
- Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
- Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $80,196
- 25th percentile
- $120,575
- 50th percentile
- $172,010
- 75th percentile
- $247,878
- 90th percentile
- $350,028
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $172,010 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.9%faster than average
2025150,715 jobs
2035 projected162,602 jobs
11,887 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Doctoral degree or more
- 81.4%
- Some college
- 7.2%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 5.8%
- Associate degree
- 5.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Dentists14,181 postings
- 02General Dentists13,104 postings
- 03Associate Dentists7,587 postings
- 04Locum Tenens General Dentists1,267 postings
- 05General Dentists Associate1,121 postings
- 06Technical Stream Opportunity Managers765 postings
- 07Dentists - Endodontist478 postings
- 08Traveling Managers465 postings
- 09Traveling Associates428 postings
- 10Locum Tenens Dentists343 postings
- 11Lead Dentists234 postings
- 12Set Up Technicians231 postings
- 13Locums Tenens204 postings
- 14Dental Associates124 postings
- 15Resident Dentists122 postings
- 16Military Nurses113 postings
- 17Private Practice Owners112 postings
- 18Staff Directors107 postings
- 19Managing Directors95 postings
- 20Outpatient Clinicians94 postings
Top employers
- 01Aspen Dental1,190 postings
- 02Aya Locums981 postings
- 03GPAC962 postings
- 04Heartland Dental849 postings
- 05Barton Associates738 postings
- 06Pds Health573 postings
- 07The Hiring Professionals559 postings
- 08DOCS Health527 postings
- 09AMN Healthcare497 postings
- 10Provider Healthcare480 postings
- 11George Desort Staffing472 postings
- 12Icon442 postings
- 13Arthur | Marshall437 postings
- 14Spa Creek Health378 postings
- 15Spencer Dental & Braces352 postings
- 16Columbia Healthcare351 postings
- 17Aya Healthcare342 postings
- 18Gentle Dental342 postings
- 19Pippin Dental Care336 postings
- 20Porter Dental321 postings
Keep looking