Dental practitioners

Average National Salaries (2020)

What does this career do?

Dental practitioners diagnose dental and oral diseases, injuries and disorders, prescribe and administer treatment, recommend preventative action and, where necessary, refer the patient to a specialist.

Typical tasks

• examines patient’s teeth, gums and jaw, using dental and x-ray equipment, diagnoses dental conditions
• assesses and recommends treatment options to patients
• administers local anaesthetics
• carries out clinical treatments, restores teeth affected by decay etc., treats gum disease and other disorders
• constructs and fits braces, inlays, dentures and other appliances
• supervises patient’s progress and advises on preventative action
• educates patients on oral health care
• refers patient to specialist, where necessary
• maintains patients’ dental health records
• prepares and delivers lectures, undertakes research, and conducts and participates in clinical trials.

Current entry requirements

Entrants require an approved university degree and must have completed a period of postgraduate vocational training. Graduate entry to dental school is sometimes possible. Registration with the General Dental Council is a pre-requisite to practise. Specialist fields require further study and training.

Percentage in work

• Employed

• Unemployed

Due to insufficient sample sizes, some data was excised.

Predicted employment status in 2022

• Full-time

• Part-time

• Self Employed

Predicted employment levels in the East Midlands

Career related courses available at West Notts

• Biology A Level - Level 3

About the statistics

Data is powered by LMI for All and is sourced from labour market statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Institute for Employment Research, the Department for Works and Pensions, and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.