Dentists have more varied jobs than you might expect. All dentists must have a bachelor’s degree, four years of dental school, and more training in a residency if entering a specialty. They need to pass exams and be licensed. All dentists need extensive dental knowledge and expertise. Yet, you might be surprised to hear that they do more than provide oral care.
Here are some common and lesser-known job responsibilities of a dentist.
General Dental Care
Patient care is the priority and main job responsibility of all dentists. In this role, they diagnose and treat mouth and teeth disorders. Dentists examine their patients’ teeth, gums, and mouths in their day-to-day practice to diagnose disease and decay. They’ll provide dental care, such as cleaning teeth, filling cavities, placing crowns, performing root canals, and applying veneers. The goal is to restore and replace decaying and diseased teeth.
All dentists should be able to clean and repair teeth, interpret diagnostic tests and X-rays, create treatment plans, and perform surgical procedures when necessary. Dentists are also allowed and expected to access patients’ medical records, apply oral sedation and anesthesia, and prescribe antibiotics and other medications as required.
Patient care should be an ongoing practice. Patients should be monitored over time to identify health changes early to ensure oral diseases are diagnosed and treated promptly. Communication and interpersonal skills are important in patient care, allowing dentists to build trusting relationships with their patients to ensure their long-term oral health.
If a patient’s dental needs are beyond the dentist’s scope, they’re expected to provide patient referrals to specialists for recommended procedures.
Administrative Tasks
When dentists start their private practices, they add administrative tasks to their full workloads. This makes them business owners as well as dentists.
As such, they’re responsible for tasks such as billing insurance companies, bookkeeping, managing cash flow, and marketing the clinic. In this role, they’ll also be responsible for community involvement, monitoring legal claims, managing customer complaints, ensuring PHI encryption, and maintaining dental records.
Dentists also manage relationships with dental supply companies. This includes purchasing new equipment, maintaining equipment, and ensuring inventory is always stocked with all necessary supplies.
Preventative Care and Education
Dentistry is important for patient education. This is part of preventative care. Dentists should instruct patients on oral hygiene best practices, such as how often to brush their teeth, which types of toothpaste to use, and which foods and drinks to avoid. They should take the time to educate patients on proper techniques for brushing and flossing and explain the benefits of fluoride use.
As part of preventative care, they should encourage regular check-ups and cleanings.
Specialized Treatment
Many dentists have specialized training to perform job duties beyond general oral care.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons remove damaged teeth, tumors, and growths in the mouth. They also perform surgery to treat cleft lip, cleft palate, and jaw growth problems. They’re critical in emergency facial injury treatment and treating mouth, jaw, and neck infections.
On the other hand, dentists with specialized training as orthodontists are uniquely qualified to assess and diagnose abnormalities in tooth position, dental-facial structures, and jaw development. Their work includes treating underbites, overbites, and crowding and fabricating and fitting appliances such as retainers and braces.
A periodontist would have expanded job responsibilities to treat dental issues related to the gums and bone surrounding the teeth.
On the other hand, a prosthodontist’s scope of work includes treating patients with orofacial problems. This includes replacing missing teeth with permanent fixtures like dentures, bridges, and prostheses. They restore function and improve patient aesthetics for birth defects, traumatic injuries, and oral disease.
Staff Management
Beyond dental care and patient care, you might not realize that dentists manage and supervise dental assistants, hygienists, office managers, and other staff members. This is particularly true in private practices when dentists are also clinic owners.
In these cases, dentists are responsible for hiring and training new employees and leading staff in patient care.
Continuing Education
A dentist must stay updated with the latest dental best practices and emerging dental technology and equipment. This is a requirement.
Dentists must always ensure they’re providing the best care that is evidence-based. If research studies indicate a new dental protocol with better treatment outcomes, dentists are expected to adapt their practice to reflect these changes in the profession. Continuing education promotes continued competency and the maintenance of professional standards.
This is part of dentists’ commitment to their profession and lifelong learning.
