Dentists
Overview
Introduction
Dentists maintain their clients teeth through such preventive and reparative practices as extracting, filling, cleaning, or replacing teeth. They perform corrective work, such as straightening teeth, and treat diseased tissue of the gums. They also perform surgical operations on the jaw or mouth, and make and fit false teeth. Approximately 160,600 general dentists, including 19,600 specialists, work in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Beginning dentists, faced with the expense of buying equipment and the problem of establishing a practice, generally earn enough to cover expenses and little more. However, income rises rapidly as the dentists practice becomes established. According to the American Dental Association, in 2023, the average net income of dentists who owned their own general practice was $218,710 a year. Salaried ...
Work Environment
Because most dentists are in private practice, they are free to set their hours and establish offices according to their individual tastes. Most dentists work from four to five days a week, many times averaging 40 or more hours. The American Dental Association reports that general dentists worked a total of 1,776 hours in 2023. On average, general dentists worked 5.5 percent more hours in 2023 ...
Outlook
Employment of dentists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all careers from 2023 to 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Many positions will open as a result of the need to replace the large number of dentists who reach retirement age or who choose to stay in practice while reducing their office hours. Additionally, as people live longer and keep their teeth (due to...