Dentists, General
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. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.
Also called: Dental Surgery Doctor (DDS) · Dentist · Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) · Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) · Family Dentist · General Dentist
Median pay (national)
$172,790
$83,860–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
113,490
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.1%
~3,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for dentists, general shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $83,860 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $172,790 leaves roughly 38% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.1% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 3,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 47 states with released data, Vermont pays the most for this role (median $230,990, +34% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $89,650 — a 158% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Science
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
- Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
- Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
- Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
- Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
- Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
- Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
- Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
Tools & technology
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Henry Schein Dentrix
- ABELSoft ABELDent
- ACE Dental
- AlphaDent
- AltaPoint Data Systems AltaPoint Dental
- Data Team DDS
- Dental charting software
- Dental clinical records software
- Dental digital radiology software
- Dental imaging software
- Dental intra-oral imaging software
- DentiMax
- DSN Software Dental-Exec
- DSN Software Oral Surgery-Exec
- DSN Software Perio-Exec
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Biology
- Psychology
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Personnel and Human Resources