Types of Dentists: Job Roles, Responsibilities, Skills, Salary 2022

Senior Content Specialist

There are various responsibilities of a dentist, of all promoting dental hygiene is the most important one. Dentists diagnose all the kinds of oral problems and help treat them so as to keep our teeth squeaky clean. They even advise us on measures we can follow at home so that we can avoid them.

In order to become a Dentist, one must complete a dental course. Dental Courses are available for certification, diploma, bachelor's and master's level. BDS and MDS are the most popular ones among them. Check: Types of Dentists

Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, King George Medical University, etc are the top Dental Colleges in India. The average course fees of dental courses may range from INR 1,00,000 - 8,00,000. Read More: Dental Courses After 12^th

Of all types of dentists, oral pathologists and orthodontists are among the top paying jobs in the field of dentistry. The average salary of an oral pathologist is INR 10,18,000 while that of a general dentist is INR 3,07,000 per annum. Read More: Dentist Salary

Table of Content

Who is a Dentist?
Responsibilities of Dentist

2.1 Qualifications

Types of Dentist

3.1 General Dentist

3.2 Pedodontist or Pediatric Dentist

3.3 Orthodontist

3.4 Periodontist

3.5 Endodontist

3.6 Oral Pathologist or Oral Surgeon

3.7 Prosthodontist

Skills Required to Become a Dentist
Salary of Dentist
Types of Dentist: FAQs

Who is a Dentist?

A dentist is a medical professional who is concerned with taking absolute care of your oral health. They provide regular checkups to ensure the well-being of your teeth and gums.

They also educate their patients about oral hygiene on how to prevent such issues. To become a dentist, the person should have a legitimate license and a degree from a recognized dental school.

Check:

Cosmetic Dentistry Courses	Free Online Dental Courses with Certifications

Responsibilities of Dentist

A dentist should educate his/her patients about oral care and must work with a practicing nurse.

A dentist should be capable enough to diagnose dental problems and treat dental issues with the right kind of medicine.
A dentist also works for whitening the teeth, efficient in cleaning the teeth and filling the cavities perfectly.
A dentist, should have completed their training program in their field of specialty, know how to treat the injured or broken teeth, carry out root canal and align the teeth and install braces.
Guiding the patients what foods to avoid during such courses, removing problematic teeth, or grinding them if felt necessary
Capping and filling cavities by removing the decayed material, giving anesthesia properly in the gums or teeth.
Studying x-ray reports and providing required solutions for the same. They are also expected to keep the reports of individual patients
Creating crowns for irreparable teeth by taking suitable measurements
Treating gum infections and strictly follow rules of sanitization, monitoring the growth of teeth and jaws.

Qualifications to become a Dentist

The following are some of the qualifications of a dentist.

They should hold a Doctoral degree in dental medicine and a license to practice medicine.
Studying new courses to be updated with new procedures, experience, working by HIPAA(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
Approach with a professional and compassionate manner when interacting with patients.
They should maintain records and attention to detail along with working experience in a dental office.
Good decision-making and the ability to multitask must strictly adhere to sanitization and adopt hygienic measures.

Types of Dentists

There are different types of dentists which you can choose from, keeping in mind your age and oral health. Among the types of dentists, the most common ones include General dentists, Pedodontist or Pediatric dentists, Orthodontists, Periodontists, Endodontists, Oral pathologists or Oral Surgeons, and Prosthodontist.

Each of them has a specialty in different areas and works dedicatedly towards maintaining your dental health.

General Dentist

General dentists are the ones who treat almost all age groups. What makes them stand out from others is, apart from their standard training, they also receive special education in fields like implant placement and cosmetic procedures.

Responsibilities of General Dentist: A general dentist provides a proper inspection of your oral condition and offers instructions vital for the well-being of your teeth. They also give you advice and recommend other specialists who may seem fit for you.

Regular teeth cleanings are a mandatory part of their routine checkups. They also advise you on lifestyle activities you need to keep up with and home remedies for good dental health.
They offer you cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening to restore the shine and sparkle of your teeth. Other services under cosmetic treatment like a smile makeover, porcelain veneers, and cosmetic bonding can also be availed.
They help repair your teeth by removing tooth decay, preparing crowns, fill cavities, capping, root canal, and other dental treatments.
Sometimes they also provide nutritional counseling, and also strict advice against using tobacco.

Pedodontist or Pediatric Dentist

Pediatric dentists are types of dentists who specialize in providing oral treatment to children, from birth till youth. They use child-friendly techniques to get comfortable with their patients. They also see it very important that the child follows a good routine back at home, which is why they even discuss these with their parents.

Responsibilities of Pedodontist: They provide patients anesthesia and different levels of sedation which they may seem fit for their condition.

Diagnose and treat oral disease (preventive and restorative).
A pediatric dentist monitors the x-ray reports and advises suitable tests.
They provide immediate care for gum infections or dental pain.
Study the growth of teeth and jaws along with doing surgical procedures on teeth.

Orthodontist

The job of an orthodontist is much more than just applying braces. He is a kind of a dentist who has a specialization in the field of orthodontics.

They are primarily concerned with correcting irregularities of the teeth. They are very patient as their job sometimes even demands to work on the same patients for months.

Responsibilities of Orthodontist: They treat conditions such as cleft and diagnose issues with the jaw, malformations by proper use of braces and wires

They fix abnormalities of the teeth before preparing them for cosmetic surgery.
Straighten teeth by use of braces.
Treat malocclusions, a condition where the teeth in the lower and upper jaws are not positioned correctly and the patient always ends up with overbite or underbite.

Periodontist

Periodontists are the type of dentists, who deal with problems related to the periodontium. These are a crucial part of the upper and lower jaws and contribute as the most important component for structuring the soft tissues surrounding the teeth.

They specialize in maintaining this tissue structure, prevent gum diseases, and treat problems affecting them.

Responsibilities of Periodontist: They treat conditions such as cleft and diagnose issues with the jaw.

Prevent diseases that can harm the tissues supporting teeth, and provide implants for the same.
Perform cosmetic surgeries if required.
Getting rid of sensitivity of the gums.
Suggesting necessary treatment plans.

Endodontist

These types of dentists are concerned with dealing with the dental pulp and tissues and nerves covering the root of teeth. Endodontists are the best type of dentists if you are ever thinking about getting root canal surgery.

Apart from treating complex tooth problems like dental pulp issues, they also help remove the decaying matter of teeth. They devise advanced tools and technology to carry out their treatments efficiently.

Responsibilities of Endodontist: Endodontists make sure that they are completely aware of the patient's medical history before operating on them.

They use advanced and up-to-date tools and technology to get knowledge about the patient’s oral discomfort.
Discussing the problem and providing suitable solutions.
Performing surgery to remove an infection from the tooth and fix damaged root surfaces.
Cleaning the tooth to proceed before doing a root canal, otherwise, it may lead to inflammation.
Providing teeth implants for irreparable teeth and maintaining the medical reports of patients for future concerns.

Oral Pathologist or Oral Surgeon

An oral pathologist or an oral surgeon specializes in a part of dentistry that is solely concerned with diagnosing dental problems, treating damaged soft tissues, and correcting mouth disorders. They also help diagnose oral cancer.

Responsibilities of Oral Pathologist/Oral Surgeon: Some of the key responsibilities of an Oral Pathalogist are as follows,

Proper and adequate research about the patient’s problem
A thorough examination followed by providing necessary treatment
Advice about oral health concerns
Fix dental and jaw issues
Provide a comfortable environment for patients

Prosthodontist

A Prosthodontist is a type of dentist who specializes in replacing missing teeth, fixing teeth gaps, repairing damaged ones, replacing dentures, aligning jaw structures, all for which they receive a special training of three years.

They have great in-depth knowledge about these things and also deal with problems like reduction of salivary flow, and make sure the prosthesis is suitable for the patient, other than providing treatment to patients with issues like cleft palate. So you visit one, be sure they know how to do their job!

Responsibilities of Prosthodontist: Some of the key responsibilities of a Prosthodontist are as follows

Improving the structure of your jaws
Teeth alignment and filling of gaps in between.
Replacing or repairing damaged teeth, providing cosmetic surgery like whitening of teeth to give you a makeover.
Make the artificial components of the makeover mix seamlessly with our oral environment.

Skills Required to be a Dentist

To be Dentist, various skills are required, of the excellent communication skills in one so that there is a clear and precise conversation between patients and dentists. Apart from this, they

Should have a good presence of mind and good business skills.
Should be understanding so that patients can explain their issues without any hesitancy.
Transparency and smooth interpersonal skills, and leadership ability.
Sympathetic so that patients don't feel cornered or judged while speaking out their concerns.
Team building and management, and coordination, as it requires them to keep an assistant or even work among a group of 4 or 5.
Should be updated with the uses of the latest technology.
Capable of handling tools and specialist equipment.
Deep concentration and patience require them to have a thorough understanding of the patient’s issue.

Salary of a Dentist

The average salary in the expertise of a dentist can range anywhere between INR 3,00,000 - 11,00,000 per annum. Given below is a table, throwing light upon the various types of dentists available, their salary, and the skills required to become one.

Job role	Skills required	Average Salary
General dentist	Communication skills, patience to work for long hours, thorough research, teamwork	INR 3,07,000
Pedodontist	Problem-solving skills, strong communication, detail-oriented, at par with latest treatments	INR 4,00,000
Orthodontist	Interpersonal skills, eye-hand coordination, computer skills, business skills	INR 5,83,000
Periodontist	Physical stamina, up to date with treatments, leadership skills, and problem-solving	INR 4,50,000
Endodontist	Decision making, manual dexterity, critical thinking, hand-eye coordination	INR 6,07,000
Oral pathologist	High attention to detail, working long hours, strong written communication	INR 10,18,000
Prosthodontist	Sincere and understanding, thinking ability, active learning, speaking and listening skills, problem-solving	INR 5,24,000

Types of Dentist: FAQs

Ques. What is the most paying dentist specialization?

Ans. Oral and maxillofacial pathology is a dental specialty and the types of dentists who happen to have a specialization in this field, seem to be earning the most in India. The highest salary for an oral surgeon is about Rupees 85,000 per month in India. With upcoming times, the demand for this field is very likely to increase even more.

It also depends upon the type of place one life in. A general dentist living in a rural area, where people seem to have negligent knowledge about specializations, or a place where the competition is nil, may make the most of it. Almost everyone will be dependent upon a general dentist for their needs.

Ques. What types of treatments do pediatric dentists provide?

Ans. Pediatric dentists deal with children from their birth till adolescence. They are concerned about the well-being of their patients and even advise their parents on following good dental hygiene. They are primarily dedicated to treating oral diseases, solving teeth and gum infections, providing anesthesia during treatment, and analyzing the x-ray reports, and monitor the growth of teeth and jaws.

Ques. What type of dentist performs root canals?

Ans. An Endodontist is a highly trained professional when it comes to performing root canals. He is a type of dentist who has great expertise in diagnosing problems relating to the dental pulp, injuries of teeth, and other sensitive issues. However, apart from an endodontist, a general dentist also has the skill to perform root canal therapies seamlessly because of their efficient training and availability of necessary tools.

Dentists generally refer to an endodontist in this situation because they have experience in dealing with such problems which involve diagnosing the problem, monitoring the structure of tooth decay, cleaning the tooth, and removing any kind of bacteria otherwise it may lead to infection, and finally the filling session.

Ques. What types of dentists are there?

Ans. There are different types of dentists, and you can find one suitable for your requirements. They are general dentists, pediatric dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, oral pathologists, and prosthodontists. Each one of them is associated with a different specialty and helps keep your oral health, glossy and hassle-free.

Ques. Which type of dentist would have more customers or which would be busier, prosthodontist or orthodontist?

Ans. It depends upon the nature of the population. If the younger generation is more in number then it is very likely that the orthodontists are in business! They are concerned majorly with applying braces and correcting irregularities of the teeth. On the other hand, if elder aged people are in majority, prosthodontists will be more in number. Prosthodontists mainly deal with restoring injured teeth. They fix crowns, remove cavities, and do dental implants.

Ques. What type of adhesive do dentists use?

Ans. The most common and reliable type of dental glue is zinc phosphate. It's a binding agent and helps keep dentures in place. Dental adhesives are and should be nontoxic and water-soluble so that they can be easily applied on gums. Glass ionomer and resin-modified glass ionomer also act as important components of dental adhesives. These can be applied either in cream or powder form.

Ques. What are the types of food that dentists won't eat?

Ans. Candies may be tempting but are a big no-no when it comes to taking care of your teeth. All soft drinks contain acid, so dentists always advise using a straw while drinking them as it can lead to dental erosion. Eating citrus foods should be kept in check as they are rich in acidic content.

Again, pickles and wine affect the enamel badly by making it weak and causing cavities. People should brush 30 minutes after the consumption of such foods, not before because you would be rubbing the acid everywhere on your teeth!

Ques. What type of toothpaste and toothbrush do dentists recommend everyone use?

Ans. Colgate Total, Crest-Pro Health, Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste are some tubes of toothpaste that all dentists swear by. These contain fluoride as their main component which helps fight cavities and plaque. They also deep clean and combat bad breath. They protect the teeth and help maintain freshness and natural shine.

Ques. Which mirror is used by dentists and why?

Ans. All types of dentists are highly dependable on concave mirrors for observing the patient’s teeth. It gets very important to examine especially the molars which are located at the back as the light fails to enter. A concave mirror helps magnify the image without reflecting the light, thereby providing a clear image. It also helps identify the cavities way too easily and makes them treatable a lot sooner.

Ques. What are the qualities a dentist should have?

Ans. A good dentist does not hold back and feels free to communicate with you. He/she should be very patient, as prolonged hours of listening to a patient can irritate. He should be very empathetic and compassionate and deal with his patients gently. He should advise them on oral measures and discuss problems clearly, thereby treating them efficiently. Of all, a good dentist should be punctual and should be able to work in a team.