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Date: 08/31/2025

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
    • 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.
    • Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
    • 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.
    • Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
    • Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
    • Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
    • Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
    • 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.
    • Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
    • Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
    • Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
    • Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
    • Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.
    • 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.
    • Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth.
    • Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
    • Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services.
    • Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
    • Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
    • Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
    • Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
    • Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
    • Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
    • Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
    • Manage business aspects such as employing or supervising staff or handling paperwork or insurance claims.

    Skills

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    6
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    Knowledge

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 155570/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 74.79/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 3,530
    • Yearly Projected Openings 100

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Concern for Others
    • Self Control
    • Stress Tolerance

    Tools

    • Air compressors
    • Attachments or replacement parts for dental instruments
    • Awls
    • Bands for dental matrix
    • Calcium hydroxide placement tools
    • Chemical or gas sterilizers
    • Composite placement tools
    • Cosmetic dentistry curing lights
    • Crown or bridge removers
    • Dental absorbent holders
    • Dental amalgamators
    • Dental burnishers
    • Dental burs
    • Dental calipers
    • Dental carvers
    • Dental cord packers
    • Dental dam supplies
    • Dental depth gauges
    • Dental drills
    • Dental elevators
    • Dental examination chairs
    • Dental excavators
    • Dental files or rasps
    • Dental film processors
    • Dental forceps
    • Dental handpieces
    • Dental impression trays
    • Dental instrument sharpening accessories
    • Dental knives
    • Dental laboratory air abrasion units
    • Dental laboratory burners or torches
    • Dental laboratory lathes
    • Dental laboratory model trimmers
    • Dental laboratory plaster traps
    • Dental laboratory vibrators
    • Dental lasers
    • Dental mallets
    • Dental margin trimmers
    • Dental material pluggers or tips
    • Dental materials dispensers
    • Dental matrices or sets
    • Dental mirrors or mirror handles
    • Dental mouth prop or bite block or gag
    • Dental pressure indicating kits
    • Dental probes or explorers
    • Dental prophylaxis kits
    • Dental pulp or vitality testers
    • Dental reamers
    • Dental retainers
    • Dental retractors
    • Dental root tip picks
    • Dental saliva ejectors or oral suction devices
    • Dental scalers
    • Dental scissors
    • Dental shades
    • Dental spatulas
    • Dental spreaders
    • Dental syringe accessory kits
    • Dental syringes or needles or syringes with needles
    • Dental tongs
    • Dental x ray units
    • Dental x-ray bite blocks or wings or tabs
    • Desktop computers
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Electronic medical thermometers
    • Electronic stethoscopes
    • Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment
    • Endodontic kits
    • Endoscopic hemostatic balloons or needles or tubes or accessories
    • Eyewashers or eye wash stations
    • Facial shields
    • Foot switch
    • General dental lights
    • Grinding machines
    • Medical exam or surgical headlights or headlamps
    • Medical imaging dry laser printers or imagers
    • Medical imaging wet darkroom or daylight processors
    • Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes
    • Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
    • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
    • Mobile medical services non-suction antichoke devices
    • Notebook computers
    • Orthodontic band drivers or pushers or setters
    • Orthodontic ligature cartridges
    • Orthodontic pliers
    • Oxygen therapy delivery system products
    • Patient carbon dioxide detectors
    • Periodontal chisels
    • Periodontal curettes
    • Periodontal knives
    • Personal computers
    • Pharyngeal airways or airways kits
    • Pointers
    • Pulse oximeter units
    • Safety glasses
    • Scanners
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Surgical clamps or clips or forceps
    • Surgical gloves
    • Surgical isolation or surgical masks
    • Surgical suction machine or vacuum extractor or ultrasonic surgical aspirator
    • Teeth cleaning devices
    • Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
    • Videoscopes

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Internet browser software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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