Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Dentist

🎯 Role Definition

An experienced Dentist provides comprehensive oral healthcare by diagnosing, treating, and preventing dental and oral diseases. This role requires high clinical skill across preventive dentistry, restorative procedures, endodontics, periodontics, extractions and prosthodontics, combined with exceptional patient communication, case presentation, and practice management capabilities. The Dentist collaborates with dental hygienists, assistants, administrative staff and specialists to deliver safe, evidence-based treatment plans that enhance oral health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Key priorities include clinical safety, adherence to infection control, accurate documentation in the electronic health record (EHR), and contributing to practice quality and growth.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Recent dental school graduate (DDS / DMD), general practice residency or community clinic residency
Dental resident or dental school clinical instructor transitioning to private practice
Associate Dentist moving from public health or community clinic roles

Advancement To:

Senior Associate Dentist or Lead Clinician
Clinical Director or Dental Department Manager
Practice Owner / Partner
Dental Specialist (upon completion of residency or specialty training)

Lateral Moves:

Dental Public Health Practitioner or Community Clinic Dentist
Dental Educator / Faculty at dental school
Practice Manager with clinical oversight responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide comprehensive oral examinations, interpret dental radiographs (including panoramic and intraoral imaging), perform clinical diagnoses, and document findings in the EHR with clear clinical reasoning and proposed treatment plans tailored to patient needs.
Develop, present, and obtain informed consent for individualized treatment plans that integrate preventive strategies, restorative options, periodontal therapy, endodontic considerations and, when needed, referrals to dental specialists.
Perform high-quality restorative procedures including direct and indirect restorations (composite, amalgam, inlays/onlays), crown and bridge preparation, cementation and adjustments, ensuring durable occlusion and aesthetic outcomes.
Deliver endodontic therapy for single-rooted and selected multi-rooted teeth when within scope of practice; manage pulpal pain and infection, perform root canal obturation and retreatment when indicated, and coordinate specialist referrals for complex cases.
Provide periodontal diagnosis and nonsurgical periodontal therapy including scaling and root planing, periodontal maintenance, and adjunctive therapies; collaborate with periodontists for advanced surgical interventions.
Perform surgical dental procedures such as simple and surgical extractions, management of impacted teeth, alveoloplasty, suturing, and postoperative care, with appropriate use of local anesthesia and hemostasis techniques.
Administer local anesthesia safely and efficiently, monitor patient vitals during procedures as required, and manage medical emergencies in the dental setting following BLS/CPR and office emergency protocols.
Diagnose and treat or refer oral pathology and mucosal lesions; perform biopsies when indicated and coordinate pathology follow-up and specialist care.
Design, deliver and oversee prosthodontic treatments including full and partial dentures, fixed prostheses, implant restorations (in collaboration with surgical colleagues), ensuring biomechanical stability and patient comfort.
Provide cosmetic dentistry services such as teeth whitening, veneers, minimally invasive aesthetic composite bonding, and smile design consultations aligned with patient expectations and long-term oral health goals.
Conduct pre-operative assessments, medical history reviews, medication reconciliation, and risk assessments to safely manage patients with complex medical conditions or those on anticoagulants, bisphosphonates, or other systemic therapies.
Implement infection control and sterilization protocols in accordance with CDC and OSHA guidelines, ensuring safe instrument processing, sterilizer validation and strict adherence to cross-contamination prevention.
Use digital dentistry tools and technologies including digital radiography, intraoral scanners, CAD/CAM systems, practice management software and EHR to increase diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficiency and patient communication.
Oversee the calibration and training of dental staff on clinical protocols, chairside assisting workflows, radiography safety, and quality assurance measures to maintain consistent high standards of care.
Provide pediatric dental care within scope, including behavior management, preventive sealants, fluoride treatments, atraumatic restorative techniques and parent education for early oral health.
Manage acute dental pain and infections, prescribe antibiotics and analgesics responsibly, and follow antimicrobial stewardship and opioid prescribing guidelines.
Coordinate multidisciplinary care, referring to and co-managing cases with oral surgeons, orthodontists, endodontists, periodontists and pediatric specialists to deliver integrated patient-centered solutions.
Conduct post-operative follow-up visits, evaluate healing and treatment outcomes, document complications or adverse events and adjust treatment plans accordingly.
Educate patients on oral hygiene, nutrition, tobacco cessation, and preventive strategies to reduce disease progression and support long-term oral health maintenance.
Participate in continuing education, maintain dental licensure and certifications, and integrate evidence-based practices into clinical protocols to improve patient outcomes and practice reputation.
Manage clinic scheduling, chair time efficiency and case sequencing to optimize patient flow, reduce wait times and improve practice productivity while maintaining high-quality care.
Contribute to practice marketing initiatives by participating in patient outreach, community education events, and digital content that explains services, builds trust and attracts new patients.
Maintain accurate, timely billing codes, clinical notes and pre-authorizations for insurance claims; collaborate with administrative staff to ensure correct CDT coding and payment follow-up.
Mentor junior clinicians, dental students, and hygienists through case reviews, clinical teaching sessions and performance feedback to develop team capabilities and clinical standards.
Engage in quality improvement activities such as chart audits, clinical outcome reviews and infection control audits to drive continuous improvement and compliance with regulatory standards.

Secondary Functions

Support practice-level initiatives such as developing clinical protocols, contributing to risk management plans and implementing new clinical technologies to elevate patient care.
Assist with community outreach programs, school screening events and public oral health education to grow the practice and improve population oral health awareness.
Participate in peer review and case conferences to evaluate treatment outcomes, share best practices and standardize complex case management across the clinical team.
Collaborate with administrative leadership on inventory management for dental supplies, equipment maintenance schedules and capital investment decisions to ensure uninterrupted clinical operations.
Contribute to patient satisfaction initiatives, online reputation management and feedback systems by addressing concerns proactively and supporting patient retention strategies.
Support credentialing and payer contracting processes by providing clinical information, participating in payer audits and ensuring documentation meets insurer requirements.
Aid in the selection and testing of new dental materials, digital systems and clinical devices to validate efficacy before wider clinical adoption.
Serve as a clinical resource during onboarding of new hires and during audits by regulatory bodies, ensuring the practice demonstrates consistent compliance with professional standards.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Clinical diagnosis and treatment planning for a full scope of general dentistry procedures (preventive, restorative, endodontic, periodontal and prosthodontic).
Proficiency with dental radiography and interpretation (periapical, bitewing, panoramic) and understanding of digital imaging safety and limitations.
Competency in administering and monitoring local anesthesia, nitrous oxide (if used), and sedation protocols when applicable.
Expertise in restorative dentistry techniques: direct composite restorations, crown and bridge preparation, provisionalization and cementation.
Experience performing extractions, surgical tooth removal, suturing techniques and basic oral surgery post-op management.
Endodontic skills for non-surgical root canal therapy on appropriate cases and knowledge of referral criteria for complicated endodontic cases.
Periodontal therapy skills including scaling and root planing, periodontal maintenance, and identification of cases requiring surgical periodontal care.
Proficiency in dental software and EHR systems (patient charting, treatment plans, digital imaging integration, scheduling and billing).
Infection control, sterilization workflows and compliance with OSHA and CDC guidelines.
Experience with digital dentistry workflows: intraoral scanners, CAD/CAM restorations, digital impressions and 3D imaging familiarity.
Knowledge of pharmacology relevant to dentistry (antibiotics, analgesics, local anesthetics and emergency medications) and safe prescribing practices.
Ability to interpret medical histories, manage medically complex patients and liaise with medical professionals for perioperative management.
Familiarity with dental coding (CDT) and basic understanding of dental insurance processes and documentation to support claims.

Soft Skills

Exceptional patient communication and bedside manner, able to explain diagnoses, options and risks clearly and empathetically.
Strong clinical judgment and decision-making under time pressure with attention to detail and patient safety.
Team leadership and collaboration with dental hygienists, assistants and administrative staff to ensure cohesive patient care.
Time management and organizational skills to run efficient clinical sessions while maintaining high standards of care.
Problem-solving orientation with the ability to adapt treatment approaches based on clinical findings and patient preferences.
Ethical professionalism, confidentiality, and adherence to regulatory and legal standards.
Cultural competence and sensitivity to diverse patient populations, including pediatric, geriatric and medically complex patients.
Business acumen for private practice settings, including understanding of productivity, case acceptance and basic financial drivers.
Coaching and mentoring skills to train junior clinicians and support staff development.
Resilience, stress management and the ability to maintain composure during clinical emergencies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from an accredited dental school; active state dental license required.

Preferred Education:

Completion of a General Practice Residency (GPR), Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) or specialty training (e.g., Endodontics, Periodontics, Oral Surgery) is highly desirable.
Certifications in sedation, Invisalign or other specialty modalities are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Dentistry (DDS / DMD)
Oral Health Sciences
Dental Public Health
Advanced clinical residencies in General Practice or specialty disciplines

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0–10+ years in clinical dentistry depending on level (new graduates to senior clinicians)

Preferred:

2–5+ years of experience in a general dental practice or clinic for Associate Dentist roles; 5+ years for lead or senior roles.
Demonstrable experience in comprehensive restorative care, surgical extractions, endodontic treatment and prosthodontic workflows.
Prior experience mentoring staff, participating in quality improvement initiatives, and working with dental practice management systems preferred.