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Dentist

Job Description

A dentist is a professional that studies and treats any oral issues, while educating patients on their oral health and how to avoid problems. A dentist’s job includes replacing or improving the appearance of teeth and identifying and preventing any diseases.

Pay

Depending on the location of work and experience, a qualified Dentist can earn between $114,000 – $ 190,000 a year.

Work Hours

Dentists work normal business hours during the weekdays, with some odd shifts on weekends.

Study length

Becoming a dentist requires 5 years of training.

To become a dentist, you need to:

Complete the Health Sciences First Year course
Complete a Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Complete and register through the Dental Council of New Zealand.

A few specialised roles dentists could work in:

Surgeons – corrections due to diseases, injuries or defects
Medicine Specialist – to treat and manage oral health disorders
Orthodontist – to correct teeth often through braces and other treatments
Paediatric – working with children
Periodontist – treating gum diseases

Want to learn more about what it’s like to study dentistry at Otago?

Source: Dentist. careers.govt.nz. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/dentist