TL;DR
- A dentist diagnoses and treats problems of the teeth, gums and mouth, prevents dental disease and promotes oral health. Most UK dentists are general dental practitioners working as self-employed associates in high street practices.
- The job has seven duties: examine and diagnose, plan treatment with the patient, carry out restorative and surgical treatment, provide preventive care, manage anxiety and pain, keep records and infection control, and lead or work within the dental team.
- In the UK a dentist needs a General Dental Council-accredited degree, usually five years, GDC registration, an enhanced background check and, for NHS work, foundation training. A job description should say whether the post is associate or salaried, NHS or private, and how the dental team is staffed.
A dental practice advertising for an associate and a hospital advertising for a dental core trainee are both writing a dentist job description, and the two jobs share a licence and little else. The first is a self-employed clinician with a list, a chair and a nurse; the second is a salaried trainee on a rota. A good job description says which it is in the first line.
This article sets out what a dentist does, seven duties, the settings and contract types in UK dentistry, the skills employers look for, the qualifications and registration required, a template you can adapt and the mistakes that weaken dental adverts. It describes UK dentistry; regulation differs in other countries.
Dentists are judged on clinical outcomes, patient experience and the team around them. See how New Dynamics performance reviews bring goals, feedback and development into one fair discussion.
What does a dentist do?
The UK National Careers Service describes the role in its dentist profile: “Dentists diagnose and treat teeth and gum problems and help prevent dental disease. They also promote good oral hygiene.” Dental surgeon and dental practitioner are alternative titles.
Prospects, the UK graduate careers service, describes the most common version of the job in its dentist profile: the general dental practitioner, or GDP. As a GDP, it says, “you'll usually work as a self-employed contractor providing routine and specialist dental care to the general public in high street practices”, under the NHS, privately or both, treating “a wide range of patients, from children to older adults”, and working “as part of a team that includes dental nurses, hygienists, therapists and technicians”.
Settings and contract types
Prospects lists the main settings. Most GDPs work as associate dentists, self-employed contractors in practices owned by another dentist or organisation. Some become practice owners, taking on staff, finances and operations alongside clinical work. Other settings are community dental services, for patients with additional needs; dental public health, which is non-clinical population work; hospital dentistry, treating complex cases and emergencies and supporting teaching; armed forces dentistry; and academic dentistry, combining clinical work with teaching and research.
| Post | Contract | What the job description must say |
|---|---|---|
| Associate dentist | Usually self-employed | NHS units or private mix, days, chair time, nurse support, lab arrangements |
| Salaried dentist | Employed, often community or hospital | Grade, hours, on-call, supervision, CPD |
| Practice owner or partner | Owner | Clinical days against management, staff, budgets |
| Trainee | Employed, training post | Programme, supervisor, rotation |
Prospects notes that dentists can specialise in areas including endodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, periodontics and restorative dentistry.
Dentist duties: seven responsibilities
Both profiles list the daily work. Grouped into seven:
- Examine and diagnose. See patients for routine check-ups, examine teeth and gums, and use X-rays and scans to build a picture of teeth, gums and jaw, diagnosing conditions such as cavities, gum disease and oral infections.
- Plan treatment with the patient. Discuss options and agree a treatment plan, and refer to dental specialists when required.
- Treat. Carry out restorative work such as fillings, crowns, bridges and dentures, treat gum disease, perform extractions, take impressions for dentures, implants and bridges, and provide cosmetic treatments such as whitening and veneers where the practice offers them.
- Prevent. Cleaning, fluoride applications and sealants, and advice to patients on good dental care.
- Manage anxiety and pain. Prospects lists managing patient anxiety and ensuring effective pain control among the responsibilities; a large part of the job is reassurance.
- Records and infection control. Maintain accurate patient records and ensure high standards of infection control and health and safety.
- Lead or work within the dental team. Work closely with nurses, hygienists and therapists; practice owners also recruit and manage staff, oversee budgets and equipment and promote the practice. All dentists keep up with continuing professional development.
Skills employers look for
Prospects lists “manual dexterity and technical dental skills, with the ability to maintain concentration for prolonged periods”, attention to detail and precision, excellent communication with patients of all ages and backgrounds, the ability to build trusting relationships with patients and work collaboratively with colleagues, “empathy and a reassuring manner, particularly when dealing with anxious or nervous patients”, decision-making and problem-solving for diagnosis and treatment planning, organisation and time management within appointment schedules, administrative skills for practice owners and IT skills for digital records and imaging. The NCS adds knowledge of medicine, dentistry and biology, logical reasoning, judgement, customer service skills and complex problem solving.
For an advert, six things: clinical skill with evidence, communication with anxious patients, judgement, time management under a full book, teamwork with the dental nurse and hygienist, and commitment to CPD.
Qualifications and registration in the UK
Degree. Prospects says: “To work as a dentist in the UK, you must complete a dental degree accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC), the UK regulator for dental professionals.” Degrees typically take five years full time; the NCS notes a four-year course may be available to graduates in related subjects such as biomedical science. Entry usually needs three A levels including biology and chemistry, and many schools require the University Clinical Aptitude Test.
Registration. Both profiles say the same thing: once qualified, a dentist must register with the GDC to practise.
Checks. Prospects lists a Disclosure and Barring Service check, or the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme in Scotland, and an occupational health assessment. The NCS lists enhanced background checks.
Postgraduate training. The NCS says the degree is followed by two years of supervised postgraduate dental training in different settings; Prospects notes that newly qualified dentists who want to work in the NHS must complete one year of foundation training.
Progression. The NCS says a dentist could become a partner or set up a clinic, follow the hospital training pathway to specialise, become a dental consultant managing a unit or department, move into clinical teaching or serve in the armed forces.
Regulation and training differ in other countries. Check the rules where you work.
Dentist job description template
Adapt the template to your practice. Keep every line true.
Job title: Associate dentist [or: Salaried dentist, community dental service]
Reports to: Practice principal or clinical director
Contract and days: [Self-employed associate], [four] days a week, [NHS and private mix / private only]; [n] UDAs or a target stated, with the arrangement for lab fees and materials
Purpose of the role: To provide safe, high-quality general dental care to the practice's patients, from examination and prevention through treatment, in line with GDC standards and the practice's clinical governance.
Main duties:
- Examine, diagnose and agree treatment plans with patients, referring where appropriate
- Provide restorative, surgical, preventive and [cosmetic] treatment to a high standard
- Manage patient anxiety and pain control with care
- Keep accurate clinical records and meet infection control and health and safety standards
- Work with the dental nurse, hygienist and therapist to plan and deliver care
- Take part in clinical audit, peer review and CPD
Requirements:
- GDC registration and a GDC-accredited dental degree
- [Completion of foundation training for NHS work]
- Enhanced DBS check and occupational health clearance
- Indemnity cover
- Experience in [general practice / named treatments], with a clinical portfolio welcome
We provide: [Chair time, nurse support, equipment and materials], mentoring for newly qualified dentists, CPD support and a clear route to [partnership / lead clinician].
State the contract type, the patient mix, the days, the nurse support and the equipment. Those facts decide whether a dentist applies. Our job description template explains the overall structure, and our pediatrician job description shows the same approach for another clinical role.
Common mistakes in dental job adverts
Contract type hidden. Associate, salaried and trainee posts are different jobs with different tax and employment status. Say which.
No numbers. Days, sessions, patient list size and NHS units or private targets tell a candidate what they are signing up for.
Support unstated. Whether a nurse is guaranteed for every session is often the deciding fact.
Registration assumed. State GDC registration, checks and indemnity plainly so that no time is wasted.
No mentoring for the newly qualified. The first years after foundation training are when dentists leave practices that do not support them.
Frequently asked questions
What does a dentist do?
A dentist examines and diagnoses problems of the teeth, gums and mouth, agrees treatment plans with patients, carries out restorative and surgical treatments, provides preventive care and advice, manages anxiety and pain, keeps records and infection control standards and works with the dental team. Most UK dentists are general dental practitioners in high street practices.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a dentist?
Seven core duties: examine and diagnose; plan treatment with the patient; treat, including fillings, crowns, extractions and dentures; prevent, through cleaning, fluoride, sealants and advice; manage anxiety and pain; maintain records and infection control; and lead or work within the dental team. Practice owners add staff, budgets and promotion.
What qualifications does a dentist need in the UK?
A dental degree accredited by the General Dental Council, typically five years, followed by registration with the GDC, an enhanced background check and an occupational health assessment. Newly qualified dentists who want to work in the NHS complete a year of foundation training.
What is an associate dentist?
An associate dentist is a general dental practitioner working, usually as a self-employed contractor, in a practice owned by another dentist or organisation. Prospects says most GDPs work this way. The job description should state the days, the NHS and private mix and the support provided.
What skills does a dentist need?
Manual dexterity and sustained concentration, precision, communication with patients of all ages, empathy and a reassuring manner with anxious patients, decision-making and problem solving, time management within appointment schedules, teamwork with nurses, hygienists and therapists, and IT skills for digital records and imaging.
What is the difference between a dentist and a dental therapist?
A dentist holds a dental degree and GDC registration as a dentist and can diagnose and carry out the full range of treatment. Dental therapists, hygienists, nurses and technicians are separately registered dental care professionals who work with the dentist within their own scope of practice.
Your next step
- Write the first line: associate, salaried or trainee; NHS, private or mixed.
- Add the numbers: days, sessions, list size and targets, nurse support and equipment.
- List registration, checks and indemnity as requirements, and mentoring and CPD as what you provide.
- Plan the first three months, including clinical induction and a review at the end.
For that first quarter, read and download our employee onboarding guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.
Want clinical goals, peer feedback and reviews for the whole dental team in one place? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current job description. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.
