Description
Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.
Interests
- Social
- Realistic
- Investigative
- Conventional
Work Values
- Relationships
- Support
- Independence
Work Styles
- Concern for Others
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
Tasks
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
Work Activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Detailed Work Activities
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Technology Skills
- Medical software
- Spreadsheet software
- Electronic mail software
- Accounting software
- Office suite software
Abilities
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Finger Dexterity
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
Skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Service Orientation
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Certified Dental Technician - CeramicsCertifying Organization
National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology
Type
Core
Certificate name
Certified Dental Technician - Partial DenturesCertifying Organization
National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology
Type
Core
Certificate name
Certified Dental Technician - Complete DenturesCertifying Organization
National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology
Type
Core
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $59,276 |
| Median (50%) | $77,909 |
| High (90%) | $100,829 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $74,683 |
| Mid Level | $67,839 |
| Senior Level | $64,697 |
| Expert Level | $67,131 |
Employability
There are currently 214,100 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 233,700 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 9%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 9%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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