Skip to main content

Your free guide to a career in dentistry

The best parts about a career in dentistry

Precision – Melbourne dentist Viet Nguyen loves the precision of a job well done. This includes the challenge of complex dental work such as crowns and fillings as well as the simpler task of cleaning teeth.

career in dentistry Australia

Preventing hospitalization – Tooth decay is the most common reason for pre-schoolers to be hospitalized in Australia and dental care is one of the major reasons for children to have general anaesthetics. Dentists can literally help prevent kids from having to go to hospital by treating tooth decay and encouraging good oral health practices from an early age. Early dental treatment can also prevent hospitalization for potentially life-threatening neck infections.

Smiles and restorative care – In this article two dentists share the reasons they love their job. Sydney based dentist Dr Farrelly says he loves it most when people are no longer self-conscious about their teeth and can proudly show their smile. Dr Philippa Sawyer is a specialist paediatric dentist in Sydney and enjoys the opportunity to interact with children and provide preventative and restorative care.

Relieving pain and stress – dentists are able to deal with emergencies such as a broken tooth, a lost tooth, a toothache, problems with braces, and a lost filling or crown, each of with can have a great impact on the patient!

Volunteering – There are opportunities to volunteer in dentistry, which might be in Australia or overseas. The Australian Red Cross runs regular dental clinics for asylum seekers and refugees.

Putting patients at ease – Dentists Dr Wilfred Koon and Dr Sonia Sonia both recognize the anxiety patients may experience during a dental consultation. Dr Koon, in an article about mindfulness, declared his passion on helping patients overcome their dental fears and anxieties while Dr Sonia mentioned that through practicing mindfulness, she was able to help her patients to be calm.

 

Things you really need to consider before deciding  on a career in dentistry

Be prepared physically and mentally – The majority of dental students can expect to experience physical pain, most commonly in the neck, shoulders and back. There is also evidence that dental students experience considerable amounts of stress during their training, which is mainly due to the demanding nature of the course. Be prepared to stick to a personal wellbeing plan in order to deal with the physical and mental toll this course can take. In this article dentist Dr Rachel Hall talks about how she became burned out at the age of 29, and how she recovered.

Obligations with the Dental Board of Australia – Dentistry students must register with the Dental Board of Australia and fulfill the obligations to the Board.

Legal risks – although the risk of litigation is small, dentists do potentially face some legal risks when carrying out complex oral procedures.

Brisbane dentist and former clinical supervisor William Ha shares details on why some students find the course difficult:

 

Areas of competency – The Australian Dental Council has set out six main areas of competency for becoming a dentist. These are professionalism, communication and leadership, critical thinking, health promotion, scientific & clinical knowledge and patient care.

 

Are dentistry graduates getting jobs?

Refer to the dentistry section on our employment page.

 

What do dentists do?

Obviously dentists perform oral health examinations which involve a “scale and clean.” However, there is a lot more to it than that.

Melbourne dentist Viet Nguyen has shared his views on “a day in the life of a dentist.” Dr William Ha shares insights on what a dentist does during a routine consultation:

Every day at least 3 Australians will be diagnosed with oral cancer, and dentists play an important role in making these diagnoses.

Drug use can also impact oral health, and dentists may need to treat the effects of conditions such as “meth mouth.”

Dentists also have a significant responsibility to their patients in protecting them from bloode borne diseases. Patients are at risk of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis if dentists do not follow strict infection control protocols.

By the age of 6, over half of all Australian children suffer from tooth decay.

Dentists can do custom fittings of mouth guards for people who play contact sports.

The Dental Board of Australia lists 13 areas of specialization for dentists, including oral pathology, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. This article from the Australian Society of Orthodontists outlines the specialist area of orthodontics.

 

How long does it take to become a dentist?

It depends on which pathway you take, but it’s a minimum of 5 years.

Please see our infographic page on the pathways to becoming a dentist for more information.

 

ATAR for dentistry and accredited courses

Click here for ATAR information for a dentistry courses in Australia in 2022. An ATAR well above 90 was generally required for undergraduate entry. Postgraduate entry is also available.

GAMSAT or UCAT – Depending on which course you are looking at applying for, you may need a GAMSAT or UCAT score for entry into dentistry. UMAT was replaced by UCAT in 2019.

Interview – some dental schools require an interview as part of their entry process.

Accredited course – A career in dentistry is only possible by completing an accredited course. Be sure to check the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s Approved Programs of Study page. For dentistry, select “Dental Practitioner” from the Practitioner dropdown and “Dentist” from the Division dropdown. You can also check the Australian Dental Council website.

 

How much money do dentists earn?

Go to our earnings page for detailed information.

 

Videos about a career in dentistry

Click here to watch more videos about a career in dentistry from dentist Dr William Ha.

 

Latest News

Click here for the latest news about dentistry.

 

University scholarships

Please read our scholarship listing thoroughly for this information. There is a section about dentistry towards the bottom of the page.

 

Career in dentistry information from professional associations

  1. Australian Dental Association
  2. Australian Dental Association New South Wales

 

This page was last updated in January 2023.