Occupation Details

The dentist studies the patient's past history of dental care and examines the mouth and teeth, sometimes using X-rays, to detect gum disease or tooth decay. Typical routine treatment includes:

• extracting decayed or septic teeth
• drilling, preparing and filling cavities
• scaling and polishing teeth
• advising on oral hygiene

The dentist may treat irregular teeth by fitting appliances such as braces or may replace teeth by fitting crowns, bridges or dentures. Sometimes they carry out surgery on diseased gums and infected roots to help preserve teeth. Newly qualified dentists entering general practice usually begin their career as an associate in a group practice, where they can receive support from more experienced colleagues.  
 
Dentists in the community dental service are responsible for the treatment of priority groups such as young children, expectant mothers and adults with physical or mental impairments. They work in local clinics and may travel to locations such as schools, day centres and residential homes to carry out inspections and advise on dental health education.  
 
Some dentists work in the dental department of general hospitals. Newly qualified dentists begin their career as house officers and progress through the grades of house officer, registrar, senior registrar and assistant dental surgeon to consultant status. During this period, they combine work with study for one of the dental specialisms, which involves taking further examinations.  
 
There are two recognised specialties in Ireland:

• Oral surgery
• Orthodontics

Oral surgeons work mainly in hospitals and universities. Dentists specialising in oral and maxillo-facial surgery treat injuries to the face or serious diseases of the teeth and gums.

Dentists specialising in orthodontics treat the more complex cases of crooked or missing teeth, fitting appliances to correct these and advising dentists in general practice. 

Most orthodontists work in private practice, although some work in hospitals, universities and the Public Dental Service. To become a specialist, two years of general professional training must be undergone after primary qualification, and this is followed by three years of fulltime specialist training. To become a consultant may involve a further three years of higher training.

The training takes place in university teaching hospitals in Ireland, or other such recognised training establishments, often in the UK or other EU countries. Trainees generally provide dental care during their training and are normally paid as appropriate. On completion of training as a specialist you normally receive a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in orthodontics or oral surgery, issued by the Dental Council, and are entered onto the appropriate Specialist Register.

You may also receive a diploma from one of the Royal Colleges of Ireland or the UK, such as a “Fellowship” or “Membership”, or a master’s degree or PhD from a university. Aside from the two recognised specialties, there are other traditional specialist areas of dentistry such as paediatric dentistry, periodontology, and endodontics, where practitioners have undertaken further training and have limited their practices to their specialty.

The following is a list of the most commonly reported tasks and activities for this occupation

The following is a list of the most commonly reported skills used in this occupation.

You need good communication skills and a sympathetic nature to help put nervous patients at ease. You should be able to think logically and handle delicate dental instruments with a steady hand.  
 
Dentistry is a physically demanding career and unsuited to those with certain physical handicaps such as poor sight, disturbances in coordination of movement, certain back problems and any medical condition which would put a person at risk of contracting or passing on infectious diseases. If in doubt, consult a dentist or doctor before application.  
 
An interest and academic ability in science is essential.

A degree in dentistry is required in order to register with the Dental Council of Ireland. Entry is competitive as only two Irish universities offer programmes: Trinity College Dublin offers Dental Science TR052 and University College Cork offers Dentistry CK702.

General admission procedures to the study of Dentistry is based on the CAO points systems for students presenting Leaving Certificate or Matriculation examinations.

Queens University in Belfast also run a degree course in dentistry. Studying Dentistry in Europe has become a popular option for Irish students.

Last Updated: October, 2017

A detailed description of this occupation can be found on a number of online databases. Follow the link(s) below to access this information:

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Dental Therapist - from: N.C.S. [UK]

Dentist - from: N.C.S. [UK]

Dentist - from: YouTube [UK]

Dentist - from: GradIreland