Dental practitioners

£54,229

Average salary

Average annual salary UK 2020 | Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

23 hours

Average weekly hours

Average weekly hours UK 2019 | Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

0.75%

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate UK 2020 | Labour Force Survey

Definition: Dental practitioners

*SOC Code (Standard Occupational Classification): 2215

Dental practitioners diagnose dental and oral diseases, injuries and disorders, prescribe and administer treatment, recommend preventative action and, where necessary, refer the patient to a specialist.

Common tasks include:

examines patient’s teeth, gums and jaw, using dental and x-ray equipment, diagnoses dental conditions;
assesses and recommends treatment options to patients;
administers local anaesthetics;
carries out clinical treatments, restores teeth affected by decay etc., treats gum disease and other disorders;
constructs and fits braces, inlays, dentures and other appliances;
supervises patient’s progress and advises on preventative action;
educates patients on oral health care;
refers patient to specialist, where necessary;
maintains patients’ dental health records;
prepares and delivers lectures, undertakes research, and conducts and participates in clinical trials.

Qualifications

Entrants require an approved university degree and must have completed a period of postgraduate vocational training. Graduate entry to dental school is sometimes possible. Registration with the General Dental Council is a pre-requisite to practise. Specialist fields require further study and training.

*Introduced in 1990, SOC is a multi-purpose common classification of occupations in UK. Jobs are defined in terms of skill level and skill content, including qualifications, training and work experience.

Employment status: Dental practitioners

Regional employment: Dental practitioners

Future employment: Dental practitioners

Top 12 industries: Dental practitioners

Alternative & related job titles: Dental practitioners

Dentist Professor Orthodontist Reader Fellow (university: Consultant, dental Practitioner, dental Surgeon, dental Periodontist Lecturer Officer, dental Fellow

Equality focus: Dental practitioners

Breaking down the official government big data sources by gender, age and region. Hours and pay data based on full time equlivalent roles.