Job description Dental Surgeon in Canada

Find out what work is like for a dental surgeon in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Dentists (NOC 31110).

Dentists

Description

Dentists diagnose, treat, prevent and control disorders of the teeth and mouth. They work in private practice or may be employed in hospitals, clinics, public health facilities or universities.

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Dentists have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Dentists
  • Examine patients' teeth, gums and surrounding tissue to diagnose disease, injury and decay and plan appropriate preventive or corrective treatment
  • Provide general dental care such as cleaning teeth, filling cavities, performing root canals, applying veneers, and fitting crowns, bridges and dentures
  • Restore, extract and replace diseased and decayed teeth
  • Instruct patients on oral hygiene and preventive dental care
  • Monitor patient progress to identify changes or the progression of dental disease
  • Prescribe antibiotics or other medication as required
  • Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color
  • Refer patients to dental specialists as needed for recommended procedures
  • Supervise dental hygienists, dental assistants and other staff
  • May provide basic orthodontic treatments with additional training.
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
  • Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment
  • Administer general and local anesthetics
  • Perform surgery to prepare the mouth for dental implants orto aid in the regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues
  • Remove impacted, damaged, and non-restorable teeth, as well as tumors and other abnormal growths of the oral and facial regions
  • Perform surgery on the mouth and jaws to treat conditions, such as cleft lip, palate, and jaw growth problems
  • Provide emergency treatment of facial injuries including facial lacerations, intra-oral lacerations, and fractured facial bones
  • Treat infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws, and neck.
  • Orthodontists
  • Examine patients' teeth, gums and surrounding tissue to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures
  • Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities
  • Propose treatment plan for conditions such as underbites, overbites, crowding and others
  • Design and fabricate appliances, such as space maintainers, retainers, and labial and lingual arch wires
  • Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth
  • Coordinate orthodontic services with other dental and medical professionals
  • Educate patients about improving and maintaining orthodontic care, and promoting routine dental health care.
  • Prosthodontists
  • Examine patient’s teeth, gums and jaws to diagnose disease, injury and decay, and plan appropriate treatment to enhance patients’ dental and facial aesthetics, or correct orofacial problems
  • Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures
  • Restore function and improve aesthetics for traumatic injury victims, or individuals with diseases or birth defects
  • Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians who construct the devices
  • Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications
  • Restore damaged teeth with materials such as fillings, veneers and crowns
  • Collaborate with general dentists, dental specialists, and other health professionals to develop solutions to dental and oral health concerns.

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 31110), and a list of similar occupations:

  • dentist
  • endodontist
  • oral and maxillofacial surgeon
  • oral pathologist
  • oral radiologist
  • orthodontist
  • pediatric dentist
  • periodontist
  • prosthodontist
  • public health dentist

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as Dentists in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
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