Prosthodontists
Prosthodontists is the O*NET name for people who diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw. The skills rated most useful are speaking, critical thinking, and active listening. Expect to examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases. The strongest interest signal is Realistic (6.2 of 7), then Investigative (5.5) and Social, which gives it the code RIS. Getting in usually takes graduate school and often five years or more of related experience, a level O*NET calls extensive preparation. People who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world usually fit better here than those who need leading, persuading and making business decisions.
What they do
Diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw.
Main tasks
- Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases.
- Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications.
- Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures.
- Measure and take impressions of patients' jaws and teeth to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses, using face bows, dental articulators, recording devices, and other materials.
- Collaborate with general dentists, specialists, and other health professionals to develop solutions to dental and oral health concerns.
- Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians and laboratory bench workers who construct the devices.
Skills
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and critical thinking.
May not suit you if
- You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 1.4 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RIS takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Post-Doctoral Training. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
- Dental Science Dr (Dental Science Doctor)
- Denturist
- Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
- Prosthetic Dentist
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.