Career and Job roles after PG Diploma in Dental Science

There are ample job opportunities available for PG Diploma in Dental Science students. They are hired in both public and private dental hospitals. They are also hired in dental clinics and they can even start their own dental clinics.

The present article tries to explain a few important job roles available after Post graduate Diploma in Dental Science students.

Senior Dental Hygienist

As a senior dental hygienist, one is required to have a high level of manual dexterity and want to work in a clinical and health promotional role. They are required to educate on dental hygiene for their patients.

Roles of Senior Dental Hygienist

As a senior dental hygienist, one will play an important role within the dental healthcare team. They will be working closely with patient’s and are required to educate them in the care of teeth by providing treatments to prevent oral problems.

Responsibilities of Senior Dental Hygienist

As a senior dental hygienist, one is responsible to:

• Provide dental advice on dental hygiene care and oral health education to patients of all ages
• Work closely with the dental team to treat and help patients in preventing gun diseases
• Use a range of dental instruments to clean, polish and scale teeth
• Remove plaque and apply treatments to reduce decay
• Ensure their dental instruments are sterilised appropriately
• Take impressions and radiographs of teeth
• Give local anaesthetic under supervision of a dentist
• Apply temporary coatings and sealants to protect teeth
• Encourage and demonstrate tooth brushing and flossing
• Show care and compassion for patients and put them at the centre of care
• Collect medical and dental histories and maintain patient’s health records
• Work to a professional code of ethics and keep up to date with new development within the profession

Salary & Emoluments

The fresh post graduate diploma in dental science students will be easily earning around 5 lakhs to 7 lakhs per annum as senior dental hygienist. The experienced doctors will be earning around 7 lakhs to 9 lakhs per annum. The salary also depends upon the location and recruiter.

Senior Dental Technician

The senior dental technicians are also known as dental technologists, they are responsible for designing, constructing and repairing a variety of dental devices.

Role of Senior Dental Technician

As a senior dental technician, one will be responsible for helping to improve teeth and for replacing lost teeth. One is required to improve teeth for aesthetic reasons and work to the prescription of a dentist to make bridges, crowns, dentures, braces and other orthodontic devices.

Responsibilities of a Senior Dental Technician

As a senior dental technician, one is responsible to:

• Undertake all aspects of prosthetic work including making bites and special trays, casting mount guards and retainers
• Construct partial or full dentures to replace the partial or total loss of teeth
• Create accurate models from doctors’ impressions
• Fabricate porcelain veneers for crowns, prostheses, implant restorations and crowns using ceramo-metal techniques
• Construct models of the mouth and teeth from impressions of the patient’s mouth taken by the dentist
• Make diagnostic wax-ups, smile design cases, dental composite work and pressable max restorations
• Restore natural teeth by fabricating crowns and bridges and applying them to complex implant units and implant borne restorations
• Correct dental irregularities by manufacturing fixed or removable appliances such as dentures, casings to go over teeth and retainers
• Replace missing facial and body tissues due to injury, disease or developmental abnormality by fabricating maxillofacial prosthesis
• Using traditional methods for designing dental devices
• Maintain dental laboratory records and prepare reports on laboratory activities

You can update your dental laboratory technician job knowledge and skills by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications maintain personal networks and participating in professional organisations

Salary & Emoluments

The fresh post graduate diploma in dental science students will be easily earning around 3 lakhs to 5 lakhs per annum as senior dental technician. The experienced doctors will be earning around 5 lakhs to 7 lakhs per annum. The salary also depends upon the location and recruiter.

Dental Surgeon

The dental surgeons are responsible to take care of the dental and oral health care. They are required to prescribe proper treatments for dental problems.

Roles of a Dental Surgeon

As a dental surgeon one is required to operate, prevent and treat problems affecting the mouth and teeth, deal with injuries and correct dental issues. Dental surgeons are required in large numbers in government hospitals, private hospitals and clinics.

Responsibilities of a Dental Surgeon

As a dental surgeon one is responsible to:

• Educate patients on dental and oral healthcare
• Examine teeth, diagnosing dental conditions using tools such as x-rays
• Assess treatment options and agree treatment plans with patients
• Carry out agreed clinical treatments such as restoring teeth affected by decay and treating gum disease
• Perform surgery for dental problems in case of both emergency and scheduled cases
• Maintain patient’s dental records
• Oversee budgets and maintain stocks of equipment
• Market services to potential clients

Salary & Emoluments

The fresh graduate diploma in dental science students will be easily earning around 8 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum as dental surgeons. The experienced doctors will be earning around 10 lakhs to 25 lakhs per annum. The salary also depends upon the location and recruiter.

Oral Surgeon

The oral surgeons are required to perform corrective and therapeutic procedures on the mouth and jaws of their patients and often work in conjunction with other dentists, surgeons and orthodontists.

Role of the Oral Surgeon  

The oral surgeons are required to specialise in orofacial procedures. They are also required to treat patients, oversee aftercare and coordinate with other specialists if required.

Responsibilities of Oral Surgeon

As an oral surgeon one is responsible to:

• Consulting with patients and analysing patient data to determine patient needs and treatment goals
• Collaborating with other specialists, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatments
• Recording patient care by maintaining detailed notes of appointments with patients, including comments, tests and/or treatments prescribed and test results
• Administering general and local anaesthetics, when necessary
• Performing surgical procedures to extract impacted or damaged teeth, place dental implants, and remove tumours and other abnormal growths of the oral and/or facial regions
• Prescribing medication to improve recovery and control pain after procedures
• Treating infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaw, face, and neck
• Providing emergency treatment of orofacial injuries including facial lacerations, intraoral lacerations, and fractured facial bones
• Performing minor cosmetic procedures, such as chin and cheekbone enhancements
• Providing support and advice to patients receiving long-term care
• Conducting research on defects, diseases, and disorders affecting the oral and/or facial regions

Salary & Emoluments

The fresh Post Graduate Diploma in Dental Science students will be easily earning around 6 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum as oral surgeons. The experienced doctors will be earning around 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs per annum. The salary also depends upon the location and recruiter.

Conclusion

The demand for Post graduate Diploma in dental science students is increasing day by day. They are basically hired in all the public and private dental colleges and hospitals. They are also hired as lectures in various dental colleges. They can even practice dental science in their own clinics. The BDS students with an interest to study in-depth about the dental sciences can join this course.