The BDS students have ample job opportunities in the field of dentistry and dental sciences. They are considered as highly skilled professionals and are usually hired in a number of job roles in the dental field. The present article tries to explain a few roles available after completion of a BDS degree.
Dentist
The dentists 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 Dentist
As a dentist one is required to prevent and treat problems affecting the mouth and teeth, deal with injuries and correct dental issues. The most common role of dentistry is as dental practitioners in government hospitals, private hospitals and clinics.
Responsibilities of a Dentist
As a dentist one is responsible to:
- Educate patients on 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
- Maintain patient’s dental records
- Oversee budgets and maintain stocks of equipment
- Market services to potential clients
Salary & Emoluments
The fresh BDS students will be easily earning around 6 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum as dentists. The experienced doctors will be earning around 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs per annum. The salary depends upon the location and recruiter.
Dental Hygienist
As a dental hygienist one is required to have a high level of manual dexterity and want to work in a clinical and health promotional role.
Roles of Dental Hygienist
As a 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 Dental Hygienist
As a 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 BDS students will be easily earning around 4 lakhs to 6 lakhs per annum as dental hygienists. The experienced doctors will be earning around 6 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum. The salary depends upon the location and recruiter.
Dental Technician
The dental technicians are also known as dental technologists, they are responsible for designing, constructing and repairing a variety of dental devices.
Role of Dental Technician
As a 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 Dental Technician
As a 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
- 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 BDS students will be easily earning around 3 lakhs to 5 lakhs per annum as dental technicians. The experienced doctors will be earning around 5 lakhs to 7 lakhs per annum. The salary depends upon the location and recruiter.
Dental Therapist
The dental therapists work closely with the dental healthcare team to provide dental care and routine treatment to patients
Role of Dental Therapist
The dental therapist will be responsible for advice on oral health to patients and is also required to provide periodontal treatments and carry out routine restorative work. The dental therapists are also responsible for clinical and health promotion responsibilities within the dental healthcare team.
Responsibilities of Dental Therapist
As a dental therapist one is responsible to:
- Communicate effectively with patients to obtain and evaluate their dental history and diagnose the condition
- Carry out clinical examinations
- Perform routine treatments such as carrying out simple fillings and replacing temporary fillings or crowns, undertaking root surface debridement, treating periodontal disease and placing preformed crowns on deciduous teeth (also referred to as primary or milk teeth)
- Scale and polish teeth
- Treat and restore deciduous teeth known as pulp therapy
- Extract deciduous teeth
- Provide care of implants and treatment of peri-implant tissues
- Take dental impressions and dental radiographs
- Recognise, identify and interpret abnormalities and common pathology
- Remove plaque and other coatings
- Advise children and adults with special needs about their dental treatment
- Motivate and educate individuals or groups of people to care for their oral hygiene and eat a healthy diet
- Refer patients where necessary to other healthcare professionals
- Record accurately patients' dental history and dental treatment plan.
Salary & Emoluments
The fresh BDS students will be easily earning around 4 lakhs to 6 lakhs per annum as dental therapist. The experienced doctors will be earning around 6 lakhs to 9 lakhs per annum. The salary also depends upon the location and recruiter.
Final Lines
The BDS students have ample job opportunities in the dental field. They are considered as highly skilled professionals and are paid handsome salaries. The skilled doctors are hired in government hospitals, private hospitals, and clinics. The students with a passion towards dental sciences can join this course.