Occupation

Prosthodontists

Human Advantage 78%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
1.6 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

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.

Also Known As: DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery), Dental Science Dr (Dental Science Doctor), Denturist, Maxillofacial Prosthetics Dentist, Maxillofacial Prosthodontist, Oral Maxillofacial Prosthodontist, Prosthetic Dentist, Prosthodontist +3 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases.
  2. Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications.
  3. Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures.
  4. 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.
  5. Collaborate with general dentists, specialists, and other health professionals to develop solutions to dental and oral health concerns.
  6. Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians and laboratory bench workers who construct the devices.
  7. Restore function and aesthetics to traumatic injury survivors, or to individuals with diseases or congenital disabilities.
  8. Repair, reline, or rebase dentures.
  9. Use bonding technology on the surface of the teeth to change tooth shape or to close gaps.
  10. Treat facial pain and jaw joint problems.
  11. Place veneers onto teeth to conceal defects.
  12. Bleach discolored teeth to brighten and whiten them.

Emerging Tasks

New and evolving responsibilities for this role:

  • Consult with patients about treatment options.
  • Create treatment plans for patients.

Education & Training

Job Zone 5 Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
On-the-Job Training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Post-Doctoral Training
61%
Doctoral Degree
36%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
3%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Apple iOS
  • Henry Schein Dentrix

Software (14)

  • Consult-PRO
  • Henry Schein DentalVision Professional
  • Henry Schein Easy Dental
  • Image management software
  • Kea Software impDAT
  • Kodak Dental Systems Kodak PRACTICEWORKS Practice management software PMS
  • Materialise Dental SimPLANT
  • Materialise Dental SurgiGuide
  • Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
  • Perio charting software
  • Planet DDS Denticon
  • Practice-Web Dental

Tools & Equipment (74)

  • Abutment drivers
  • Adjustable articulators
  • Air injectors
  • Anesthetic injectors
  • Articulating paper forceps
  • Band pushers
  • Bending pliers
  • Bird beak pliers
  • Boley gauges
  • Bracket positioning gauges
  • Bunsen burners
  • Cement spatulas
  • Crown and bridge trays
  • Crown grippers
  • Crown removal pliers
  • Crown spreaders
  • Dental articulators
  • Dental bur attachments
  • Dental caliper gauges
  • Dental explorers
  • Dental impression compound water baths
  • Dental impression guns
  • Dental laboratory alcohol torches
  • Dental laboratory die saws
  • Dental laboratory spatulas
  • Dental mouth prop or bite block or gag
  • Dental scanners
  • Dental thickness gauges
  • Dental wax carvers
  • Dental wax knives
  • Desktop computers
  • Digital cameras
  • Digital dental x ray units
  • Distal end cutters
  • Edentulous impression trays
  • Face bows
  • Forming pliers
  • Fox planes
  • Gothic arch tracers
  • High-speed handpieces
  • Implant ratchets
  • Intraoral still cameras
  • Laptop computers
  • Ligature tying pliers
  • Low-speed handpieces
  • Modeling carvers
  • Mosquito pliers
  • Mouth mirrors
  • Needle point tracers
  • Non-adjustable articulators
  • Orthodontic wire bending pliers
  • Panoramic dental x ray units
  • Pantographic tracing instruments
  • Partial impression trays
  • Periosteal elevators
  • Placing pliers
  • Plaster knives
  • Rotary abrasive instruments
  • Rotary cutting instruments
  • Safety goggles
  • Serrated pliers
  • Shade guides
  • Sprue formers
  • Stone vacuum mixers
  • Surgical dental microscopes
  • Surgical gloves
  • Surgical masks
  • Surgical needle holders
  • Suture scissors
  • Titanium forceps
  • Water injectors
  • Weingart utility pliers
  • Willis gauges
  • Wire cutting scissors

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Physical Health Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 2
Orderlies 77% match
Zone 4
Zone 5
Prosthodontists You are here

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