31110 – Dentists

Lead statement

Dentists diagnose, treat, prevent and control disorders of the teeth and mouth.

Main duties

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Employment requirements

• Two to four years of pre-dentistry university studies or, in Quebec, completion of a college program in sciences anda university degree from a recognized dental program are required.
• Licensing by a provincial or territorial regulatory body is required.
• Dentists in general practice can move into a specialized practice through advanced training.
• Two to four years of pre-dentistry university studies or, in Quebec, completion of a college program in sciences
• Four to seven years of specialty residency training in oral and maxillofacial surgery are required.
• Three years advanced orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics program accredited by the Canadian Dental Association is required.
• Three years advanced prosthodontics program accredited by the Canadian Dental Association is required.

Example job titles

general practice dentist · dentist · pedodontist · pediatric dentist · public health dentist · dental surgeon · oral and maxillofacial surgeon · oral surgeon · oral and dental surgeon · oral pathology and maxillofacial surgery specialist · orthodontist · prosthodontist · implantologist - dentistry

Wages (per year)

Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.