How to hire a dentist

How to hire a dentist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step dentist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a dentist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dentist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a dentist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The dentist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect dentist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of dentist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Dentist	Description	Hourly rate
   Dentist	Dentists diagnose and treat problems with patients’ teeth, gums, and related parts of the mouth. They provide advice and instruction on taking care of the teeth and gums and on diet choices that affect oral health.	$47-104
   General Dentist	The primary job of general dentists is to diagnose, treat, and manage patients' oral health care needs, including root canals, fillings, and gum care. They are considered as the main dental care providers for both children and adults... Show more	$47-105
   Dentist/Owner	A Dentist/Owner is a person who is qualified to treat diseases and conditions that affect the teeth and gums of patients. They also are the owner of a dentist office.	$44-116

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Diagnosis
   • DDS
   • Work Ethic
   • Dentures
   • Treatment Planning
   • Infection Control
   • Oral Surgery
   • Dental Health
   • Dental Services
   • Extraction
   • Private Practice
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Dental Clinic

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage HMO and indemnity dental insurances.
   • Manage early and moderate periodontal disease, evaluate the results of periodontal treatment and establish maintenance program.
   • Experience with Medicaid, HMO, and PPO dental insurance plans.
   • Shadow Dr. Victor Avis, DDS in all dental procedures and assist in routine and surgical oral surgeries.
   • Provide dental service mostly to Medicaid patient.
   • Full mouth prophyllaxis, assisting flap surgery, frenectomy.

   More dentist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the dentist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A dentist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a dentist in South Dakota may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level dentist. Additionally, a dentist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average dentist salary

   $147,415yearly

   $70.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level dentist salary

   $99,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average dentist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$185,221	$89
   2	Connecticut	$174,841	$84
   3	District of Columbia	$174,433	$84
   4	Illinois	$169,671	$82
   5	Wisconsin	$163,491	$79
   6	Ohio	$161,786	$78
   7	Maryland	$149,117	$72
   8	Virginia	$148,869	$72
   9	Indiana	$145,928	$70
   10	Georgia	$145,664	$70
   11	Oklahoma	$143,630	$69
   12	Texas	$143,261	$69
   13	Missouri	$142,220	$68
   14	Arizona	$139,358	$67
   15	North Carolina	$138,657	$67
   16	New Mexico	$137,017	$66
   17	Florida	$136,729	$66
   18	California	$134,014	$64
   19	South Carolina	$133,576	$64
   20	New York	$128,878	$62

   Average dentist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Primary Health Network	$180,405	$86.73	4
   2	Arthur's Enterprises, Inc.	$175,026	$84.15
   3	MCR Health Inc	$174,747	$84.01
   4	Glenwood	$171,410	$82.41
   5	Catholic Charities Of The Archdiocese Of Washington	$170,918	$82.17
   6	Salud Total	$170,823	$82.13
   7	Alameda Health System	$169,991	$81.73
   8	Christie Clinic	$169,610	$81.54
   9	Apple	$169,573	$81.53
   10	Chesterfields Ltd	$169,391	$81.44
   11	Cassopolis Family Clinic Network	$168,958	$81.23
   12	Comprehensive Community Action Program	$168,558	$81.04	3
   13	Immediadent	$168,183	$80.86
   14	Benevis	$168,055	$80.80
   15	East Bay Community Action Program	$167,901	$80.72	2
   16	Resources for Human Development	$167,391	$80.48
   17	Center for Families & Children Inc.	$166,552	$80.07
   18	Neighborhood Health	$165,482	$79.56	4
   19	MINT dentistry	$165,366	$79.50
   20	PCHC - Penobscot Community Health Care	$165,166	$79.41	3

4. Writing a dentist job description

   A good dentist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a dentist job description:

   Dentist job description example

   Since 1983, Baystate Dental has offered general and cosmetic dental services in a friendly environment. Our compassionate dentists and staff strive to help patients from all walks of life feel comfortable when they receive our comprehensive care. We treat adults and children from the age of one, making our office a convenient family dental center.
   
   As a full-service family dental center, we provide general, restorative, and cosmetic services to patients of all ages. Our routine dental services include X-rays, oral cancer screenings, gingivitis and gum disease treatments, professional teeth cleanings, TMJ/TMD treatment, sports guards, and night guards for bruxism and snoring. Our restorative services include natural-looking tooth fillings and crowns, dental bonding, and dental implants. For patients who suffer from dental anxiety
   
   or fear of the dentist, we offer relaxing sedation dentistry options. If you're dissatisfied with the appearance of your teeth, ask about our cosmetic dentistry services. Our general dentists in Chicopee provide Invisalign , braces, veneers, and Opalescence Go Teeth Whitening.
   
   Outstanding Full-Time Associate Opportunity for a General Dentist to join one of our highly successful affiliated practices in the Westfield, Ma. Strong commitment to long-term dental care for the whole family!
   
   We have been working diligently to ensure all our patients and staff feel safe and protected while in our office. We now have Plexi-glass Barriers in the reception area and in selected clinical areas. We have all the proper PPE for the staff and are CDC COVID-19 compliant.
   Be chair side and make money from day one Highly trained and dedicated staff to support you. No Day-to-Day headaches of Managing a Practice Excellent compensation pkg. with performance based incentives. Well-established and growing patient base Full Time Dentist Benefits Package: Company paid professional liability insurance DCA sponsored continuing education Medical Insurance Dental Plan Life Insurance Vision Insurance Long Term Disability Section 125 - Flexible Spending Account 401K EAP Program DCA Voluntary Supplemental Insurance Products Qualifications Experienced Dentists or New Grads welcome! Licensed to practice dentistry in the State of Ma. Baystate Dental is a highly successful affiliated practice of Dental Care Alliance(DCA) Dental Care Alliance. Stronger Together. At DCA we don't just accept differences - we celebrate them and recognize the value this brings to our patients and employees. DCA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Equal opportunity and consideration are afforded to all qualified applicants and employees. We won't unlawfully discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, Veteran status, sexual orientation, and any other category protected by law.
   
   The DCA team is best characterized by the relationships we have with our patients and each other. We embrace collaboration which is necessary to innovate in today's changing world of dentistry. Our culture encourages participation, diversity of thought, innovation, and strong execution.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find dentists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your dentist job on Zippia to find and attract quality dentist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit dentists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new dentist

   Once you've found the dentist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new dentist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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