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Family dentist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Stephen Sterlitz,

Oliver Keefer DDS

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical family dentist skills. We ranked the top skills for family dentists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 44.8% of family dentist resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a family dentist needs to be successful in the workplace.

12 family dentist skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how family dentists use patients:

Worked in a high call volume office answering calls from patients with questions regarding overdue and unpaid accounts.
Organize, prepare and send reminder letters to patients for appointments.

2. Front Desk

Here's how family dentists use front desk:

Maintain log books, including sign-in/out logs, front desk expenditures, and calls received.
Maintained the front desk and reception area in a neat and organized fashion.

3. Oral Surgery

Here's how family dentists use oral surgery:

General Dentistry: operative dentistry, basic oral surgery including third molar extractions, periodontics, pediatric dentistry and geriatric dentistry.
General dentistry, family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and oral surgery practitioner services provided within a high volume clinical setting.

4. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how family dentists use patient care:

Provide all aspects of first class administrative patient care including treatment plan explanations, financial arrangements and insurance coordination.
Performed all aspects of clinical and emergency patient care and record documentation.

5. Treatment Planning

Here's how family dentists use treatment planning:

Diagnosed cases daily and executed treatment planning after communication to each patient.
Experienced in comprehensive treatment planning & delivering.

6. Dental Care

Here's how family dentists use dental care:

Provide comprehensive dental care to families and individuals.
Documented dental care services in patient record.

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7. Dentures

Here's how family dentists use dentures:

Carried out comprehensive full mouth exams.-Performed all phases of General Dentistry.-Constructed Dentures & partials maintaining principles of occlusion and esthetic.
Fabricated temporary / permanent dentures and night guards and provided in-office whitening.

8. Chair Side

In most cases, chairside refers to the activities that take place beside a dentist's chair. Chairside assisting stands for any operation performed by a dental assistant to assist the dentist during a procedure or dental examination.

Here's how family dentists use chair side:

Full time chair side dental assistant.
Assisted chair side as needed.

9. Medical History

Here's how family dentists use medical history:

Completed patient paperwork and taking medical history.
Conduct preliminary screening of the patient's past and present medical history.

10. Insurance Claims

Here's how family dentists use insurance claims:

Processed insurance claims and denials utilizing Softdent billing software to achieve and maintain a high level of reimbursement.

11. Dental Procedures

Dental procedures is a term used to refer to the medical procedures and processes which occur within or otherwise related to a patient's teeth or other connected and nearby elements. Such procedures are medical in nature and thus must be done, specifically, by medical experts and professionals who also must be in possession of the appropriate medical licenses. These procedures can include but are not limited to: dental fillings, crowns, extraction of teeth, and braces.

Here's how family dentists use dental procedures:

Cleaned and repaired teeth, extracted teeth when necessary, fitted crowns and administered anesthesia prior to dental procedures
Stress and emotion management techniques* Facilitate health and healing by cultivating caring relationships with patients* Gentle and skilled with dental procedures.

12. Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene is the terminology used to describe the state and measurement of cleanliness and health in one's mouth and, sometimes, the surrounding areas. The most basic way of ensuring and improving a good oral hygiene is the regular brushing of one's teeth, but trips to the dentist and other healthcare professionals are a common need, even if it is just for check-ups.

Here's how family dentists use oral hygiene:

Performed root canal therapy, extractions, amalgam and composite resin restorations and preventive oral hygiene procedures.
Involved in dental examinations and oral hygiene procedures.

What skills help Family Dentists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on family dentist resumes?

Stephen Sterlitz

Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry

The pandemic disrupted dental education AND the practice of dentistry across the country. The characteristic that would stand out on a resume during these unprecedented times would be the applicant who actively sought additional training and certifications during the pandemic. There are professional organizations and private sources of continuing education that provide learning continuums and certificates of completion that can now be earned online. Whether it is dental implant training, diode laser training, or 100-hours of continuing education credit - the applicant who sought out additional learning opportunities to grow their skill and experience will be the applicant who differentiates themselves from the others.

What soft skills should all family dentists possess?

Oliver Keefer DDS

Assistant Clinical Professor, University of New England

As with many other career fields, communication skill is a major factor in a dentist's ability to excel. High levels of effective communication allow a dentist to treat various patients and work in a small-team environment with dental auxiliary staff. A dentist should be comfortable dealing with anxious patients while showing compassion, empathy, and patience daily. If they can lead other team members as well as have an understanding of delegation of work tasks and responsibilities, they will be more likely to build a strong clinical team. Finally, strong time management habits and basic business skills will make a dentist more likely to become a productive and effective clinician (and potential small-business owner).

What hard/technical skills are most important for family dentists?

Oliver Keefer DDS

Assistant Clinical Professor, University of New England

The technical skills are introduced while in dental school and are honed over many years of practice. A newly graduated dentist should be competent in common restorative procedures (fillings, crowns, etc.), have a general understanding of basic surgical technique (tooth extraction, gum surgery, wound healing, etc.), and treat patients who require removable prosthetics. A new dentist should also be comfortable treating children and geriatric patients. Dentists will need excellent treatment planning and radiographic interpretation knowledge, and satisfactory hand skill that allows for detailed, precise, and exacting procedures. Although not a technical skill, dentists need to think analytically and methodically, with experience reading and understanding scientific and clinical journals.

What family dentist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Katie Dinh

Assistant Dean of Curriculum and Assessment, Associate Professor of Restorative Dentistry, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

I would say enhancement in business acumen will be the skills recommended. If the graduate takes a gap year, he/she may not have the opportunity to enhance any dental skills or procedures. If he/she joins a residency program such as AEGD (advanced education in general dentistry), that does not constitute the person taking a gap year.

What type of skills will young family dentists need?

Mario Alemagno

Dental Coach, Business Coach, Life Coach, Dental School

I do believe that there will. Infection control has always been a point of emphasis in all dental programs. The coronavirus has reinforced this with students and has made them respect the necessity of this imperative part of their education and, ultimately, their practice. This is not likely to be forgotten. On a broader level, it has taught them to be prepared and to adapt to changes that may take place in the way they perform their dentistry and how they run their dental practices.

What technical skills for a family dentist stand out to employers?

Mauricio Restrepo

Dental Department Head, Florida National University

Dental laboratory technology, as its name implies, requires from the student a manual dexterity above the average, knowledge of prosthodontics and artistry, which makes them unique technicians, whose hands speak for them.

Do you want to know more?

List of family dentist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a family dentist resume and required skills for a family dentist to have include:

Patients
Front Desk
Oral Surgery
Patient Care

Treatment Planning
Dental Care
Dentures
Chair Side

Medical History
Insurance Claims
Dental Procedures
Oral Hygiene

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Family Dentist Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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