How to hire a general dentist

How to hire a general dentist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step general 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 general dentist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new general dentist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a general dentist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The general 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 general 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 general dentist salaries for various roles:

   Type of General Dentist	Description	Hourly rate
   General 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.	$47-105
   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
   Dentist	Dentists are physicians specializing in oral health. The main responsibilities of dentists are to diagnose oral diseases and treat them with the help of different equipment and technologies... Show more	$47-104

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Treatment Planning
   • Diagnosis
   • OSHA
   • Dentures
   • Dental Services
   • Private Practice
   • Dental Hygiene
   • PPO
   • Dental Practice
   • Dental Health
   • Group Practice
   • Oral Surgery

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Set up OSHA plan for the office, and lead OSHA training.
   • Manage HMO and indemnity dental insurances.
   • Observe bonding, restorations, tooth extraction, periodontal surgery, dentures, root canal, and crown placement
   • Perform dental surgical procedures including extraction of diseas or irreparably decay teeth.
   • Work with Rueben Gordon, DDS
   • Hone dental/patient management skills.Alan Jon Napoles, DDS

   More general dentist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your general dentist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A general dentist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, general dentists' average salary in west virginia is 43% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level general dentists 55% less than senior-level general dentists.
   • Certifications. A general dentist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a general dentist's salary.

   Average general dentist salary

   $147,636yearly

   $70.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level general dentist salary

   $99,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average general dentist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$179,224	$86
   2	New Hampshire	$168,915	$81
   3	Illinois	$167,198	$80
   4	Oregon	$167,041	$80
   5	Connecticut	$164,880	$79
   6	Nevada	$159,488	$77
   7	Wisconsin	$158,753	$76
   8	North Carolina	$152,930	$74
   9	Arizona	$152,420	$73
   10	Oklahoma	$151,682	$73
   11	New York	$150,761	$72
   12	Ohio	$150,731	$72
   13	Iowa	$150,031	$72
   14	Georgia	$149,541	$72
   15	Virginia	$147,110	$71
   16	Indiana	$146,476	$70
   17	Missouri	$146,131	$70
   18	Texas	$143,957	$69
   19	Arkansas	$141,364	$68
   20	Colorado	$140,116	$67

   Average general dentist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Berkshire	$176,600	$84.90
   2	Arthur's Enterprises, Inc.	$175,802	$84.52
   3	MCR Health Inc	$174,872	$84.07
   4	Robinson Packaging	$174,371	$83.83
   5	Christie Clinic	$169,690	$81.58
   6	Apple	$169,552	$81.52
   7	North American Dental Group	$163,542	$78.63	25
   8	Community Health Centers of South Central Texas	$163,106	$78.42
   9	Mortenson Dental Partners	$162,649	$78.20
   10	bty DENTAL	$162,506	$78.13	1
   11	Bliss	$162,138	$77.95	1
   12	Apple & Associates	$160,370	$77.10
   13	Sullivan & Worcester	$159,512	$76.69
   14	Interdent	$158,746	$76.32	1
   15	1st Family Dental	$158,218	$76.07	1
   16	The Bradley Home	$157,331	$75.64
   17	Westwind Enterprises	$156,826	$75.40
   18	Philadelphia FIGHT	$155,857	$74.93	2
   19	Advantage Dental Group	$155,671	$74.84	1
   20	Tampa Family Health Centers	$155,208	$74.62

4. Writing a general dentist job description

   A good general 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 general dentist job description:

   General dentist job description example

   We are pleased to offer a $20,000 Welcoming Bonus to the right fit for our practice.

   If you are looking for a positive, productive environment to develop professionally, look no further! We are seeking an experienced and talented dental professional eager to evolve in their career. We are a PPO/FFS practice with state-of-the-art technology. In our established and highly rated practice in the community, you will remain current with all the latest trends in dentistry and dedicated patient care. OUR BENEFITS:

   • Highly competitive salaries (% of adjusted production)
   • Medical Insurance Program
   • Dental Program
   • 401(K) Retirement Plan
   • Continuing Education Program
   • Relocation Assistance (where applicable)
   • Commuter Benefits
   • Our network of mentorship & established practices to help you advance in our profession
   • Continued training and support from respected leaders in dentistry
   • Opportunities for charitable work, family friendly company events, & an established and growing professional network

   QUALIFICATIONS:

   • MINIMUM of 2 years of Clinical Experience, post-residency
   • DMD or DDS from an accredited university & active MA license in good standing
   • Dedicated patient care and a strong sense of ethics
   • A desire for additional training, coaching, and team-building
   • A drive for financial success, and practice growth

   EEO STATEMENT

   Our practice provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression in terms of all conditions of employment. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths, as an Equal Opportunity Employer we are proud to promote a work environment where all difference are respected.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right general dentist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with general dentists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit general dentists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your general dentist job on Zippia to find and recruit general dentist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit general dentists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 general dentist

   Once you've found the general 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new general 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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