General dentist resume examples from 2026
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How to write a general dentist resume
Craft a resume summary statement
Your resume summary sums up your experience and skills, making it easy for hiring managers to understand your qualifications at a glance. Here are some tips to writing the most important 2-4 sentences of your resume:
Step 1: Mention your current job title or the role you're pursuing.
Step 2: Include your years of experience in general dentist-related roles. Consider adding relevant company and industry experience as relevant to the job listing.
Step 3: Highlight your greatest accomplishments. Here is your chance to make sure your biggest wins aren't buried in your resume.
Step 4: Again, keep it short. Your goal is to summarize your experience and highlight your accomplishments, not write a paragraph.
These four steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some general dentist interviews.Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.
List the right project manager skills
Your Skills section is a place to list all relevant skills and abilities. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:
- Look at the job listing and skills listed. You need to include the exact keywords from the job description to get your resume in front of an actual human. Do you have those skills? Fantastic! Be sure to list them.
- Include as many relevant hard or technical general dentist skills as possible for each job you apply to.
- Be specific with the skills you have and be sure you are using the most up to date and accurate terms.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a general dentist resume:
- Patients
- Patient Care
- Treatment Planning
- Diagnosis
- OSHA
- Dentures
- Dental Services
- Private Practice
- Dental Hygiene
- PPO
- Dental Practice
- Dental Health
- Group Practice
- Oral Surgery
- Dental Procedures
- Dental Instruments
- Informed Consent
- Medicaid
- Oral Hygiene
- Dental Clinic
- Orthodontics
- Kids
- Infection Control
- Dental Assistants
- Root Canals
- Extraction
- Surgical Procedures
- Oral Structures
- Restorative Dentistry
- Oral Health Care
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How to structure your work experience
A work experience section is a vital part of your resume because it shows you have the experience to succeed in your next job.
- Put your most recent experience first. Prospective employers care about your most recent accomplishments the most.
- Put the job title, company name, city, and state on the left. Align dates in month and year format on the right-hand side.
- Include only recent, relevant jobs. This means if you're a fairly experienced worker, you might need to leave off that first internship or other positions in favor of highlighting more pertinent positions.
How to write general dentist experience bullet points
Your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. Instead, it is your chance to show your accomplishments and show why you're good at what you do.
- Use the What, How, and Why format. Answering these questions turns a bland job description into an effective showcase of your abilities.
- What were your responsibilities or goals?
- How did you accomplish them?
- Why were your results important? (How did it impact your company? Can you quantify the results in numbers? )
Here are effective examples from general dentist resumes:
Work history example #1
General Dentist
Coast Dental
- Managed a 3 operatory dental office Family and Cosmetic general dentistry.
- Advised patients on implant dentistry surgery and restoration options.
- Worked as a student dentist once a week providing free dental care to patients including screening, diagnosis and treatment.
- Performed all phases of general dentistry to adults, teens, and children - Predominantly HMO patient base.
- Performed individualized comprehensive dentistry in a friendly, gentle and caring environment as an intern dentist.
Work history example #2
Surgical Assistant
Kaiser Permanente
- Performed pre-operative history and physicals.
- Earned rapid promotion from Surgical Technician to Surgical First Assistant.
- Ensured proper staffing patterns according to established nurse-patient ratios.
- Scrubbed and first assisted on Arthroscopy, Cystoscopy, General, Laparoscopy, OB/GYN and Thoracoscopy.
- Provided bedside care, treatment and documentation to oncology and medical- surgical patients.
Work history example #3
General Dentist
Premier Dental Group HI
- Documented each visit to accurately record patient's concerns, past dental history, diagnosis, recommendations, and treatment.
- Provided clinical support by safely administering nitrous oxide and prescribing medication within scope of diagnosis.
- Performed CAD/CAM CEREC restorations, fitted crowns / bridges, and placed composite fillings.
- Worked with various Dental Insurance Coverage, such as PPO, Healthy Families and Denti-Cal.
- Performed all aspects of general dentistry, acting Managing Doctor
Work history example #4
General Dentist
University of Tennessee
- Performed various restorative and cosmetic dentistry including composite restorations and veneers.
- Practiced general dentistry with an emphasis on preventive and restorative dentistry.
- Worked on own private practice in Dentistry and Orthodontics.
- Advanced training in endodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics and implant rehabilitation.
- Diagnosed, treatment planned and performed most general dentistry procedures.
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
Add an education section to your resume
The education section should display your highest degree first.
Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries from general dentist resumes:
Doctoral Degree in advanced dentistry and oral sciences
Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
2008 - 2011
Doctoral Degree in advanced dentistry and oral sciences
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
2016 - 2019
Highlight your general dentist certifications on your resume
Certifications can be a crucial part of your resume. Many jobs have required certifications.
Start simple. Include the full name of the certification. It's also good to mention the organization that issued the certification. Next, specify when you obtained the certification.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your general dentist resume:
- Dental Assistant (RDA)
- Certification in Veterinary Dentistry
- Board Certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
- Diplomate in Dental Public Health