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General practice vs dentist

The differences between general practices and dentists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dentist has an average salary of $147,415, which is higher than the $117,178 average annual salary of a general practice.

The top three skills for a general practice include patients, private practice and internal medicine. The most important skills for a dentist are patients, diagnosis, and DDS.

General practice vs dentist overview

General PracticeDentist
Yearly salary$117,178$147,415
Hourly rate$56.34$70.87
Growth rate7%6%
Number of jobs55,6668,570
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4846
Years of experience6-

What does a general practice do?

A general practitioner handles common medical health conditions of patients and refers them to hospitals and specialists for urgent treatment. They are commonly referred to as a family doctor or physician. They are often the first point of contact for anyone with a physical or mental health challenge. They may be expected to carry out clinical examinations of patients to access and diagnose disease, perform the necessary tests, interpret findings, and recommend a treatment plan.

What does a dentist do?

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. They manage to provide several services like tooth repair, cavities removal, teeth whitening, fillings, crowns, bridges, and even surgical procedures. They also help promote oral care by participating in community outreach and awareness programs. Sometimes, they would also conduct lectures and seminars for preventive education.

General practice vs dentist salary

General practices and dentists have different pay scales, as shown below.

General PracticeDentist
Average salary$117,178$147,415
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $234,000Between $99,000 And $218,000
Highest paying City-Lynn, MA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-The Primary Health Network
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between general practice and dentist education

There are a few differences between a general practice and a dentist in terms of educational background:

General PracticeDentist
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorAdvanced Dentistry And Oral SciencesAdvanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

General practice vs dentist demographics

Here are the differences between general practices' and dentists' demographics:

General PracticeDentist
Average age4846
Gender ratioMale, 51.6% Female, 48.4%Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 25.0% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 22.0% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%12%

Differences between general practice and dentist duties and responsibilities

General practice example responsibilities.

  • Set up OSHA plan for the office, and lead OSHA training.
  • Provide comprehensive quality health care by utilizing skills in pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology.
  • Provide technical guidance to promote educational programs on HIV prevention and diabetes and hypertension prevention and management.
  • Fix prosthetics focusing on crown and bridge.
  • Fix and removable dentures, both complete and partial dentures.
  • General floor care including 12 lead EKG's, medication delivery, ABG sampling.
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Dentist example 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.
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General practice vs dentist skills

Common general practice skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Private Practice, 13%
  • Internal Medicine, 10%
  • Emergency Room, 6%
  • IV, 5%
  • Restorative Dentistry, 5%
Common dentist skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Diagnosis, 9%
  • DDS, 8%
  • Work Ethic, 8%
  • Dentures, 4%
  • Treatment Planning, 4%

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