Education level
Job area
Your role as a dentist
As a dentist, you’ll care for adults and children who use our public dental services.
This includes:
- diagnosing common problems like tooth decay and gum disease
- treatment or surgery to improve dental health
- advice about proper dental hygiene and care.
We have full time, part time and casual roles.
You can also do casual work with us while you study your undergraduate degree as part of our students in dentistry program.
How a dentist is different from a dental specialist
Dentists provide general dental care. A dental specialist has extra training in a specialist area such as oral surgery or orthodontics (braces). You need postgraduate training and experience to become a dental specialist.
What your day might look like
If you work in one of our hospitals or clinics, you’ll start the day checking in with your team and preparing for appointments with patients.
You’ll use x-rays and dental tools to check teeth, mouths and gums, and treat dental problems such as:
- sealing or filling holes in teeth
- removing or replacing teeth
- cleaning out infections.
You may also oversee students doing routine work such as teeth cleaning as part of their training.
We also have dentists who support mobile clinics and school dental services across Queensland.
Read more about working as a dentist on the Your Career website.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in dental medicine, dental science, dental health science or dental surgery
Professional registration and licences
You'll need to be registered with the Dental Board of Australia, and have a Queensland Radiation Use Licence to take x-rays. Read more about licencing in the dental industry on the Queensland Health website.
Pay and benefits
Your pay rate and benefits will depend on your role and your pay point. In your first year you’ll start at dental grade 1, pay point DO1.1. You'll get a different rate if you're a student.
In some rural and remote areas, you’ll get an allowance of up to 32% of your base salary.
We also offer:
- regular wage increases
- a superannuation rate of 12.75%
- a supportive workplace with flexible working arrangements
- several types of leave
- salary packaging
- help with radiation licence and ongoing professional development costs.
If you're moving to start a new job with us, you may be able to get help with moving and travel costs.
Rural and remote opportunities
We support rural and remote communities by giving dentists the chance to do rotations across Queensland.
Professional growth
We help new graduates get the skills and experience for a long term career in public dentistry through our early career dental practitioner program.
You’ll also develop your professional skills through:
- orientation programs for new staff
- workplace learning and coaching
- self-directed learning
- professional development and upskilling opportunities.
Career paths
Getting experience as a dentist or doing more study can lead to other roles.
- Senior dentist
- Dental specialist
- Dental service manager
If you plan to do more study, ask your training provider if your past studies can count towards a higher qualification.