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Prosthodontists

Diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Restore function and aesthetics to traumatic injury survivors, or to individuals with diseases or congenital disabilities.
    • Place veneers onto teeth to conceal defects.
    • Repair, reline, or rebase dentures.
    • Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases.
    • Restore function and aesthetics to traumatic injury survivors, or to individuals with diseases or congenital disabilities.
    • Bleach discolored teeth to brighten and whiten them.
    • Treat facial pain and jaw joint problems.
    • Measure and take impressions of patients' jaws and teeth to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses, using face bows, dental articulators, recording devices, and other materials.
    • Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications.
    • Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures.
    • Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases.
    • Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians and laboratory bench workers who construct the devices.
    • Collaborate with general dentists, specialists, and other health professionals to develop solutions to dental and oral health concerns.
    • Use bonding technology on the surface of the teeth to change tooth shape or to close gaps.

    Skills

    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    Knowledge

    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    Education

    Education
    Doctoral or professional degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Internship/residency

    Pay

    U.S. Annual Salary
    239,200+/yr
    U.S. Hourly Wage
    115+/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    10
    Yearly Projected Openings
    0

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Empathy
    • Self-Control
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Cautiousness

    Tools

    • Crown or bridge removers
    • Dental anesthesia sets
    • Dental articulators
    • Dental burs
    • Dental cutting or separating discs
    • Dental dehydrators
    • Dental elevators
    • Dental finishing or polishing discs
    • Dental forceps
    • Dental formers
    • Dental handpieces
    • Dental impression material syringes
    • Dental impression trays
    • Dental knives
    • Dental laboratory burners or torches
    • Dental laboratory model trimmers
    • Dental laboratory vacuum units
    • Dental marking devices
    • Dental mirrors or mirror handles
    • Dental mouth prop or bite block or gag
    • Dental placement instruments
    • Dental probes or explorers
    • Dental scissors
    • Dental shades
    • Dental spatulas
    • Dental wax carvers
    • Dental x ray units
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital cameras
    • Gas burners
    • Goggles
    • Notebook computers
    • Orthodontic band drivers or pushers or setters
    • Orthodontic pliers
    • Scanners
    • Surgical gloves
    • Surgical isolation or surgical masks
    • Surgical microscopes or loupes or magnifiers
    • Surgical needle holders
    • Suture removers
    • Teeth cleaning devices
    • Videoscopes
    • Water baths

    Technology

    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Medical software
    • Operating system software