examples of dental school personal statements

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10 Dental School Personal Statement Examples

Including key tips for a strong dental school personal statement.

Before you start crafting your own stellar dental school personal statement, you must review some dental school personal statement examples. Why? These sample essays can help you brainstorm and reflect on what you would like to include in your essay. This blog dives into some dental school personal statement examples from our own past successful students, and then our  dental school advisors  will go over our proven strategies to help you create your own from scratch! As you review these examples keep in mind that these are final works and the result of multiple rounds of reviews by our admissions experts as part of our  application review  programs. Writing fantastic statements for dental school requires patience and multiple rounds of revisions before a perfect statement can be written.

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Article Contents 15 min read

Dental school personal statement example #1.

In the final moments of a key game in a hockey tournament, I jumped over the boards and onto the ice without putting my mouth guard back in place. It was attached to my helmet, but I had a chance for the puck, and I took it. Moments later, an opponent’s stick caught me in the face, knocking out my front tooth. Play stopped, and my team found my tooth on the ice. I looked to the bleachers. My mom was already on the phone getting initial instructions from our dentist for saving the tooth. Within 15 minutes, we were outside the clinic as my dentist unlocked the door, despite it being a Saturday night. As I was treated within half an hour, my tooth could be saved by stabilizing it as it healed. Until that moment, I thought of my dentist as someone I only saw every six months; I hadn’t seen her as a critical part of my healthcare team.

I realized from this experience that time is a factor in dental care, and thus a career in dentistry. My tooth was saved because I lived in an urban centre and had immediate access to care, not to mention the continuity of care I’ve had since I was a child. My mother is employed and has good dental coverage, but this is not the case for many. Without timely check-ups, both oral and medical issues that could be detected and prevented can become more serious conditions.

With this awareness, I have for the last 6 years volunteered in two ways. In the time since my hockey accident, I’ve worked with my dentist on a safety awareness campaign for young hockey players and their families, teaching about the necessity of mouth guards, as well as how a quick response to such injuries may help in recovery. I’ve also worked alongside dentists for the Smiling Children Foundation in vulnerable neighborhoods, where dental neglect is not uncommon, and continuity of care is rare. Recently, we set up a mobile clinic in a school, where I record personal information and take a medical history for each child. A young boy, 10 years old, complained of constant headaches and pain in his body. Upon examination, the dentist noticed his gums were dark purple in places and bled easily. Our team alerted a community doctor of a potential immune disorder, and the young boy was diagnosed and treated, returning to good health within months. That day, I learned that oral healthcare is holistic healthcare, and that it is a privilege to support those who may not have time, resources, or access to oral healthcare.

I have had this privilege in what began as dental shadowing and is now part-time employment, where I liaise between patients and insurance companies, manage team schedules, and comfort anxious patients. This might be as simple as holding a hand while the dentist performs the procedure. Or, I might hold a baby while the father sees the hygienist. I’ve learned to read an X-ray accurately, prepare the instruments needed for a procedure, and balance the books. I have been mentored by both a medical and business professional, and I have borne witness to our patients’ high and low points. I have worked hard to understand what goes into growing and maintaining a successful dental practice and feel capable to meet the challenge of the multiple roles required in this dynamic vocation.

It bears mentioning why my first-year grades are not what I’d hoped they would be. I joined a good number of co-curricular clubs with the intention of participating in our campus community and developing my professional skills. By midterm, I realized I had oversubscribed myself. Unfortunately, willpower and desire were not enough. My grades suffered as I tried to manage my responsibilities. By attending time management seminars and learning to manage time rather than be managed by time, I was able retrieve my grades. From 2nd year forward, I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA while moving up the ranks of student organizations and taking an active role in a research project. Resilience is like a muscle that needs time, exercise, and perseverance to build.

From a sports accident, to volunteer work in an underserved community, to employment in a dental office and an academic career that shows both mistakes and recovery, I have thought carefully about what dentistry is. A dentist is part of a larger healthcare team, and a dentist can often treat not only a single patient over decades, but provide intergenerational care to a family. I aspire to dentistry to accompany my patients through life, 6 months at a time, offering compassionate, whole-person healthcare. (4,497 characters, including spaces)

• Inciting incident: the moment that influenced the student’s outlook on dentistry as a career is highlighted in spades. Seeing the structure here as almost like a story, you’re taking the reader on a journey from point A to point B. For the personal statement, your opening should hook in the reader. This writer does this well.
• Addresses weaknesses: the student mentions how their first-year grades weren’t what they’d hoped for. They acknowledge their faults and briefly outline the circumstances without making excuses before getting into the most important part: what they did to improve or learn from their mistakes. If you’re in a position to use your personal statement as a way to address gaps or inconsistencies, then you can follow the same rule.
• Major experiences are detailed: you need to show the admissions committee that dentistry is the right career for you. The best way to do this is to describe clinical experiences, ideally in a dental setting. The student who wrote this sample described their experiences shadowing, being a part-time employee, and volunteering at a foundation. If you have many experiences like these, don’t simply list them off, but select a few to describe in more depth.

Want some tips for writing a dental school personal statement? Check out this video:

"Ready, Set, Bake,” shouted the host of Bake-Off. I was 16 and a contestant of a televised baking show. Our 6th challenge gave us 3 hours to perfectly bake the most decadent and timing consuming dessert: the mille-feuille – layers of puff pastry, filled with whipped cream and custard, and glazed on top. Despite being the only teenager in a field of contestants ranging from 20-70 years of age, I’d made it through several days of cuts for one of the spots on the show. I wish I could say that my dessert was a masterpiece, but as the timer counted down and I plated it, the filling oozed, and the pastry crumbled. I’d made to the Top Six, but the mille-feuille defeated me and I was asked to hang up my apron. As I reflect on this experience, the solo and team challenges, the practice to get on the show, the mastery needed to gain a top spot, I realize that I’m grateful even for the defeat, because I learned valuable lessons that helped me develop key qualities and skills that are in-line with the core competencies necessary for dentistry, my chosen profession. Both dentistry and competitive baking require innovation and excellence, communication and accountability, and the necessity of precision, focus, and a steady hand.

Both of my parents are dentists. While the influence of their careers on my own access to knowledge cannot be underestimated, I have been deeply cognizant of making an autonomous career decision. That decision is my own, but my parents have admittedly opened unique conversations around ethics, technology, and patient care to me. My earliest memories include attending dental conferences with them and being encouraged to explore the Exhibits Floor, where I learned about the newest dental products and treatments and “test drove” the latest innovations in dentistry. I developed an aptitude for predicting which products and technologies were gimmicks and which would effectively support excellence in patient care. This knack has made me something of an informal consultant for my parents and their colleagues, who value my insights on innovation and efficacy of new treatments.

While technology is at the forefront of change, what remains consistent over time is the importance of communication and accountability to provide excellent patient care. I’ve had the privilege to shadow Dr. Ann Lee, an oral surgeon, over the past 3 years. Among many things, she showed me that inherent in communication is accountability. Many of her patients are children and teens having teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons. The son of a family who had been Dr. Lee’s patients for over a decade arrived for a complicated wisdom tooth extraction. Despite familiarity with the family, the doctor painstakingly reviewed the extraction process to prepare them effectively. The procedure went well in the office; however, on the way home, the boy began haemorrhaging. An artery had been compromised during the surgery. I watched as Dr. Lee packed bone wax around the artery to stem the bleeding. What struck me about this experience was the standard of accountability to which the surgeon held herself, as she communicated with the family by phone, made a house call later that evening on her way home, and remained on-call over the weekend to ensure the safety and healing of the child. The family maintained their trust in Dr. Lee because of her open communication and sense of accountability. I also learned just how fragile and technical dental work is, requiring both dexterity and precision.

Volunteering in a dental brigade in Haiti, Mirlande, 6, taught me about vulnerability and trust. Mirlande was scared and reluctant to open her mouth for her first dental exam. I took her aside and, as she watched, I carved a perfect tooth from soap using dental instruments. I carved slowly and precisely, and then presented her with the gift. She put the tooth in her pocket and then allowed me to clean her teeth. I was immediately struck by the vulnerability of not only soft tissue, but of hearts, as she leaned back and opened her mouth in trust. This moment solidified my decision to become a dentist.

Though the earlier comparison between baking and dentistry is merely an analogy, it is one that suggests I have developed key skills and am aware of the core competencies a dentist must hold to best serve their patients professionally and ethically. Dentistry is my vocation, baking a hobby, but both speak to my investment in excellence, precision, and doing for others.  (4,500 characters, including spaces)

A dental school personal statement is your opportunity to show admissions committees who you are as a person and aspiring dental professional, aside from your CV, GPA, Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) score, and other quantitative data. As any personal statement essay, the dental school personal essay should be a narrative account that gives the admissions committee the opportunity to learn more about you than what can be conveyed in a dry document like a CV or transcript. 

For dental school  ADEA AADSAS  applications, the American Dental Education Association requires an essay of no more than 4,500 characters (including spaces), which must demonstrate your key personal qualities, aspirations, and reasons for pursuing a career in dentistry to the schools to which you are applying. This process isn’t as standardized in Canadian programs, so you’ll need to check the application requirements for the programs and schools to which you are applying to see if a personal statement is required. In doing so, you can also learn whether there are any specific requirements regarding the length of the essay, whether there is a specific prompt to which you must respond in your dental school personal statement, and whether there are any other application requirements.

Want some more personal statement examples? Watch this video:

Writing a Strong Dental School Personal Statement

If you're applying to  dental schools in Canada  or the US, a personal statement, or similar essay, is often required as part of your application package, regardless of whether you're applying through AADSAS or  TMDSAS . It’s important to craft a statement that draws from your experiences, such as your dental school extracurriculars. You can also refer to your dental school application experience examples , or even your dental school letter of recommendation for help. This blog will help you understand the key things you must do (and that you must avoid) in composing your essay, with dental school personal statement examples that demonstrate these strategies, so that you can draft the strongest, most compelling dental school personal statement possible.

1. Tell a story

Ideally, you will craft a story or detail a defining moment that helped you realize why this is the profession you want to pursue. Providing an anecdote or vignette – perhaps an experience you’ve had as a dental patient, an interaction you’ve witnessed as a volunteer or while shadowing a dental care professional, a story about someone you know, etc., – is often a useful way of giving the evaluators a window into your life and motivations.

2. Demonstrate why you’re a “good fit”

Your dental school personal statement should also express why you are a strong candidate and a "good fit" for the school and program, while stirring the interest of your reader. Review our blog,  dental school acceptance rates  to find out which schools are best suited for you. Admissions committees will review hundreds of these personal statements, so draw on the values of the profession and the mission of the institution to highlight your alignment with the vision and goals of this vocation, and do so in a way that is engaging and enjoyable to read. Again, narrative is a great way of doing this – people love stories and are often naturally drawn in by them. Bear this in mind as you begin drafting your essay.

Here are some more tips for writing a dental school personal statement:

3. Be authentic and readable

In your personal statement, you want to present your very best self, emphasizing your genuine passion for the field and your enthusiasm for working in a healthcare profession like dentistry. Don’t try to cram in complicated terminology or jargon, thinking it will make you sound smarter (it won’t – true experts know how to explain their ideas effectively to an audience of non-specialists), and don’t rely on clichés (e.g., “I want to help people” – this is a lovely desire, but it’s over-used and too generic). Use polished prose that represents your genuine voice and reasons for pursuing the profession, and write in a way that will be comprehensible even to those outside this particular specialization. This can take practice. You might go through multiple drafts of your essay before you’re confident in submitting it. If you’re having trouble getting to this point, consider dental school admissions consulting . 

4. Express your desired contributions to the field

Quite simply, you need to explain why you will be a good dentist, in both practical terms and in terms of devoting yourself to patient care. You need to show that you know how to become a dentist in terms of skills and experience; there will be other opportunities to address other aspects of your candidacy through things like the dental school manual dexterity question or the multiple mini interview (MMI) collaboration station . For now, answer the following questions: what does it mean to you to dedicate yourself to the profession and to patients? What experiences have you had with the dental profession so far, and how have these impacted you? What are your priorities as an aspiring dentist? Thinking through these questions, while also pointing to concrete experiences or accomplishments that support your responses, will help the committee see not just who you are now, but who you are working to become as you pursue the goal of becoming a dental professional.

Need help with your dental school application? Learn what our students say about our services:

Things to Avoid in a Dental School Personal Statement

Here are some key “don’ts” in composing your dental school personal statement:

1. Don’t summarize your CV

Your personal statement shouldn’t simply repeat information available elsewhere in your application materials. Referring to experiences discussed in those materials, for the purpose of expanding on them or contextualizing them, is fine. Just ensure that you’re actually doing that work and demonstrating the significance of the experience(s) you describe. For example, if your CV indicates that you’ve done volunteer work at a dental clinic or with an organization, it’s totally fine to discuss this volunteer work in your personal statement; however, that discussion must go beyond what is offered in your other application materials. Your dental school personal statement shouldn't be a dry recitation of events in your CV. It should be a persuasive and engaging work that draws on just a few select experiences that epitomize your interests, priorities, and the work you've done so far in working toward becoming a dentist. For example, instead of giving names, dates, and general facts about your experience as a volunteer, you can tell a story of a particularly meaningful accomplishment or interaction, reflecting on how it helped solidify your desire to pursue this career.

2. Don’t dwell on negative experiences

If you’ve overcome challenges or if there are less-than-ideal aspects of your educational experience so far (such as a term where your GPA took a dip), it’s fine to address these in a personal statement essay. However, it is crucial that you reflect on this from a perspective of growth, resiliency, and capacity for improvement, rather than focusing on the negatives. If your grades took a hit one term because of extenuating circumstances, by all means, take some time to explain this, if you think it will be helpful (and it often is). However, the discussion around the circumstances should be minimal – just a set-up for a more substantial discussion of what you learned, how you grew, etc. – and you shouldn’t use this as an opportunity to make excuses. Rather, briefly describe the event, own up to your mistake or misstep (if applicable), and then spend the most time explaining how you addressed the issue, how you moved past it, and why you will be a better future professional for having gone through it.

Probably the biggest mistake students make is to not take the personal statement seriously enough, waiting until just a few days before it’s due to even begin. You must begin early – a strong personal statement essay can take months and numerous revisions to be the best it can possibly be. You need to put a lot of thought into this document, as it is a very important component of your application. This is your chance – and often your only chance – to address the evaluators on a human level, prior to answering  dental school interview questions , including   MMI questions . So, rather than thinking of this as a chore, think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your best self to the admissions committee. 

4. Don’t submit your dental school personal statement without getting expert feedback

The personal statement isn’t just about what you’ve done, it’s about who you are – what your values are, what your priorities are, what your reasons for pursuing this profession are, and how all of these things align with the discipline and school you are approaching with your application package. Getting expert feedback from those on the “other side” of such applications, those who have gone through the process successfully or those who have been part of admissions committees, will give you incredibly valuable insights into how to make your own personal experiences stand out and work for you most effectively. At this stage of your professional development, you face a wealth of “unknown-unknowns”; i.e., things that you don’t even know to look for or consider, because it's likely that you simply haven’t been exposed to the field or the process long enough or in an official capacity. This can be a considerable hindrance, so don’t try to take on this task alone. Seek out expert feedback, and do so early enough that you can review, revise, and implement any necessary changes to make your dental school personal statement the best it can possibly be.

8 Dental School Personal Statement Examples

Dental school personal statement example #3, dental school personal statement example #4, dental school personal statement example #5, dental school personal statement example #6, dental school personal statement example #7, dental school personal statement example #8, dental school personal statement example #9, dental school personal statement example #10.

• Starting too late. Getting your personal statement right requires multiple edits and revisions. If you start working on your statement too late, you risk running out of time for proper revisions and edits, leaving a rushed, sub-par statement. Remember, your personal statement is a direct reflection of who you are as a person, and who you'll become as a dentist. It's not something that can be, nor should be rushed.
• Showing instead of telling, for example, saying “I'm a great listener” instead of demonstrating that you're a great listener through real examples in your essay.
• Focusing on too many experiences. In general, it's best to discuss 2-3 experiences in your personal statement. You should be able to discuss each experience in-depth, and reflect on what you learned from a particular experience. Too many experiences crammed in doesn't allow you to really expand on each experience and doesn't provide an in-depth analysis of how this experience was transformative on your path to becoming a dentist.
• Listing information that's already found in your application materials. Your personal statement is not a list, instead, it should be a story of your journey to dentistry.
• Jumping around in time. Your personal statement should be in chronological order, beginning with your initial interest in dentistry and evolving to your absolution that dentistry is the right career path for you. Jumping around in time makes for a disjointed essay that will come across as confusing to admissions committee members. In addition, you want to ensure that you utilize strong transitional sentences, as these tie together paragraphs and aid in the overall flow of your essay.
• Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Mistakes and errors in your personal statement are harmful because they tell admissions committees that you're not detail-oriented, you rushed your statement and because of that, you don't really care about it, or their program. Ensure your statement is reviewed multiple times, ideally with a professional's help, to ensure your essay puts your best foot forward and is free from any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
• Boasting. While you can certainly highlight a few key accomplishments in your statement, such as finishing at the top of your class or raising money for a good cause, it's important that you are tactful in how you phrase your accomplishments. You always want to be humble, and think about what an achievement means to you and why. Lastly, it's a good idea to reflect on what you learned from your achievements and how that can translate in your career as a dentist.

While the majority of your personal statement should be about you - your experiences and how they relate to your decision to pursue dentistry, you can certainly include information relating to another person. For example, you could mention a family member's struggle with a disease, a patient's story, or a conversation with a dentist. As long as you circle back to why this story is significant in your pursuit of dentistry, what you learned from the experience or even how an experience changed your point of view.

Your personal statement must adhere to the ADEA's character count of 4500 characters, including spaces. However, this doesn't mean that you must include this many characters. As long as your essay is below the count, it's most important that you focus on creating a powerful, in-depth essay that proves to the admissions committee why you want to be a dentist and why you would be suitable for a career in this field, then it's perfectly acceptable.

Your personal statement is one of the most important aspects of your entire dental school application. It will serve as your introduction to admissions committees – letting them know who you are a person, who you are as a candidate, and essentially, that you're suitable for a career in dentistry. A poorly crafted personal statement can result in rejection from dental school, so it's essential that your statement is both engaging and memorable to secure you an invitation to interview.

No, remember, this information will be included elsewhere in your application, so it's not suitable to include this in your personal statement.

• Brainstorm ideas.
• Create an outline.
• Focus on body paragraphs first using a maximum of 3 experiences.
• Ensure you SHOW what you learned (don’t tell) by using examples.
• Write your conclusion.
• Write your introduction last.
• Attention-grabbing introduction: Not just a thesis statement, but something interesting to draw the reader in, like a quote or a story.
• Transitions: These should lead from one paragraph to the next, creating flow. Use linking words such as however, additionally, also, next, etc.
• Strong examples: This way you are showing, not telling.
• Clear and direct language: Your language does not have to be fancy, what's most important is that it's easy to read and follow. For example, “utilize” is one of the most over-used words in academic essays and “use” works just as well.
• Conclusion: This should summarize your main points, but also leave the reader with a compelling closing sentence that makes them want to find out more about you. For example, include a call back to your opening anecdote and highlight how far you have come.

Dental school personal statement editing, just like medical school personal statement editing , is very important. Begin by writing the BEST first draft you can and then begin your edit. Don’t write something of average quality, half-done, or way over the character limit. Trying to work from these copies will only create confusion and delays. Next, you should read your essay out loud to yourself sentence by sentence to ensure it flows well and to catch any grammatical errors. Each sentence should be contributing to the overall point. If you find yourself repeating your thoughts in multiple forms, think about paring your sentences down. Quality is more important than quantity.

Next, repeat this process 2-3 times. Resist the urge to keep tinkering over and over again. There are multiple strong ways to word sentences and express your thoughts. There are probably even multiple experiences you could highlight and have an equally strong personal statement. However, obsessing over each sentence and word once you have written a strong statement will just lead to changing too many things, delays, you feeling nervous, and sometimes even a weaker essay than you started with!

Yes, you can definitely mention experiences in your personal statement that are non-academic or not related to dentistry. A strong experience to mention should be one that taught you important skills and that influenced your decision to pursue dentistry. Personal experiences can also have a strong influence on which profession you pursue, so you can definitely mention non-academic experiences.

It’s certainly normal to want input from others when we are crafting personal statements. A strong reviewer is one who has experience and expertise with professional school applications and has helped other students before. For example, someone with an advanced degree like a practicing dentist or other professional. Even though you may feel tempted to ask friends and family, you may want to refrain from this, as they are often invested in your success and may find it hard to be objective.

Try to find someone who does not know you so well so they can give objective guidance. The other thing you want to avoid is having “too many chefs in the kitchen.” Too many different people reviewing your statement is only going to pull it in too many different directions, ultimately leading to confusion and even more delays. And again, some students might feel more comfortable using a dental school admissions consulting service for this aspect of their application.

Just like you would address this during an interview, your statement can address areas of concern by following these steps:

• Take responsibility.
• Explain mitigating factors.
• Don't make excuses.
• Share strategies for what you learned and how you would avoid a situation like this in the future. 
• Make sure you end on a positive or proactive note.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Yutika Maharaj

Hi there Do you have any sample personal statements for a foreign trained dentist applying to ADEA PASS and ADEA CAAPID. Thanks

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Yutika! Thanks for your comment. As an international applicant, your personal statement should follow the same structure and contain pertinent info about yourself and your application. Use these samples to construct your own, unique narrative!

It is remarkable, very good information

Thanks, Code!

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In response to popular demand, we are including a sample dental school essay. Note how the author reveals a lot about herself without overtly saying "I am this and I am that." She is obviously hard working and disciplined, probably compassionate and kind. Interested in dentistry for a long time, she has clearly considered other options. And she tells a good story . Our experts can help you tell your story just as effectively -- check out our AASDAS application packages here .

I could hardly keep myself from staring at the girl: the right side of her face was misshapen and bigger than the left. Only later did I notice that Cheryl, about nine at the time, had light brown hair, lively brown eyes, and a captivating smile. When she walked into the candy shop where I worked six years ago, Cheryl told me she was a student of my former fourth grade teacher with whom I had kept in contact. We talked then and spent time talking each time she visited. She became a very special friend of mine, one whom I admire greatly. At the time we met, I was taking honors and AP classes, working about twenty hours a week, and feeling sorry for myself. Cheryl's outgoing confidence and good cheer put my situation in perspective. Cheryl was strong, kind, and surprisingly hopeful. She never focused on her facial deformities, but always on the anticipated improvement in her appearance. Her ability to find strength within herself inspired me to become a stronger person. It motivated me to pursue a career where I could help those like Cheryl attain the strength that she possesses.

At the time, my initial interest turned toward psychology. Impressed with Cheryl's outlook, I overlooked the source of her strength: she knew that treatment will improve her appearance. Focusing on the emotional aspects of her illness, I volunteered at the Neuropsychiatric Institute. There, I supervised the daily activities of pre-adolescents, played with them, and assisted them in getting dressed. I worked with crack babies, autistic children, and children who had severe behavioral problems. I enjoyed interacting with the children, but I often became frustrated that I was not able to help them. For instance, a young autistic boy frequently hit himself. No one was permitted to stop this child. We had to turn away and allow him to continually strike and hurt himself until he tired.

I was increasingly disappointed with the lack of progress I saw in my volunteer work at NPI, but my job again pushed me in the right direction. During the fall quarter of my junior year in college, I left the candy shop where I had worked for nearly five and a half years, and I began working as a senior clerk in the Anesthesiology Residency Program. Ironically work, which frequently made study difficult, helped me find the right path. There I learned about the oral and maxillo-facial specialty, which will allow me to help people like Cheryl.

To explore my interest in dentistry, I volunteered as a dental assistant in Dr. Miller's dental office. Dr. Miller introduced me to various dental techniques. Although I was mainly an observer, I had the opportunity to interact with the patients. I came in contact with a diverse patient population with different problems and dental needs. I observed as Dr. Miller dealt with each patient individually and treated each one to the best of his ability. He familiarized me with strategies for oral health promotion and disease prevention. I learned a great deal from him, and as a result, my interest in dentistry grew.

I choose to pursue a career in dentistry after following a circuitous path. My friendship with Cheryl motivated me to enter a field where I can help the severely disfigured cope with their condition. Although I initially turned to psychology, I found my work at the Neuropsychiatric Institute to be frustrating and was searching for a different way to achieve my goal. Ironically, Cheryl had told me all along the source of her strength: the knowledge that her condition was treatable and improving. Through maxillo-facial dentistry I will help others with serious facial deformities have the same knowledge and source of strength.

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Writing Dental School Personal Statements That Inspires

Table of Contents

A well-written personal statement can be the cherry on top of your dental school application. It’s the perfect opportunity to tell the admissions committee more about you and why you’re worth a spot in their program.

If you need an extra dose of inspiration for your statement, we’ve got the perfect  dental school personal statement samples  just for you.

Aside from these winning samples, we’ll also be sharing some quick tips that will guide you in the writing process. Unlike your resume or profile, your personal statement goes deeper into who you are, your goals, and your interests. So don’t be afraid to get real!

Why Your Personal Statement Matters

A personal statement allows the admissions committee to get to know the applicant beyond their academic record. It can be used to highlight any unique experiences or qualifications that the applicant has .

Maybe you’re fluent in multiple languages or have experience working with underserved populations. These are all great details that can make your application stand out.

Your statement is also an opportunity to discuss why you’re interested in pursuing a career in dentistry and what led you to this field. Bring a good dentist is more than just good grades and standardized test scores. It’s also about your motivation and how you will serve others and make a significant difference in the lives of our patients.

Dental School Personal Statement Samples

I have always been interested in the field of dentistry and how it can improve people’s lives. I am fascinated by how dental work can restore someone’s smile and confidence. Aside from that, I also love working with my hands, and dentistry would be a perfect fit.

In high school, I was involved in several extracurricular activities, including theatre and robotics club. My experience with robotics has taught me how to take things apart and put them back together again. I think this will come in handy as a dentist!

I’ve always known that I wanted to be a dentist. When I was younger, my parents would take me to the dentist’s office for checkups. I loved playing in the waiting room and watching the doctors work on their patient’s teeth. It seemed like such an interesting and important job. 

As I got older, I realized that being a dentist isn’t just about fixing teeth. It’s about helping people maintain their oral health so they can have healthy mouths for years to come. That’s why I want to be a dentist myself – to help others achieve good dental health and improve their overall quality of life. 

I’m confident that with my passion for dentistry and strong academic record, makes me a good fit for this program. And once I am accepted into dental school, nothing will stand in my way of becoming a successful dentist!

In pursuing dentistry, I have recognized a unique opportunity to help others while also developing my skills. Dentistry has always interested me because it is both analytical and creative, requiring the effective application of scientific principles and an appreciation for aesthetics. 

Growing up in a family of healthcare professionals, I was constantly exposed to the positive impact that medicine can have on people’s lives. My mother is a registered nurse, and my father is a pharmacist – both of whom inspired me with their dedication to helping others. Being someone who wants to make meaningful contributions in life, pursuing dentistry feels like the perfect choice. 

In addition to my clinical interest in dentistry, I am passionate about research and education. During my undergraduate study at McGill University, I worked extensively on campus researching new methods for diagnosing dental caries and periodontal disease. In addition, I taught oral health promotion programs to junior high school students throughout Montreal. These experiences confirmed my desire to provide treatment and educate patients about how they can improve their oral health outcomes. This combination of clinical experience and educational outreach makes me ideally suited for a career in dentistry .

Quick Tips For Writing a Winning Personal Statement

•  Start with an attention-grabbing opening sentence. 
• Be specific and personal in your statements about why you want to pursue dentistry as a career. 
• Demonstrate that you have done your research on dental schools and the profession of dentistry overall. 
• Highlight any relevant experience or volunteer work you have done in the field of dentistry or healthcare, generally speaking.
• Don’t forget to make sure your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are all correct. Nothing says sloppy than writing that’s full of errors!

Final Words

Your personal statement details your motivation for the field and your experiences that reflect your personal qualities. It can show a different side of you that they won’t be able to see in your application.

Hopefully, these winning  dental school personal statement samples  have given you the inspiration you need to make a stand-out statement. Good luck!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Crafting a Winning Dental School Personal Statement Examples: Guide & Samples

Only 54.3% of dental school applicants get accepted each year. Nearly half face rejection. In this competitive field, your personal statement can set you apart. Let's explore standout examples to help you craft a winning essay.

A terrified girl with a swollen upper lip trudges into the endodontic clinic. She needs an emergency retreat of her root canal due to a poor previous obturation. As the needle pierces her gums, childhood memories of getting root canals without anesthesia flood her body with even greater pain and fear. Her student dentist wipes away her tears and holds her hand tighter. “The worst part is over,” remarks the soothing voice of the resident as she puts away the syringe. She is amazed by how fast the pain goes away. This girl was me three years ago, and it was this moment that I first envisioned dentistry as my career. I was born and raised Uyghur, a Turkic ethnic minority in Central Asia. Growing up in a mixture of Turkish, Middle-Eastern, and Asian cultures helped me appreciate cultural diversity and collaborative environments later in life. Shortly after my high school graduation, I made the biggest decision of my life: to pursue an undergraduate degree in the United States, where I would be able to blossom in a free academic environment. I packed my ambitious heart and dreams into a suitcase and headed for the U.S. Being away from home for the first time, I was thrilled to explore the world on my own. Determined to overcome the language barrier, I took every possible opportunity to practice my English skills while attending a language institute. Within six months, I passed the placement test and started taking college-level courses. Small victories like this strengthened my determination, and prepared me to overcome future obstacles that I faced while pursuing undergraduate studies and finding my career path. Dealing with frequent illnesses as a child led me to spend a lot of time in the care of others. Nurses, doctors, and dentists became my heroes, and I dreamed of being like them one day. In order to gain more experience in the healthcare field while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, I became a Certified Nursing Assistant and began working in an assisted-living facility caring for residents with Alzheimer’s disease. The bonds I built with these kind people and their families helped me realize how much I love caring for others and making positive impacts on their lives. Around the same time, I became a patient at the University of Florida College of Dentistry team clinics. A long history of poor dental care led me to undergo an extensive amount of dental work at the clinic. This is where I first met Magda, my student dentist from the root canal story. As soon as I expressed my interest in the healthcare field, Magda enthusiastically began explaining dental procedures to me, teaching me to recognize dental instruments and even how to interpret x-rays. Her proficient skills, professionalism, and concerns for patients truly inspired me to further explore dentistry as my prospective profession. I subsequently started shadowing at the team clinic, which enabled me to gain a closer look at dentistry. From various types of periodontal therapies, restorations, and extractions – every procedure I assisted with, pumped my body full of adrenaline. I fell in love with how much creativity is utilized in dentistry and relished every bit of patient interaction. The knowledge from the team clinic further inspired me to pursue a community-based dental experience. I began to shadow Dr. XXXX, a general dentist at ABC Dental Clinic. ABC is a community for people with developmental disabilities. Volunteering at the clinic has been the most eye-opening and rewarding experience I have had in my limited exposure to dentistry. Most of the patients are not verbally responsive and are very challenging to work with. Despite these obstacles, Dr. Garvey’s patience and empathy makes everything possible. His unwavering commitment to serve the underserved population is inspiring me to become a dentist like him. From there, I started working at the UFCD Pediatric Dental Clinic as a dental assistant. Luckily, I never had to return to the endodontic clinic again as a patient, but my unflinching determination in pursuing a dental career has only grown stronger since. Utilizing both creativity and discipline in caring for patients, serving the underserved, and relieving pain is what I have found I love doing the most. If that can become a lifelong career, then I am confident that dentistry is, absolutely, my future vocation. Even better, I will be the first Uyghur dentist in the U.S., now wouldn’t that be something?

🎓 GradGPT Score: 92/100 🌟

Excellent Dental Personal Statement

What makes this essay great? The essay is well-structured and readable, with a readability score of 10, which is within the normal range for a personal statement. The structure is clear, and the coherence is good. There are no inconsistencies, clichés, or unnecessary flattery, and the writing style is engaging.

• Introduction: Strong and engaging start, drawing the reader in with a vivid personal experience.
• Cultural Background: Effectively highlights your unique background as an Uyghur and your adaptation to the U.S.
• Academic Journey: Clear narrative of overcoming challenges, particularly the language barrier, and achieving small victories.
• Healthcare Experience: Shows a genuine passion for caring for others, with specific examples of your work as a CNA.
• Exposure to Dentistry: Well-detailed experiences with the dental clinic, showcasing your growing interest and knowledge in the field.
• Community Involvement: The volunteering section is impactful, demonstrating your commitment to serving underserved populations.
• Conclusion: Strong and confident, reiterating your determination and the uniqueness of being the first Uyghur dentist in the U.S.

My grandfather made me fall in love with the quote: “Use your smile to change the world, don’t let the world change your smile.” I grew up without my parents, and faced adversity and bullying throughout my childhood. It took a toll on my confidence, made me shy, and discouraged me from smiling. Whenever I feel discouraged, my grandfather’s words always comfort me and push me toward my goals. Last year, I found it incredibly painful to deal with his passing after he battled nasal cavity cancer for eight years. He persevered through harsh medical treatments and never stopped smiling in front of me. Even after his dentures stopped fitting him, he would still smile. He gradually lost his appetite and without dentures, he became nutrient deficient since he could not consume the range of food that he needed. This was when I learned about the importance of dentures and their impact on a person’s health.  Watching how strong he was, I yearned to make him a perfect set of dentures as a special gift one day. My ambition was to watch my grandfather enjoy a wide variety of food and to see his old smile again. Since then, I began to see the power behind my grandfather’s smile. His smile speaks for the positivity, courage, and strength that taught me to embrace obstacles and challenges because they will help me thrive as an independent and a mature adult. Although I lost my grandfather, the pain of losing him strengthened my character and pushed me to pursue my dream to become a successful dentist. During my last quarter at UC San Diego, my grandfather’s condition worsened. I constantly worried about him, as he was the only close family I had. There were times when I struggled to balance family responsibilities with academics, and I had felt mentally and physically exhausted every day. Every time I went to see him in the hospital, he told me not to worry about him and to focus on my academics. My anxiety took a toll on my grades and I realized that it helped neither my dream nor his health. Gradually, I learned to manage my time and my stress, and improved my grades later on through more coursework in post-baccalaureate program. Luckily, my aunt is capable of taking care of my grandmother now, so I can further my studies and work as a dental assistant during my free time.  As a dental assistant, I channeled my desire of taking care of my grandfather into taking care of patients. During the preparation for an implant case, I noticed a patient was clenching her fists anxiously. I offered her with a cup of water and started a conversation to ease her worries. Later, she calmed down and was ready for the procedure. She was cooperative when I took a periapical x-ray on the difficult position of tooth #15.  Fortunately, the picture turned out clear and the dentist was able to see the depth of the post and the distance between her sinus. When I greeted the patient during her next visit for abutment, she said “thank you” and gave me the most heartwarming hug that I could ever ask for. Her expression of gratitude kindled my desire to serve more patients as an aspiring dentist. Knowing that my grandfather lacked oral health education and had limited dental care during his lifetime, I felt a sense of duty to help those who lack access to dental care . I helped serve the underprivileged by volunteering at the California Dental Association Free Clinic. In particular, I remember a forty-year old Hispanic immigrant named Julio, who was also a low-income immigrant and a father of four. Majority of his teeth was decayed and in need of urgent restoration. After talking to him, I learned that his condition was the result of a lack of access to quality dental care. Due to financial constraints, he could not afford to visit a dentist for a long time. He was grateful that the Free Clinic had given him this opportunity to restore his teeth. Talking to Julio was eye opening, as it inspired me to reach out to the disadvantaged population and educate them about oral health. One day, I wish to provide equitable access to dental care to all. After my grandfather’s death, I wrote a letter to him that ended with this passage: “Thank you, Grandpa, for helping me find my passion and for making me realize the power that genuine smiles can bring. Although you are no longer with us, your wisdom continues to motivate me to spread beautiful smiles and to improve the lives of others. As a tribute to you, I am ready to dedicate myself to the career of dentistry.”

🎓 GradGPT Score: 89/100 🌟

Great personal statement with room for improvement in structure

The essay tells the author's journey well but needs better structure and flow. Key areas for improvement are the transitions between discussing the grandfather's impact, the author's experiences as a dental assistant, and Julio's story. Also, cutting down on wordiness, avoiding repetition, and breaking up long sentences will make it clearer and more engaging.

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Dentistry Personal Statement Examples

Last updated: 05/10/2022

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The personal statement is changing to a series of free text questions for 2026 entry onwards, however it remains unchanged for 2025 entry. Keep an eye on our live updates page for guidance on these changes.

Writing a dentistry personal statement that you’re proud of is hard.

Many students struggle to boil down their skills and experiences to just 4,000 characters and it is tricky to know where to focus. 

Example statements are a great way to gain this insight.

In this article, we cover the following:

• Strong and weak dentistry personal statements 
• A breakdown of other peoples’ successes and mistakes
• Ideas for what to include in your own personal statement 

Once you've read this, check out dental interview questions to build on what you've learnt.

For an overview of personal statement writing, read our Personal Statement Guide for Medical and Dental Schools . This is essential reading and goes further than just examples!

Strong personal statement example

“I first became interested in studying dentistry between the ages of 12 and 15, when I visited my local dentist frequently to get my braces checked and tightened. 

I talked with her at length about the nature of her job and was struck by the huge impact she could have on the people she met daily. 

She actively improved the quality of life of every patient she encountered, and had to astutely apply scientific principles in a social setting in order to make patients feel at ease and achieve the best results. I was truly inspired by this experience and decided to investigate dentistry as a career.

In order to deepen my insight into the profession I carried out a week’s work experience in a local dental hospital. I saw how dentists of every stage were keen to learn, constantly assessing their performance and striving to improve. 

This drove home the importance of self-awareness and constant reflection, but also introduced me to the idea of lifelong learning which is something I find particularly attractive. 

During this placement I also took my first look inside a patient’s mouth and observed dentists constructing bridges, veneers and crowns. This exposed me to the aesthetic side of dentistry - a dentist not only aims to alleviate pain but can engage with the more cosmetic aspect of healthcare, something that most medical specialties cannot match. 

I organised a number of work experience placements in local dental surgeries, and throughout my shadowing was struck by the bonds dentists formed with their patients. They often had to utilise great communication skills and empathy to calm down or reassure anxious patients, and they worked hard to build up a rapport with everyone who entered the surgery. This encouraged patients to attend checkups more frequently and be more open about their worries, thereby improving the quality of care they received. 

As a result of my reflection on these experiences, I took up weekly volunteering in a local care home and reading to children in the dental hospital. These opportunities helped me become a far better communicator, as many of the residents of the care home were elderly or suffered from dementia meaning I had to adopt different visual or verbal strategies to get my message across. Many of the young patients in the dental hospital felt lonely and nervous, and by empathising with them I was able to help them relax and focus on the positives.

Outside academia, I play water polo and run in my school’s athletic team. Both of these sports have helped me become a better team player and I’ve learned that you can always achieve the best results by working efficiently in a team rather than going it alone. 

I am a particularly ambitious sportsperson and I’ve received the Most Valuable Player award in my waterpolo league for three years running, and have been a captain for four. 

As a captain, I am a decisive leader; In the heat of a match it’s important for me to make snap decisions and for my teammates to trust me. However, out of the pool I take every view into account and try to make sure that everyone has been heard and feels involved. 

I also try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in the team - myself included - so that we can play to our strengths in matches and work on our weaknesses in training.  

I think that the ambition, teamwork and leadership I’ve demonstrated through my sports will serve me well as a dentist, allowing me to work efficiently with others while constantly striving to improve personally. My participation in these sports has also allowed me to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Becoming a dentist would allow me to have a truly positive effect on the people I work with, while also challenging me and ensuring I’m always learning and improving. I believe that my work experience, volunteering and extracurricular activities have provided me with the skills and insight necessary to become an empathetic and effective dentist.”

Strong personal statement analysis

This example displays many characteristics of a good personal statement. 

• Well structured.
• The candidate comes across as well-rounded and motivated, without appearing arrogant.
• There are some minor areas that could be improved, but overall we think that this personal statement would impress university assessors.

Introduction

• The introduction uses an anecdote to illustrate the candidate’s interest in dentistry. This is a good way to show how your interest in dentistry might have started, but it wouldn’t be suitable to write that you decided to apply to dentistry simply because you liked seeing your dentist as a child. The candidate doesn’t fall into this trap, and makes sure to highlight that this experience only inspired them to do further investigation into the career.
• The candidate goes on to describe how they deepened their insight in the main body paragraph, adding cohesiveness.
• The candidate also demonstrates some good insight into dentistry by discussing the unique blend of social skills and scientific knowhow required by dentists.

Main body paragraphs 

• Variety - the candidate’s three main body paragraphs discuss some of their work experience placements, volunteering roles and extracurricular interests. 
• Quality over quantity - they focus far more on individual experiences while going into more detail, and avoiding lists (although they witnessed a huge number of things during a week of work experience, they choose to focus on a couple of key experiences).
• Insight - the statement demonstrates insight into the profession on multiple occasions. They talk about the prominence of lifelong learning, the aesthetic/cosmetic side of dentistry, and how building a rapport with patients can lead to better outcomes.

Re-read the example, consider how the candidate: 

• Reflects on their experiences 
• Built on their experience
• Demonstrates relevant skills
• Demonstrates that they are ready for the challenges inherent in dentistry

Conclusion 

• Short, brief, and succinct. It doesn’t introduce any new information.
• The candidate doesn’t really speak enough about why they chose to study dentistry over medicine. They mention the dual focus on health and cosmetics, but could mention some other factors as well - for example, the fact that dentistry is more specialised from the start of the degree than medicine.
• They could show some more awareness of current news in the dental world.
• The candidate could also speak a little more about the challenges dentists face in the workplace and how they would cope.
• Discussion of paid employment would also have been beneficial.

Find more in-depth advice, tips and examples in our Personal Statement Course .

Weak personal statement example

“Dentistry has fascinated me from a very early age, as to me it seems like the perfect combination of practical and mental challenges. This has become even stronger since my brother found work as a dentist, having recently graduated from manchester University.

For the past 4 years, I’ve been looking after a local elderly lady who sometimes struggles to go shopping or carry out her daily tasks. This has helped me appreciate the satisfaction one can gain from helping others, and inspired me to pursue a career which will allow me to improve the lives of those around me - like dentistry!

As a result of my interest in medicine, I studied biology, physics and maths at A-Level. 

I’ve also carried out a variety of work experience placements over the years. During my GCSEs, I spent a week volunteering in a local NHS surgery, which exposed me to some of the challenges dentists face; they were often overworked, and had to deal with frustrated and anxious patients on a daily basis. 

I really enjoyed this experience, so I decided to take on another two week block at a dental hospital . While I was there, I shadowed receptionists, helping them to book appointments and organise the dentists’ timetables. I also managed to see dentists make diagnoses and watch a huge range of different dental procedures, from regular checkups to fillings and root canals. I spent time in the in-house dental laboratory, and was taken through the construction of veneers, crowns and bridges. I was also able to shadow dentists over a whole day in their life, seeing the admin and meetings they had to trudge through on top of the more exciting clinical work.

In my free time I enjoy playing the violin and listening to music. I am also a dedicated member of a number of sports teams, including basketball, tennis and hockey. I am proficient at both individual and team sports, showing that I can work well with others, but also self-motivate and set my own targets. 

I also enjoy watching films and socialising with my friends. More recently, I’ve really enjoyed keeping up with current dental news by reading the Journal of Dental Research and my brother’s old copies of the British Dental Journal.

Looking to the future, my great ambition is to work within the dentistry profession, where I believe I could have a really positive impact on the lives of the patients I work with. 

My work experience has set me up well to succeed, and I feel I have the desire and commitment to stick the course and become a successful yet empathetic dentist”

Weak personal statement example analysis

• Likely not to score well
• It isn’t nearly long enough (2520 characters) 
• It hasn’t been proofread and contains errors
• Did the candidate genuinely want to study dentistry from a young age? If it is true, it implies that they made this important decision based on an emotional impulse as a child.
• Being inspired to go into dentistry just because your sibling did is also not recommended. Just because it was right for them doesn’t make it right for you. 
• The mention of helping an elderly neighbour is good, but too brief. This is a great experience to reflect on and use to demonstrate both your motivations to study dentistry and your suitability for a caring role.
• At no point in the statement does the candidate explain why another caring profession wouldn’t be just as suitable for them. 
• There’s no mention of anything particularly specific to dentistry.

Main body paragraphs

• The first paragraph follows a list, with the candidate demonstrating that they have a real range of work experience placements (which is good) but without going into sufficient detail.
• There is very little reflection throughout these paragraphs. The candidate clearly has a good breadth of experience but can’t really explain anything they learned from it.
• They demonstrate very few relevant skills throughout the statement. They should talk more about how each experience they’ve had has improved them, either by helping them develop or demonstrate key skills that dentists need. Then, they should explain why dentists need these skills in the first place. 
• Describing the dentist’s admin and meetings as a ‘trudge’ and clinics as ‘exciting’ isn’t wise. This may be the case, but the reality is that dentists do spend a lot of their time writing notes, filling out paperwork and liaising with other healthcare professionals. If you find this particularly boring you either won’t be able to handle the job in the first place, or you’ll cut corners and thereby put patients at risk.
• There’s no mention of the importance of a work-life balance when talking about how they relax.
• It is crucial not to lie in your personal statement. It is possible that they do 'really enjoy' reading dental journals, but it is likely that your interviewers will latch onto this and quiz you repeatedly on it. 

However, it is worth mentioning the things these main body paragraphs do well:

• There is some reflection on the challenges faced by dentists, which will reassure the assessors that the candidate does have some insight and can reflect on their experiences.
• The candidate discusses the skills they demonstrated through their sports which is exactly the right thing to do. The only thing they’re missing is a linking of this to dentistry.

The Ultimate Guide to Studying Dentistry in the UK

• Remains brief and concise while summarising the rest of the statement and finishing with a strong, confident claim. 
• It is better to show “desire and commitment” to the profession earlier in the statement before introducing it in the conclusion. 
• Saying that work experience will set you up well for a career in dentistry is simply not true. Watching a couple of weeks’ worth of dental procedures will not make you a better dentist later in life. It is the reflection on those experiences that assessors are looking for.

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Dentistry Personal Statement Examples

What is a dentistry personal statement?

Your dentistry UCAS personal statement gives the university admissions tutors an idea of who you are and why you want to study dentistry.

It should explain why your skills, knowledge and experience make you a great candidate for dentistry, and why you should be offered a place on their course.

Read through our dentistry personal statement examples above for inspiration on how to write your own unique statement for your UCAS application.

Remember that the deadline for dentistry applicants is earlier than many other course, on 15 October .

What should a dentistry personal statement include?

To write a successful dentistry personal statement, you shoud include:

• Why you want to study dentistry - try to pick one or two aspects of the subject that interest you and explain why
• Work experience - what skills did you learn that will be useful in a dentistry degree?
• Volunteering - have you completed any unpaid or voluntary work that is relevant to your dentistry course?
• Wider reading and study - how has this influenced and/or motivated you to study dentistry?
• Extracurricular activities - what do you do outside of school or college and how might this help with your degree?
• Conclusion - mention your ambitions for the future. How will your dentistry degree move you forward on your career path?

For more help and advice on what to write in your dentistry personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

How do I write a good dentistry personal statement?

Your dentistry personal statement should be structured so that all the paragraphs flow well together and make a coherent statement overall.

We recommend starting with why you want to study dentistry. Most students choose to focus on one aspect of the subject they are enthusiastic about and explain why they find it fascinating or why they enjoyed learning about.

For the main body of your statement, you should think about the course content and explain how you can demonstrate the skills to meet them.

To be a dentist, you need good skills in:

• communication
• organisation
• physical stamina
• problem solving.

For your conclusion, we suggest you summarise your goals and ambitions, and explain how your dentistry degree will help further your career.

Remember to give your dentistry personal statement to teachers, friends and family members for feedback before submitting a final version on your UCAS statement.

What does a dentist do?

Dentists diagnose and treat dental issues and help patients develop better oral hygiene regimens.

They also clean teeth, correct bite issues, perform surgeries and extractions, and perform other duties to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy.

What can I do with a dentistry degree?

Apart from becoming a dentist, there are many other career options available to those wishing to study dentistry. These include:

• Dental hygienist
• Dental technician
• Health service manager
• Science writer
• Medical sales representative
• Laboratory technican.

For more information on careers with a dentistry degree, please see Prospects and The National Careers Service .

What are the best UK universities for dentistry?

Currently, the best UK universities for studying dentistry are:

For more information about UK university rankings for dentistry, please see The Complete University Guide and The Guardian .

Related resources

Dentistry vs medicine.

Find out more

Allied Health Professionals

Personal Statement Tips

International Student Statements

A Level Results Day

Student Good Guide

The best UK online resource for students

Dentistry Personal Statement Examples

The following examples of dentistry personal statements are provided as guidelines only. When applying to dentistry , tailor your personal statement to your profile for the course you are applying for. Please read our detailed guide on how to write a winning dentistry personal statement .

What is a Dentistry personal statement?

A dental school personal statement is a document submitted as part of a UCAS application to a dental school and university . It is an opportunity for the applicant to demonstrate their personal qualities, experiences, and motivations that make them strong candidates for dental school. 

Here are 3 examples of dentistry personal statements.

Read guide:

• How To Apply To Dentistry In The UK
• The Best Dentistry Universities in the UK

Successful Dentistry Personal Statement Examples

As a dental assistant with three years of experience in the field, I have developed a passion for dentistry and am now seeking to further my education and training by pursuing a career as a dentist. I am excited about the opportunity to attend dental school and believe that I have the skills and dedication necessary to succeed in this challenging field.

One of the things that I love most about being a dental assistant is the opportunity to help people. I enjoy working with patients of all ages and helping them to feel comfortable and at ease during their dental visits. I am also skilled at providing practical assistance to dentists, such as preparing and sterilizing instruments and materials, taking X-rays, and assisting with various dental procedures.

In addition to my experience as a dental assistant, I have also completed coursework in biology and chemistry, which has given me a strong foundation in the scientific principles that are essential to dentistry. I am eager to continue my education and learn more about the latest techniques and technologies in the field.

I am confident that I have the dedication and determination necessary to succeed in dental school. I am a hardworking and motivated individual who is not afraid to put in the time and effort necessary to achieve my goals. I am also a team player and enjoy working with others to provide the best possible care for patients.

I believe that a career in dentistry is the perfect way for me to combine my passion for helping others with my interest in science and healthcare. I am excited about the opportunity to attend dental school and look forward to the challenges and rewards that come with a career in this rewarding field.

I have always been fascinated by the human body and how it functions. As a child, I loved learning about the different systems and organs, and I dreamed of becoming a doctor one day. However, it was not until I had my first experience with a dentist that I realised my true passion was in dentistry.

The dentist I visited was gentle, kind, and patient, and I was immediately drawn to the care and attention they gave to each of their patients. I watched in awe as they used their skills and knowledge to improve their patient’s oral health, and I knew that this was the career I wanted to pursue.

I am now excited to apply to dental school and begin my journey to becoming a dentist. I am confident that my passion for dentistry, combined with my strong work ethic and dedication to continued learning, make me a strong candidate for your program.

I am eager to learn from the best dental professors and to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to provide high-quality dental care to my future patients. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to further discuss my qualifications and goals with you.

As a child, I always had a fascination with the human mouth and how it functions. This curiosity led me to pursue a career in dentistry where I could use my skills to improve the oral health of individuals and help them achieve a confident and healthy smile.

My passion for dentistry grew stronger during my undergraduate studies in biology where I learned about the complex anatomy and physiology of the oral cavity. I also volunteered at local dental clinics, where I observed and assisted dentists in their daily tasks. These experiences solidified my desire to become a dentist and make a positive impact on the lives of my patients.

In addition to my academic and clinical experiences, I have also developed excellent communication and interpersonal skills. I understand the importance of creating a comfortable and welcoming environment for patients, as well as effectively educating them on their oral health and treatment options.

I am confident that my passion for dentistry, combined with my academic and clinical experiences, make me a strong candidate for your dental program. I am eager to continue my education and become a skilled and compassionate dentist.

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How to Write a Great Dental School Personal Statement

My wife kept asking me to watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi and I kept postponing it.  Finally,last weekend, I took out 2 hours to watch it.

The movie is about Jiro, a 85-year old world-class sushi master.

Jiro is obsessed with making sushi. Even in his dreams, he is coming up with recipes. His obsession with details is fascinating. Although his obsession is borderline unhealthy, sometimes that is what it takes to be the best in the world!!

Jiro is very methodical and systematic. Every plate of sushi he makes is unanimously a masterpiece –  the taste, texture, and appearance is always the same and top-notch. Even then, he does not stop. He is still on a relentless pursuit of improving his skills.

When one look at Jiro and his flawless sushi making art, one can’t help but think “I COULD NEVER DO THAT, he’s naturally talented”. But as you watch the rest of the documentary you discover the only thing that distinguishes Jiro is his passion, hard work and eagerness to improve himself.   For 50 years he learned, made mistakes, persisted, and worked hard before finally becoming the BEST SUSHI CHEF in the world.

Being a master dentist also takes a burning passion, hard work, practice and relentless pursuit of improving your craft. It takes time to be 

But you may ask : “Muhammed, I thought this is a post about personal statements. Why are you talking about a sushi chef?

A great personal statement is like a masterpiece sushi made by Jiro.

However, acknowledge that, your first draft will be far from the great draft you will send to dental school. 

When you look at a personal statement from an accepted student (like mine or aqz’s  ), you are probably thinking, “I COULD NEVER WRITE THAT WELL”.

But that’s not true.

When I started writing my own essay, I struggled a lot. I didn’t know what to write. My mind was blocked. In my brainstorming phase, I looked at a blank page for two hours thinking what I should write. I literally started crying because I didn’t know what to write.

Then a dental student friend of mine told me, “Zia, just get something down on paper.” And I wrote anything down that came to mind.

It was terrible. But it was good enough for a shittty first draft.

I accepted that my first draft will be terrible and I needed to improve on it.

But how did I take a shitty first draft to a GREAT personal statement that got me into Penn and UCSF?

It’s no magic.

A great body of work is like an iceberg. You only see the visible result. 95% of an iceberg is hidden beneath the surface. You will never see it. That 95% = hard work, and relentless improvement on the first shitty draft.

You will never see the 50+ hours I spent crafting a GREAT personal statement. (The draft I uploaded on AADSAS application was my 25th draft.) But you will see a beautifully crafted personal statement

I always, put in double the effort than someone else doing the same thing. By putting 2X the effort, I reap 10-20x the reward. That’s why interviewers cry after reading my disadvantaged statement. And that’s why dental school interviewers become more curious after reading my application essay. 

I put in a lot of work writing posts at SDN. Sometime to write one post, I spend 12-15 hours. But it’s totally worth it. Most of my posts get more than 3000-4000 views. The last post I wrote on personal statement was no different. I got 35+ requests from pre-dentals to review/edit their personal statements. Currently, I am having to turn down people because I am swamped with PS review requests. But you can read all my blog post on dental school coach blog.

I work hard, but I do it systematically. In that sense, I am almost like Jiro.  However, for my systematic approach I have gotten comments like this: 

Systematic approach is better than random act of non-productive techniques. If you are a pre-dental, you know how important systems are. Do you think dental schools will accept you if you didn’t submit your LORs or forgot to upload your transcripts? They probably won’t. (Dental School Application is a systematic process)

And yes! I do think in systematic, linear manner. In fact 99% of us do. The 1% of the human population probably don’t need a system (Good for them). For the 99% of us, systems liberates us and gives us opportunities to improve.

People who have criticized me by calling me a robot, should know better. Health professions are just full of systems, protocols and checklists. Read the book called The Checklists’ Manifest for your information. 

Because I follow a systematic approach, I produce high quality results CONSISTENTLY.  (ex: I attended Penn Undergraduate and got into dental school like UCSF and Penn).

I helped my friends using similar systematic approach to edit their personal statements and they all got into top tier ivy league schools in different fields of study. Not here to brag or anything.

In this post, I reveal THE SYSTEM I follow to consistently write high quality personal statements. It’s simple yet amazingly effective.

Let’s jump right in

a) Brainstorming + Creating a story Toolbox

Brainstorming is the hardest part in the essay writing process. Some people really struggle with what they should write about. See below

When I was in Ghana, my friend wanted to hook me up with girls. As a conservative Muslim, I didn’t know how to “hook” up with someone nor did I know how to talk to girls. ( I used to be a weirdo!)

So, my friend suggested I keep a story toolbox that will have pick up lines, jokes, etc. to tell when I approached girls.

The idea of a story toolbox has been pretty powerful in my life.  I did not use it in dating, but I have used it to write master personal statements and win multiple interviews.

If you look at my personal statements, it’s full of stories.

How did I collect that many stories?

The answer is pretty simple. I keep a daily journal. 

For example, when I was shadowing an oral surgeon, I kept note of things that I observed on a regular basis. If I saw something unusual/interesting, I made special notes about it. Once a patient came to the office with severe neuralgic pain. Dr. P patiently listened to him. When the patient finished ranting, he calmed and reassured him that he’ll be just fine. Instead of giving him any injection for his pain, Dr. P communicated to a pain psychologist and created a treatment plan for the patient.

A dentist calling up a pain psychologist !!! I have never seen that. That’s unusual, so I jotted it down in my journal.

Effective story telling is hard. It’s tough not because we suck at story telling. (You may be a story telling expert when you are hanging out with your friends.) But the stories you want to tell won’t readily come to your mind when you are sitting down to brainstorm for your personal statement.

So when you sit down to brainstorm, I recommend,  do it in two or three different sessions.

Spend 30-45 minutes for the first session, take a 2-3 hour break and come back for another session. During the break you should take walk, run or shower. I recently read a book called The Power of Full Engagement. In the book, the authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schawartz illustrate a provocative study by Michael Gelb:

In his book,  How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci , author Michael Gelb poses a wonderfully revealing question: “Where are you when you get your best ideas?” He asked that question to thousands of people over the years, and the most common response he gets include, “in the shower”, “resting in bed”, “walking in nature”, “listening to music”, “jogging/running”, “meditating”. “Almost no one claims to get their best ideas at work”- Gelb said.

You can sit at your desk,  stare at a blank paper for all day and get frustrated because you still don’t know what to write.

Or you can brainstorm for 30 min. Write down your ideas. Take a break.  Come back. Throw away all the bad ideas. Brainstorm some new ideas .

Here are some questions you should try to answer while brainstorming;

  What incidents inspired you to be a dentist? Who inspired you become a dentist?  Do you have soft qualities that a dentist may possess? What are they and how did you come to acquire them? (ex: I talk about my immigration story and relate that to patience and perseverance, skills most dentists have)   What did you learn at your dental shadowing? How can you apply what you learned as a future dentist? What did you learn at your Extra Curricular activities/Lab Work etc? Can you relate these activities to dentistry? Do you have any academic accomplishments that you are proud of and want to mention in the personal statement ( publishing a paper, etc) Did you pick up any manual dexterity skills ( playing guitar, violin, working at a science lab, etc)?

[In case you need help brainstorming, talk to someone who knows you well (close friends, parents, siblings, etc.). It really helps.]

c) Write Shitty first draft:

Once you have those ideas down on paper, take a break. Come back and write your shitty first draft.

Ann Lamott, author of  Bird by Bird  says,

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something — anything — down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft — you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft — you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.”

Just write something down on paper. Don’t worry about its quality, style, grammar. JUST WRITE.

Come back one or two days later. Print the essay out . Do a cold read of the first draft. Ask yourself, “What do I like and what do I not like about the essay? Does it logically flow? If I were an adcom, would I be interested in meeting this person?

d) Making an Outline: 

After you have written your (shitty) first draft, make a detailed outline of the essay.

For example, my essay outline was:

• Intro: How I became interested in dentistry? (story: My grandmother’s financial situation prevented her from getting dental care)
• How I immigrated to the US? (relating how I learned to became patience and perseverant, skill dentist need)
• Told stories about generosity and empathy ( First, I mentioned how generous my dentist was and then related that to how I showed kindness and generosity to a Somali refuge).
• How I started “Community Dental Disease Prevention Society” and what impact I made. (Story of Tagita, a student I taught through the club).
• My sculpture class and examples of my projects
• How I honed my manual dexterity + Accomplishment in my research lab

Making a rigorous outline will take some time. But once you make that outline, writing a better draft would be  a matter of time. I recommend writing this outline on a whiteboard. If you don’t have a whiteboard, do it in post it notes. Make the outline as visual as possible. Check if your essay outline is flowing logically.  Send your outline via email to a few friends. Ask them to assess if your outline is logical.

Spend some time perfecting the outline. I used 3-4 hours white boarding until I knew I had an excellent outline.

e) Rewriting, revising and rewriting

Once you are satisfied with your outline, write the second draft of your essay.

(what are they revising? what are some elements they are looking to edit and what kind of a checklist should they follow in terms of what makes a good draft)

f) The best $5 I ever spent: 

Once you are done with your second draft, start reaching out to your friends and professors.

Once I was done with my essay, I took my friends out to Starbucks, bought them a latte ($5) and asked them if they could read my personal statement. If they said yes, I immediately pulled out two printouts of my PS. My friends were brutally honest but that’s what I was looking for.

[I also reached out to my professors that knew me very well and ask them if they could review my PS. Some of them were busy, so they politely declined. But some of them got back to me immediately and offered to read my personal statement.]

g) Revise, Rewrite, Rewrite, and Rewrite

This is part of the iceberg that no one sees. Rewriting and revising is not fun. It’s boring and tough. But repeated rewriting is an absolute necessity to get to the perfect personal statement.

I rewrote my essay 25 times. Each time I re-wrote it, I printed my essay out, did a cold read, and ask “if I were an adcom, would I select myself for an interview.” I rewrote until the answer was yes.

To make your personal statement perfect, You’ve got REWRITE, REWRITE AND REWRITE.

Getting to the  Perfect  personal statement is no magic! You need to put in the hard work. Hard work is tough, challenging, and boring. Most people hate working hard.

Just remember, you are going to spend time and energy to write that personal statement; why not spend twice the time and energy to make it the world’s best personal statement.

On Thursday I will analyze my own personal statement and show you why it’s a GREAT personal statement.

Over the weekend, I will share the checklist that I used to review my rewritten drafts. I will also write a post about how to stay motivated (like an olympian) during the application season.

Stay tuned.

2 thoughts on “ How to Write a Great Dental School Personal Statement ”

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Personal Statement Example

• Thread starter aqz
• Start date Apr 27, 2015

Full Member

• Apr 27, 2015

I don't think it's a good idea to post a copy of your PS on a public forum.  

He is already in dental school dude.  

Frychicken said: I don't think it's a good idea to post a copy of your PS on a public forum. Click to expand...

That was beautiful!  

imspazzy123

• Apr 30, 2015

I cried. Also thank you for doing this. I am in the process of writing my personal statement as well right now and I cannot for the life of me think of what to write. UGH.  

doc toothache

When there are only 30 that have the same and a dozen with higher DAT scores, one can write a recipe for hot chilli as a ps and adcoms would not skip a heart beat.  

FeralisExtremum

• Jun 2, 2015

doc toothache said: When there are only 30 that have the same and a dozen with higher DAT scores, one can write a recipe for hot chilli as a ps and adcoms would not skip a heart beat. Click to expand...

FeralisExtremum said: Is this a viable strategy? I know some very good hot chili recipes. Click to expand...

• Jun 29, 2015

AirborneDentist

• Feb 9, 2016

GREAT personal statement!  

BluntForceTrauma

aqz said: As far as originality goes, that would surely spice things up. Click to expand...

FrenchyM.D/D.O

I enjoyed reading your personal statement. The beginning was captivating and the ending was reassuring.  

MusicalMuser

• May 23, 2024

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DentalPersonalStatement.com by Dr. Robert Edinger [email protected]

Personal Statement Enhancement for Admission to Dental School, International Dentists, Residency Positions, Recommendation Letters, Disadvantaged Status, Endodontics, Orthodontics, OMFS, Oral Hygiene, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics -  Dental School Personal Statement Samples, Professional Writing and Editing

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I invite you to fill out my Interview Form at this link. Even if you have a draft, the information on the interview form is often helpful and serves as the basis for me to make creative improvements to the statement. I spend more time with the statement for my premium service customers at US$299.00 ; this is especially true when it comes to making major contributions to creative ideas. My standard service at US$199.00 is for clients who already have a well-developed draft that they need to have tweaked. My premium service is for those clients who want my ultimate effort and further revision after making changes.  

All samples published on this website are anonymous and at least two years old.

Dental School Personal Statement Examples

Updated: Aug 24

Introduction

Welcome to our collection of exemplary dental school personal statements. This page features two distinct personal statements from non-traditional applicants who have successfully transitioned into the field of dentistry. These statements are designed to provide inspiration and insight into how diverse experiences and backgrounds can be leveraged to create compelling narratives for dental school applications. By reading these examples, you will gain a better understanding of how to effectively highlight your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations to strengthen your own application.

Dental School Personal Statement Example #1

This personal statement reflects a journey marked by early life challenges and a profound desire to give back to the community. Inspired by a life-changing encounter with a dental student during a difficult time for his family, the applicant shares a compelling story of aspiration, resilience, and a commitment to serving the underserved. This example provides an inspiring guide for those applying to dental school, emphasizing the importance of compassion and community service.

Early Inspiration and Motivation

I trace my adult aspirations back to the age of nine. At this time, my father returned to college in his late thirties to pursue a master’s degree in anesthesia. I was the oldest of three children, my mother was also unable to work, and we soon found ourselves scrounging out an existence on welfare. I will never forget my first Christmas on public assistance, my parents agonizing over how they could buy presents in addition to putting food on the table. Our church taught me the most important lessons in life at that time, compassion, and generosity. And these moral imperatives have become my principal frame of reference, what I aspire to accomplish myself.

One morning, my mother woke up in excruciating pain, and we realized that the local dental school clinic was our only option as welfare recipients. John, a dentistry student, recommended a root canal and patiently responded to each of my mother’s concerns in a simple, straightforward way with illustrations; I could even understand it at 10 years old. I could see that my mother felt safe and comfortable, fully trusting in John. During the procedure I saw the tears roll down her face as I held on to her hand. John let me hold the suction for part of the procedure. John became my first real life hero; and from that day forward I have nurtured and treasured the dream of becoming a dentist myself, and attending to the weakest among us, the underserved.

Developing Skills and Community Engagement

Later, we would move to Florida where I constructed a hockey workshop in our garage with numerous stick handling drills that helped develop my natural dexterity and coordination. One professional experience that has helped to prepare me for the great challenges of dental school was my employment with XXXX Marine Services. We helped to train helicopter pilots in the fields of search and rescue. Coast Guard helicopters would hover within ten feet of my head while I was raising and lowering rescue baskets.

Since entering high school, I have cultivated noble goals of wanting to give something back to the community. One of my early forms of engagement with the community in high school was serving as Captain of our ice hockey team. Even though we lost the state tournament, I went on to serve as Assistant Captain of the Hockey team, helping to bring XXU Ice Hockey to its first winning season. Yet, when I realized that my grades were suffering, I quit the team to be able to devote myself full time to my studies. During my first year I co-founded the XXXX Leadership Organization, beginning with only ten members. My first title was Social Service Coordinator, and I oversaw designing and organizing our efforts to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Foundation. Within 3 years, we had 150 members. I see my natural inclination for organizing philanthropic activities to be my greatest asset and I feel strongly that the greatest contribution that I might be able to make to society would be to provide free dental health care to members of our American societies with scant resources.

Vision for the Future

I see my home as the entire Caribbean area and I have spent a lot of time in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Cozumel, Belize, the Grand Cayman Islands, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. I was a close observer of healthcare systems on these islands, especially Haiti, and it is my sincere hope to make major contributions to dental missions to these islands in the future. I studied Spanish for 3 years in college and continue to improve through a concerted effort to practice. I have also dedicated a lot of planning to my goal of someday operating a free mobile dental clinic in rural areas of Florida, especially for the benefit of migrant farm workers and their families. I assure you that I will give my all to my studies if admitted and I want to thank you for consideration of my application.

Summary: Why This is a Good Personal Statement

This personal statement is compelling because it:

Highlights a Transformative Experience: The narrative of the mother's dental experience provides a powerful motivation for the applicant's career choice.

Emphasizes Compassion and Community Service: The applicant's commitment to serving the underserved and organizing philanthropic activities underscores a dedication to making a positive impact.

Demonstrates Leadership and Initiative: The applicant's involvement in leadership roles and community service projects showcases their ability to lead and inspire others.

Illustrates a Global Perspective: The applicant's experiences in the Caribbean and plans for future dental missions demonstrate a broad and compassionate view of healthcare.

Articulates Clear Goals and Vision: The statement outlines a clear vision for the future, including plans to provide free dental care and contribute to dental missions.

Dental School Personal Statement Example #2

This personal statement provides a compelling narrative of a non-traditional dental school applicant who leverages a diverse background in art, computer consulting, and life experiences. The applicant's journey from Korea to the United States, combined with a strong commitment to serving underserved communities, showcases their readiness and determination to excel in dental school. The statement highlights key qualities such as grit, perseverance, and a passion for helping others, making a strong case for their candidacy.

Non-Traditional Background

A non-traditional applicant at 33, I am an excellent candidate for dental school because of my experience as an artist and computer consultant. I have been in the U.S. for 14 years, emigrating from our native Korea with my family. I have fully adjusted to full-time English and the American way and have matured significantly. I am a good listener and get along well with people from all levels of society.

Commitment to Serving the Underserved

I would like to be a dentist who is sufficiently successful in devoting a large part of my time and resources to providing dental care to the underserved, especially minorities and immigrant populations in the inner city. I am especially drawn to the plight of inner-city children, in particular. The idea of being able to help them to better appreciate and respect themselves and their community through dental care is my long-standing dream of service.

Personal Struggles and Resilience

My grit, determination, and appreciation for the less fortunate were reinforced while I was in middle school in Korea and my father's business went bankrupt. We soon found ourselves living in only one tiny room in a rural area, all four of us. We slept next to each other every night, and I listened to my sister, trying not to sob. One night, I stretched my arm to see if I could reach her and my father and mother with my hand. I felt their hair and the reality of underprivileged life so acutely at that moment that I vowed that this would never happen to my children. I started delivering newspapers before dawn to support myself, paying my school expenses so as not to be a burden to my parents. At 5:00 in the morning, in freezing winter weather that numbed every part of my body, I began my struggle to succeed in life.

Adapting to Life in the US

Even after immigrating to the US, my family struggled financially. I had to work full-time as a janitor for several years while taking courses at a nearby college. After I moved to a four-year university, I did the dishes in the dining hall. I worked as an administrator at a computing lab while maintaining heavy loads of academic responsibility. I was a computer science major; however, by the time I had fallen in love with the physical sciences as a senior at the University of XXXX it was too late to change my major. I discovered my greatest passion while working at the Genetic Programming Research Laboratory learning about biological metaphors and evolutionary biology. I made a vital contribution to my research team by creating a software tool for automated data analysis and experimental support that saved a lot of time. Of course, I am pleased to have advanced computer skills, and I am sure that they will also be helpful to my career in dentistry.

Professional Experience and Skills

Upon graduation, I accepted a position at IBM as a consultant; constantly traveling and involved in numerous projects at major automotive companies, I had the opportunity to cultivate many qualities that will serve me well as a dentist: persistence, endurance, insight, sound judgment, and the ability to deal with all kinds of difficult situations. Although I thrived in my career, I resigned from my consulting position to finish preparing for a career in dentistry. A few years before I moved to New Jersey to enroll in the Pre-Dental Program at Rutgers, I started volunteering with a group of people at a nursing home in Dearborn, MI, helping organize events for the residents. Many, if not most of these elderly residents, had trouble eating correctly due to deteriorating dental conditions. There was a volunteer dentist who often came to the nursing home and checked their oral health. Sometimes, I could assist him with his work, and I was amazed by his dedication and passion. I enjoyed sharing the patients' joy upon emancipation from their suffering. For these reasons, my dedication to dentistry has become increasingly firm.

Hobbies and Personal Interests

Finally, my keen sense of hand and visual dexterity fomented by playing classical guitar, model ship building, and graphic design helps make me a competitive candidate for dental school. I also believe that the montage of priceless life experiences that I have accumulated will help to make me a compassionate and highly responsible dentist and I look forward to dental school with keen anticipation. I want to thank you for considering my application.

Highlights Non-Traditional Background: The applicant’s diverse experiences in art, computer consulting, and personal challenges provide a unique and rich perspective.

Demonstrates Resilience and Determination: The narrative details the applicant's journey through financial hardship and personal growth, showcasing resilience and a strong work ethic.

Shows Commitment to Community Service: The applicant's desire to serve underserved communities, particularly inner-city children, underscores a strong sense of social responsibility.

Illustrates Relevant Skills and Qualities: The statement effectively links the applicant’s skills in computer science, art, and manual dexterity to the technical demands of dentistry.

Provides a Clear Vision for the Future: The applicant’s future goals in dentistry are clearly articulated, emphasizing a commitment to continuous learning and community service.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What should be included in a dental school personal statement.

A dental school personal statement should include your motivations for pursuing dentistry, relevant experiences, personal anecdotes that illustrate your passion for the field, and your future goals.

Should I discuss specific career goals in my personal statement?

How can personal experiences enhance a dental school application, can i include experiences from outside the dental field.

What is a successful dentistry personal statement example?

How to start a personal statement in dentistry?

How to write a personal statement for dental residency?

What is the personal statement of a dental assistant?

Additional Resources

For more dental school personal statement examples and expert editing services, visit our website to contact us directly. Our team is here to help you create a personal statement that stands out in the application process.

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You'll need great grades and a spot-on personal statement to catch the eye of a dental school and nab an interview for a place on one of these demanding courses. The good news is the schools themselves are pretty open about what they're looking for from a dentistry personal statement. For more advice about studying dentistry, see our dentistry subject guide .

Motivation and commitment

As the University of Liverpool's dental school says: 'applicants must demonstrate motivation and commitment to a career in dentistry'. So how can you achieve this?

One way is to explain what first attracted you to dentistry, and what, as the University of Manchester puts it, 'has sustained or confirmed this choice'.

The University of Sheffield's dental school wants you to demonstrate your knowledge of the profession, what attracts you to it, and that you’ve researched the possible career opportunities. Be honest about what's fuelling your ambitions (ideally that you're driven by the impact you can have on society at large, rather than the earning potential).

As well as evidence of your commitment to the profession, King’s wants you to demonstrate a 'realistic appreciation of the academic, physical, and emotional demands of a dental degree programme and career', bringing us nicely on to…

Dental experience

Before you apply, you need to have made efforts to gain an insight into the profession through work experience or observation, especially in general dental practice. As for where and how much, here’s how some dental schools view it:

• Dundee and Cardiff don’t specify how much, but both expect you to take every opportunity to gain as much as you can.
• Sheffield expects it to be in a general dental practice.
• Liverpool says it should preferably be in a dental practice or hospital 'and preferably in more than one establishment'.
• Bristol ideally wants you to have experienced various fields of dentistry, such as general practice, hospital, community or laboratory.
• Manchester wants you to have had at least two weeks' experience or observation in general practice, and to state how much in your statement. If you also have additional experience in a specialist area of dentistry, all the better.
• King’s adds that if you’ve been unable to observe in a dental establishment then, at the very least, they want you to reflect on any work experience you’ve had in a caring environment or in another setting where you’ve interacted with the general public. But clearly, they would also then expect you to demonstrate your knowledge of dentistry in other ways in your statement.

Of course, it won’t be enough just to say you’ve had the experience. What matters is that you write about it in a way that demonstrates the insight you’ve gained into the role of a dentist and, as Cardiff describes it, 'an understanding of the demands of dental training and practice'.

So, within your 47 lines, outline the breadth and duration of the experience you’ve had but, even more importantly, describe what you’ve learned from it. To do this, it might be best to focus on the highlights and the key things you gained – tutors would rather read about what you learned from observing one filling than a list of all the procedures you saw. What counts is the quality of your observations and how they’ve influenced your understanding.

Note that both King’s and Cardiff mention an awareness of the demands of the degree as well as the career – research dentistry courses in our search tool  and get to an open day .

Leadership and non-academic achievements

Most dental schools also want to read something about you as a person and your extracurricular interests. Be selective and prioritise what you think is paramount.

• Reflect on anything that genuinely shows strong teamwork and leadership qualities, like your part-time job, sport, drama, Duke of Edinburgh Award, positions of responsibility, or whatever you do that showcases them.
• Demonstrate self-motivation through significant ongoing commitment to school, college or community activities, volunteering, charity work, sports teams, mentoring, and so on.
• Show you have a range of hobbies and interests too, you can manage your time well alongside your studies, you’re well-read, well-rounded, and know how to relax when you take a break from studying.
• Show your caring attitude, a sense of social responsibility, courtesy, an interest in people and their welfare, or the ability to reassure people and put them at ease.
• Demonstrate effective communication and that you can explain complex information simply and coherently.
• Demonstrate logic, independent thought, goal-setting, problem-solving, organisation, reliability, conscientiousness, and that you’re up for a challenge.

Give them a glimpse of you as a person, what you enjoy doing, and what you feel passionate about or excel at.

Manual dexterity

Dentistry admissions tutors also need to feel confident that you have the necessary fine motor skills to perform intricate tasks.

There are some subtle ways to convince them about this in your personal statement – mentioning your active involvement in arts and crafts, playing an instrument, model-making, maintaining your car or bike, or whatever else you do that requires good coordination and attention to detail.

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Non-Traditional Student Personal Statement Example

Because many medical school applicants today are non-traditional students, we wanted to provide a successful non-traditional student personal statement example.

Twenty-five years ago, I was delivered by C-section at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Despite my breech presentation I was expected to be in perfect health. Yet much to everyone’s shock, I arrived with my left knee hyper-extended by more than 90 degrees and my right foot clubbed inwards. The medical consensus was that I might never walk – a sentiment shared by my mother, herself a physician. As she held me for the first time, she could not imagine that 23 years later we would be running together across the finish line of my first ten-mile race, or that gaining the ability to run would spark my interest in medicine.

||Read A Sample Personal Statement ||

My future was transformed by Dr. Lynn Staheli, the pediatric orthopedic surgeon who pioneered the procedure used to reverse my hyperextension. He operated to correct my clubbed foot and knee, with the caveat that I would have only partial flexion in my left leg. I spent the majority of my infancy in a body cast and my childhood in physical therapy. I was able to compensate for my limited range of motion while skiing and learned to ride a bike with only my right leg. However, knee pain during these activities and my leg swinging stiffly sideways while running were constant reminders of my injury, which appeared to be a lifelong impediment. At the time I did not fully understand how my life had been irrevocably impacted by the highly skilled medical intervention of my surgeon.

||Read The Formula for a Good Personal Statement ||

While Dr. Staheli gave me the ability to walk, my mother inspired me to run. My mother took up running for the first time at age 50, training for the New York Marathon. Watching her transform into an avid runner, I too began to believe that I could overcome my physical impediment. Limited flexion made it difficult to build muscle in my left leg, and I needed extreme focus to change my natural gait. Eventually, countless hours on the elliptical trainer corrected my motion, and weight-lifting strengthened my legs. By college I was running nearly every morning. I entered my first race – San Francisco’s Presidio 10-miler – with my mother for her 58th birthday. This year for her 60th we crossed the finish line hand-in-hand for the third year in a row. As I prepare for my first half-marathon this July, I now fully appreciate the impact that Dr. Staheli made on my life 25 years ago.

||Read Personal Statements on Emotional Topics ||

Even though I grew up in a physician family, my interest in pursuing medicine as a career was sparked by my appreciation for the profound impact that medical intervention had on my quality of life. As I wanted to make similar improvements in the lives of others, I began exploring health sciences and health care from as many vantage points as possible. I spent time in clinics, first shadowing physicians at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and later as a volunteer on the transplant ward of a children’s hospital in Moscow, Russia during my study-abroad program.

||Read Writing the Personal Statement for Medical School ||

The supply of medical staff and equipment at the Moscow Children’s Hospital seemed stripped down to the bare bones compared to American clinics. The corridors were cold, with the familiar scent of sterility replaced by musty dampness. If the hospital air was chilly however, the children were the opposite – I was instantly drawn to their warmth. In Seattle I observed patient care, but in Russia I had the chance to be a caregiver. I spent time with patients at their bedsides and in the hospital chapel where I organized art projects and taught English. The children were eager to tell me about their families, friends, and favorite sports teams. They taught me Russian slang and barraged me with questions about America. One girl, approaching the date of her kidney transplant, began calling me in the evenings to talk. Our nightly discussions were both light and serious in nature. On the eve of her transplant, we discussed her fear of undergoing the operation. We subsequently communicated during the ups and downs of her first post-operative year. Now six years later, we are still in touch, and I am relieved to say that she is doing well.

||Read Medical School Personal Statement Tips ||

In the bleak environment of the children’s hospital, I bonded with children from all over Russia, all facing major life-changing procedures. Though I could not assist directly in clinical care, my participation was nonetheless therapeutic. In those stripped-down facilities it became clear to me that supportive human connections are as integral to healing as skilled medical interventions. Despite the linguistic and cultural barriers, I discovered my ability to forge these connections and comfort the children on the transplant ward. Within the walls of the Moscow Children’s Hospital, I realized that a career as a physician could fulfill my desire to heal patients through medical knowledge, while simultaneously allowing me to develop human connections to positively impact their outcomes.

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Staheli unlocked my potential for mobility by surgically correcting the devastating injuries to my lower limbs. My mother then inspired me to realize this potential by running and racing. As a physician I hope to do both, improving the quality of life for my patients by providing not only therapeutic interventions, but also the personal encouragement to achieve what was previously unattainable.

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• Medical School Age Anxiety

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Personal Statement

The personal statement accomplishes a variety of goals:

• It explains why you are choosing a career in medicine.
• It puts a "face" to your application.
• It helps medical schools understand your experiences, interests and values.

What Medical Schools Look For

• Evidence that you understand the realities of medicine.
• Your view on why you have chosen a career in medicine.
• Your life story - How did you get to this point?
• Your values/experiences - Why is medicine a good fit for you?

Common Pitfalls

• Writing only about medicine and not about yourself.
• Not giving yourself enough time to revise multiple drafts.
• Cutting and pasting the statement from a Word document into the application, which introduces formatting errors. Make sure to write statement in a text-only program like Notepad or directly into the essay.
• Not proofing the final draft carefully.
• Not being aware of the tone of essay; coming across as arrogant or entitled to a career in medicine.
• Relying only on your ideas of medicine and not showing how you tested your decision with experiences.
• Writing a personal statement that could apply to any applicant.
• Repeating information that can be found elsewhere in the application.
• Start early. If you procrastinate on a personal statement, you delay the whole application process.
• Overwrite at the beginning of the process. Any extra material can often be used in secondary applications and preparing for interviews.
• Edit the final draft to 5,300 characters (including spaces) for AMCAS statements (usually a page and a half single spaced).
• Personal statement workshops   are held in winter and spring quarters. They are designed to help you begin the writing process.   See our events page   for upcoming workshops.
• Individual advising appointments   are available for preparation and feedback.   Book an appointment to meet with an advisor .
• You can review examples of successful personal statements at the HPA office. They are available for viewing at the reception desk.
• Check out   Essay Workshop 101 on the Student Doctor Network   website for tips and considerations.
• If you need style help,   The Writing Place   can help with grammar and expression (but not with content).

My New Dentist Life: First year lessons

Editor’s note : This is the final article in a New Dentist Now blog series, My New Dentist Life , following a new dentist’s first year experiences out of dental school. The views expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author and are not intended to reflect the views, positions or policies of the ADA or the New Dentist Committee. To read previous articles in the series, visit ADA.org/mynewdentistlife .

The year has come to an end and I can no longer call myself a “first year dentist”. I “celebrated” my one-year anniversary of working at my current job on Aug. 3. I want to thank the ADA for being interested enough in my story to allow me to broadcast it to the masses – the highs and especially the lows. I think back to when I received an email from them just before graduation. As a soon-to-be-graduating dental student, I jumped at the opportunity, full of hopes and dreams and alive with the possibility of sharing how completely amazing my first year was going to be.

Well, we both know that did not happen. Although they have frequently praised me for being honest with my blog posts over the past year, I fear that I have not been honest enough. My first year experience has been – for lack of a better word – horrible. I left my job on Aug. 31. If there is one thing that the past 13 months have taught me, it is what I do not want – for my career or for my life. That is the silver lining. Here are five musings from my first year out of dental school to hopefully enlighten those who will be experiencing theirs soon:

Top 5 Things I Learned My First Year Out of Dental School:

1. Corporate dentistry is just as bad as they say it is. Maybe even worse.

Without getting into too much detail… Seeing up to 30 patients a day, always feeling rushed and stressed, not getting an actual lunch break, dealing with materials that are not up to my expectations or standards, being praised and evaluated on production only and not on patient care, relationships, or skill, that’s real life. It is hard to put your heart and soul into an environment that is at its core soulless and heartless. Focusing on my patients first and everything else second is how I got through. I joined a dentist-owned group practice because in the area to which I was moving, all of the experienced dentists would not hire a new graduate. They all turned me away for not having 3-5 years of experience. How was I supposed to get that experience? It seems that the same dentists who say how terrible corporate dentistry is are also not willing to take on a newbie. How do we deal with this problem? According to a speaker at the Academy of General Dentistry meeting in Boston that I asked – “Keep the faith!” That is all that she could say. Meanwhile another speaker basically said that I chose money over mentoring, which is not true. How do we support our new dentists with this changing approach to dentistry? My biggest fear is that this is dentistry’s future.

2. Pettiness never ends. No matter what age, level of education or level of professionalism you reach, deep down we are all still living that uncomfortable middle school life.

Office drama happens. People at their core are petty. I can’t tell you the number of times I have been surprised this year by the actions of older adults, as well as people my own age. The trick, it seems, is to not be surprised anymore. But the most important thing to remember is to rise above it and never engage them. Being a dentist, I had hoped to be involved in the building of my team – hiring and training staff. Being an employee, I was not involved in this at all. In the future, that will be one of my priorities.

3. It’s hard out there for a new dentist. Getting involved and engaged in organized dentistry can be tough.

Transitioning from an involved dental student to an involved new dentist was extremely hard for me. I often felt unseen and unheard. It is a very strange feeling to go from the American Student Dental Association, where you feel as though your voice is heard and things are extremely well run and everything gets done, to not really knowing your place. Engaging new dentists was something that I was passionate about as an ASDA member and I was extremely disappointed to find that being a new dentist in organized dentistry was exactly how I thought it was going to be. I want to make this a better transition for future new dentists! Having said that, I am thankful for the opportunity to attend the events that I did this year and I look forward to being even more involved this next year!

4. It is important to have something in your life besides your career. This is especially helpful when your career isn’t going how you had hoped.

Moving to a new state where I had few friends and no family nearby was hard in itself. Add in the fact that I went to bed almost every night dreading going to work the next day and I woke up every morning dreaming of calling in sick, and it was pretty hard to get through. You can’t let your relationships, your hobbies, the things that you truly love slip away for your new career. It simply isn’t that important. Dentistry is what I love to do, but it is worthless without a good life to go along with it.

5. You can’t compare your journey to someone else’s.

I was so disappointed at how my first year experience turned out. I thought that it was a reflection on me that I thoroughly researched all of my job opportunities and had several people – including a lawyer – look over my contract and thought that it would be amazing and it was still terrible. I obviously wouldn’t have picked the job that I picked if I didn’t think that it would be wonderful. It did seem great at first. I got unlucky. Or maybe I was just naïve. The thing that made it worse though, was talking to my friends about their job experiences or looking on social media and being jealous that my situation was not like that. To be fair, there were several others who had terrible experiences – worse than mine. The most important thing is that you are happy in your position, not how many full-mouth reconstructions you are doing on day one.

It has been a pleasure being a part of the ADA’s New Dentist Now blog this past year. Thank you to those who shared this journey with me. As much as this past year has been different than what I thought it would be, and as much as I hoped that I would have some amazing success story to share, I appreciate the opportunity to be real. Sorry if I depressed anybody! I will be moving to Washington State to continue my journey in the Pacific Northwest. I look forward and have hope for better things ahead!

For other new dentists who joined a similar group practice, what have been your experiences? Do they differ from mine? What can more established dentists do to help new dentists?

Dr. Emily Hobart is a New Dentist Now guest blogger and a member of the American Dental Association, the South Carolina Dental Association and Central District Dental Society. She is an estranged Canadian who grew up in Glendale, Arizona, where she attended dental school at Midwestern University . In her free time, she loves running, rock climbing, pub trivia, karaoke and traveling!

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36 thoughts on “ My New Dentist Life: First year lessons ”

Thank you for your incredibly candid recount of your experiences and the advice for fellow new dentists (and those soon-to-be), Dr. Hobart! Your honesty is courageous and so helpful to those of us who are about to embark on this next step in dentistry. For those who are under the very false preconceived notion that graduation is “the end of the hard times,” it’s an excellent reminder that there will certainly be great struggles ahead, hopefully sprinkled with small successes and some smiles along the way. There is no “perfect situation,” (for anyone in any profession) but we can constantly work towards a work/life balance (or integration) that allows for healthy amounts of both challenge and happiness. I’ve appreciated hearing about your experiences and wish you all the best in WA!

Very insightfull to hear your story and first hand experiences in the real word of dentistry. Best of luck in your career. For us patients, most of dentistry is just brushing teet with a soft toothbrush and flossing occasionaly up until a visit to a dentist comes along.

Yeah, I agree with you, it is very hard to begin your career, when every employer wants to hire only an experienced dentist. But with the lapse of time, you will be drawn into this sphere, and in a blink of an eye, you’ll become this very experienced dentist. We can handle everything. Good luck!

It’s not only a hars thing, it’s very difficult to get new patients too. But thanks to ADA blog, i learn lots of internal tricks from their informative blog.

Hey, Thanks for great article. Tips are really innovative and effective. We truly respect this profession. I am friendly and outgoing and operate well and get together with pretty much everyone. In today’s ever-changing economy, choosing the right career is more important than ever. For many people looking for a career in healthcare, a job as a dental hygienist is very appealing. It’s one of the fastest-growing careers in today’s job market and it requires typically no more than two years of college.

As a prospective employer for an associate, the problem that an established dentist has with new grads has nothing to do with skill level. That can be mentored and improved upon if the associate is willing to accept the mentorship. It is more about the financial demands of the new grad who has a large student loan balance. It is one thing to accept that a new grad will take 2 1/2 hours to get a crown appt done, but something else to see the same grad expect to be paid like a seasoned vet just because of their loans. There are great associateship opportunities out there in offices like mine, but the associate has to be able to withstand a period of time where there will not be a lot of income coming in as they hone their craft.

I have learned from my own period as an associate years ago, and three years of having an associate. There is a lot more that goes making a good opportunity than just signing a contract. Hard work does have it’s own rewards- and anyone who expects to merely clock in and clock out is going to be greatly disappointed in their career.

Pingback: My New Dentist Life: First year lessons

Thanks for sharing great information about dentist and first year lesson.

I love your candid honesty and I am sure many are reading this and feeling relieved it is not just them . I run a hands on endo study club at Dalhousie University with an AMAZING mentor Dr. Robert S. Roda from Scottsdale, Arizona and guest mentors. It is for dentists across Atlantic Canada to hone their endo skills with live patient operations and up to date lectures on endo . 4 years ago we started to invite all graduating dentists to spend the last 3 meetings of the year with us so we could immerse them in the dental culture and give them a heads up on the journey. EVERY year the new grads that come walk away much more prepared for their first year. Wishing you EVERY success !

Suzanne Balcom CPO East Coast Endodontic Study Club

It is quite refreshing to see a young dentist’s journey transitioning- from being a student to being a new dentist. I was having flashbacks of my own experiences reading your lessons learned regarding your first year out of dental school. I believe building strong professional relationships and aligning with great organizations (such as the ADA) are tremendous resources for a new, up and coming dentist, especially if you want to start your own practice. I was fortunate myself to be able to start my practice in Southern California and be a dentist in Cerritos . Thanks for the great post as I always appreciate the perspective and insight from another dentist and best of luck to you.

Awesome post, best of luck to you and your career!

I absolutely agree with your reflections Emily! Especially the last two. I remember talking to some people who were 2 years out and they said they were making an amount that was DOUBLE what I had, or when they bragged about inning 3 chairs at once, it would make me feel inadequate. However, having non dental goals and focusing what about dentistry makes me full fulfilled ended up being much more important to my happiness and wellbeing!

Sorry to hear about your experience. As a solo practitioner for over 30 years, with several associates who have come and gone, I found it helpful to read about your experience. There is that “grey area” when a student who just has graduated, but does not have much experience, how can they get experience, but also pay their bills (school loans, rent, food etc}? My problem is that when I have hired an associate directly from dental school, the investment I make with increasing space (new chair), increasing staff(new assistant and possible front desk person), increasing marketing (helping the new dentist get new patients) usually there is not income at all for me and most of the time, there is a loss of income. It usually takes about 2 years before the associate has developed their “dental zone” which generally means they are practicing not only quality dentistry, but quantity too (they are making the office more profitable). I have no problem with that. I don’t mind waiting at all. I know when I first started, the office I worked for was very generous and very patient for me to develop my dental skills and people skills too. But that was probably because the dentist I worked for was my dad. My experience has been most dentists who come out of school usually leave right about when they are just starting to get into a positive cash flow momentum. So now I have a new chair, new employee(s), new overhead, but no dentist. So what do I do? Start over? I actually love working with new dentists. It’s kind of a “gee I feel important” thing when they need help with an extraction, or need advice on a problem patient…..etc. So I see your point of view and I hope I have made some kind of info for you to think about too when looking for an associate opportunity. I really am not expecting anything to come from this. I was just impressed with your thoughts and felt an urge to express my thoughts too. Maybe this will be therapeutic for us older dentists.

Ah — I remember in my first year of dentistry, I went through a horror similar to yours; the constant rotation of patients coming in, the pettiness and drama between office and the bureaucracy of office politics in general, and all of the transition from a new dentist to a professional private practice dentist.

But I have to say that it is all worth it in the end. I have my own office now doing Emergency dental work in Beverly Hills, and i’m pretty proud of it.

So keep going & never give up!

We appreciate your effort in sharing your experience! Liked reading the article.

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I have been out of school for 7 years and still learning every day! First few years were most stressful. Purchasing a practice brought with it new sources of stress! Important for us to always be challenging ourselves….we will look back 10 years, 20 years from now with the expertise to make the early troubles seem like a breeze! Awesome article!

Sorry to hear about your rough times, Dr. Emily Hobart. I’m sure your valuable experience would help many final year dental students to embrace the reality better. I would be happy to know that even though you’ve been through an emotional roller coaster since graduation, you have a bright and promising future. Because, experiences like this make you better than the others who started with ease and learnt a lot less than you. Cheers and Good wishes!

very well explained article about new dental practitioners, it helped me as a beginner…… sorry to hear about your difficulties.

Cheers and Good wishes!

Best of luck in your career, there’s nothing you can’t do if you work hard.

I like your post and how you are inspirational. I am also a dentist and know what problems we face in our day-to -day life. Will recommend your blog.

Great, Very Practically Explained Everything. Really Awesome Blog. Thanks for Sharing Your Experience Dr. Hobart.

Thanks for sharing such detailed information about the first-year dentist lesson.

Reading your blog brings back my memories when i first started as dentist. The experiences, the challenges and everything. Hope you are doing well now.

Thank you for the article, very informative. First year out is very difficult.

I absolutely agree with you. Your story is very insightful. first-hand experiences in the real world of dentistry definitely will help to my student who is currently working as a junior dentist in Pune .

great article . thanks for sharing your story in your dental life

Thanks for sharing, wish you good luck for future write ups.

Happened upon this 4 years after it was written. As an old coger, not a lot of surprises in Dr. Hobart’s experience. Was wondering if there could be a followup to see where she is now?

Very well written blog! I am a dentist for last twenty two years and in my own private practice for 21 years! Felt quite nostalgic after reading your experience. Dentistry is hard and private practice is demanding! You must have business knowledge as well! All the best for your future journey and keep writing your experiene and it will definitely help any new dentist!

Thank you so much for sharing info 🙂 I just started my dental journey

Agree with you here. Just give it time and you will see that everything will work out great. Good luck!

Totally agree wih you there. I was a bit dissappointed with everything at first but somehow overcame my first year. A good mentor is very important for a newbie as I personally think. Liked your honest writing.

Thanks for sharing your experience, it is really tough to get past your initial period.

Being a new dentist is not easy. Dentistry itself is a tough job which makes you learn everyday!!! I am doing my dentistry for last 24 years but still there are days when I feel very helpless in a difficult case! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Reading your blogs makes me remind of my early days in the dentist’s practice. Agree with each word of yours.

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Resume Examples

September 18, 2024

19 Dentist Resume Examples

These dentist resume examples take the crown.

Resume Examples and Guide For

Recent Dental School Graduate

Dental residency applicant, new dentist seeking associate position, general dentist with 5+ years experience.

Pediatric Dentist

Orthodontist

Periodontist, endodontist, cosmetic dentist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, prosthodontist, dental public health specialist, private practice owner, corporate dental clinic dentist, military dentist, academic dentist/researcher, dentist transitioning to dental administration, dentist moving into dental technology, dentist seeking teledentistry opportunities, dentist resume outline, which resume layout should a dentist use, what your dentist resume header should include, dentist resume header examples, what your dentist resume summary should include, dentist resume summary examples, what are the most common dentist responsibilities, what your dentist resume experience should include, dentist resume experience examples, how do i create a dentist resume without experience.

• What's the Best Education for a Dentist Resume?
• What's the Best Professional Organization for a Dentist Resume?

What Are the Best Awards for a Dentist Resume?

What are good volunteer opportunities for a dentist resume, what are the best hard skills to add to a dentist resume, what are the best soft skills to add to a dentist resume, what are the best certifications for a dentist resume, how long should i make my dentist resume, what should the focus of a dentist resume be.

When you drill it down, it's your resume that'll be the key to landing your dream job . Whether you're a recent graduate, an experienced practitioner, or specializing in a specific area of dental care, this comprehensive guide will provide you with tailored dentist resume examples and expert advice to help you shine in your job search. Let's explore how to write a dentist resume that showcases your skills, experience, and passion for oral health, setting you apart in the dental profession.

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Entry-Level Dentist Resume Examples

This recent dental school graduate resume example is perfect for a newly graduated dentist looking to secure their first position in a general practice setting.

Mia Jones, DDS

[email protected] - (555) 123-4567 - Fort Collins, CO

Enthusiastic and skilled recent dental school graduate with a strong foundation in general dentistry and a passion for patient-centered care. Seeking an associate dentist position to apply and expand clinical skills while contributing to a dynamic dental practice.

Student Dentist

Dental School Clinic, University of Fort Collins

09/2021 - 05/2023

Fort Collins, CO

• Performed comprehensive oral examinations, diagnoses, and treatment planning for 100+ patients
• Conducted various dental procedures including fillings, crowns, and simple extractions
• Collaborated with specialists for complex cases, enhancing interdisciplinary skills
• Utilized digital radiography and intraoral cameras to improve diagnostic accuracy

Fort Collins Dental Clinic

06/2022 - 08/2022

• Provided dental care to underserved populations, enhancing cultural competency
• Performed preventive and restorative procedures under supervision of licensed dentists
• Educated patients on proper oral hygiene techniques and preventive care

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

University of Fort Collins

09/2019 - 04/2023

• GPA: 3.8/4.0

Certifications

CPR and Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified

OSHA and HIPAA Compliance Training

Proficient in digital radiography and CAD/CAM technology • Experienced with electronic health records (EHR) systems • Strong communication and patient education skills • Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish

Why this resume is great

This recent dental school graduate resume effectively highlights the recent graduate's educational background, clinical experience, and relevant skills. The summary statement clearly communicates the candidate's enthusiasm and career goals. The inclusion of externship experience and volunteer work demonstrates a commitment to community service and practical application of skills, making it an attractive resume for entry-level positions.

This dental residency applicant resume example is tailored for a recent dental school graduate applying for a competitive residency program in general dentistry or a specialty area.

Ling Huang, DMD

[email protected] - (555) 987-6543 - Corona, CA

Dedicated and detail-oriented recent DMD graduate seeking a challenging residency position in Orthodontics to further develop clinical skills and contribute to advancing oral health care.

Student Clinician

Orthodontics Department, Dental Institute of California

01/2023 - 04/2023

• Assisted in the treatment of 50+ orthodontic patients under faculty supervision
• Gained proficiency in bracket placement, wire bending, and clear aligner therapy
• Participated in weekly case presentations and treatment planning sessions

General Dentistry Clinic, Dental Institute of California

08/2021 - 12/2022

• Provided comprehensive dental care to diverse patient population
• Performed various procedures including restorations, crown preparations, and simple extractions
• Utilized digital imaging and intraoral scanning technologies

Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)

Dental Institute of California

• Graduated: 05/2023
• GPA: 3.9/4.0
• Honors: Magna Cum Laude

3D Printing Applications in Orthodontic Treatment Planning

01/2023 - 05/2023

Conducted a comparative study of traditional and 3D-printed orthodontic models

• Presented findings at the National Dental Research Conference, 2023

Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers

HIPAA Compliance Certification

Proficient in cephalometric analysis and treatment planning software • Experienced with various orthodontic appliances and techniques • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team

This dental residency resume excels in showcasing the applicant's strong academic background and specific interest in orthodontics. The research experience and thesis topic demonstrate a commitment to the specialty. Clinical rotations are well-detailed, highlighting relevant skills and experiences. The inclusion of achievements and language skills further strengthens the application, making it stand out for competitive residency programs.

This new dentist seeking associate position resume example is designed for a newly licensed dentist looking to secure an associate position in a established dental practice.

Sam Rodriguez, DDS

[email protected] - (555) 246-8101 - Palmdale, CA

Newly licensed dentist with a strong foundation in general dentistry and a passion for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. Seeking an associate position in a progressive dental practice to apply and expand clinical skills while contributing to practice growth and patient satisfaction.

Dental School Clinic, Palmdale School of Dentistry

09/2021 - 04/2023

Palmdale, CA

• Provided comprehensive dental care to 100+ patients under faculty supervision
• Performed various procedures including fillings, crowns, root canals, and extractions
• Utilized digital radiography, intraoral cameras, and CAD/CAM technology
• Developed treatment plans and effectively communicated them to patients

Dental Extern

Community Health Center, Palmdale

• Delivered dental care to underserved populations, enhancing cultural competency
• Gained experience in efficient delivery of care in a high-volume setting
• Collaborated with dental hygienists and assistants in a team-based environment

Palmdale School of Dentistry

• Invisalign Certification

Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry Workshop

Proficient in digital dentistry technologies including intraoral scanning and 3D printing • Experienced with practice management software and electronic health records • Strong diagnostic and treatment planning abilities • Excellent communication and patient education skills

This new dentist seeking associate position resume effectively positions the new dentist as a well-rounded candidate for an associate position. It highlights relevant clinical experience, emphasizes proficiency in modern dental technologies, and showcases a commitment to continuing education. The inclusion of volunteer experience and language skills adds depth to the application, making it appealing to practices looking for a well-qualified and community-oriented associate dentist.

Experienced Dentist Resume Examples

This experienced general dentist resume example is tailored for an experienced general dentist looking to advance their career or transition to a new practice setting.

Sheryl Horvat, DDS

[email protected] - (555) 369-2580 - Denton, TX

Dedicated general dentist with 7 years of experience providing comprehensive dental care in private practice settings. Skilled in a wide range of dental procedures with a focus on cosmetic dentistry and patient comfort. Committed to staying current with the latest dental technologies and techniques to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Lead Dentist

Bright Smiles Dental Clinic

06/2018 - Present

• Manage a patient base of 2000+, maintaining a 98% patient satisfaction rate
• Perform a full range of general dentistry procedures including restorations, crowns, bridges, and implant restorations
• Specialize in cosmetic procedures such as veneers and teeth whitening
• Implement digital workflow using CAD/CAM technology, increasing efficiency by 30%
• Mentor and train new associates and dental assistants
• Increased practice revenue by 25% through introduction of new services and improved patient retention

Associate Dentist

Denton Dental Associates

07/2016 - 05/2018

• Collaborated with specialists for complex cases, enhancing interdisciplinary approach
• Participated in practice management decisions, contributing to 15% growth in new patients

University of Denton

09/2014 - 04/2016

Advanced Implant Dentistry Course

• Laser Dentistry Certification

Proficient in CEREC CAD/CAM technology • Experienced with soft tissue lasers • Expert in cosmetic bonding and veneer placement • Strong treatment planning and case presentation skills

This experienced general dentist resume effectively showcases the dentist's extensive experience and skills. It highlights specific achievements, such as increasing practice revenue and maintaining high patient satisfaction. The emphasis on continuing education and advanced skills in areas like cosmetic dentistry and digital technologies demonstrates a commitment to professional growth. The inclusion of community involvement and publications adds depth to the profile, making it attractive to practices looking for a well-rounded, experienced dentist.

This pediatric dentist resume example is crafted for an experienced pediatric dentist seeking a position in a specialized pediatric dental practice or children's hospital.

William Brown, DMD, MS

[email protected] - (555) 741-9630 - Sunnyvale, CA

Compassionate and skilled Pediatric Dentist with 8 years of experience in providing specialized dental care to infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special needs. Dedicated to creating positive dental experiences and promoting lifelong oral health habits in young patients.

Lead Pediatric Dentist

Sunnyvale Pediatric Dentistry

08/2017 - Present

Sunnyvale, CA

• Provide comprehensive pediatric dental care to patients aged 0-18, including preventive, restorative, and minor oral surgery procedures
• Specialize in behavior management techniques for anxious children and those with special needs
• Implement sedation dentistry protocols for complex procedures, ensuring patient safety and comfort
• Collaborate with orthodontists and other specialists for interdisciplinary treatment planning
• Mentor junior associates and dental residents, contributing to their professional development
• Increased practice patient base by 40% through community outreach and referral program initiatives

Associate Pediatric Dentist

Children's Dental Center

07/2015 - 07/2017

• Provided full range of pediatric dental services in a high-volume, hospital-based practice
• Gained extensive experience in treating medically compromised children
• Participated in cleft palate and craniofacial team, providing specialized dental care to affected patients

Master of Science (MS) in Pediatric Dentistry - Pediatric Dentistry

University of Sunnyvale

09/2013 - 04/2015

Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) - Dentistry

09/2009 - 04/2013

Board Certified

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Certified

Conscious Sedation Permit Holder

Expert in pediatric behavior management techniques • Proficient in pediatric oral sedation and nitrous oxide administration • Experienced in treating children with special healthcare needs • Skilled in parental education and counseling

This pediatric dentist resume excellently highlights the specialized skills and experience of a pediatric dentist. It emphasizes expertise in behavior management and treating special needs patients, which are crucial in pediatric dentistry. The progression from associate to lead dentist demonstrates career growth. The inclusion of certifications, continuing education, and community involvement showcases a commitment to the field and child-focused care. The publication adds credibility, making this resume stand out for specialized pediatric dental positions.

This orthodontist resume example is designed for an experienced orthodontist seeking a position in a private practice or academic setting.

Marcia Garcia, DDS, MS

[email protected] - (555) 852-7413 - Fullerton, CA

Board-certified Orthodontist with 10 years of experience in providing exceptional orthodontic care to patients of all ages. Expertise in traditional braces, clear aligners, and cutting-edge orthodontic technologies. Committed to achieving optimal functional and aesthetic results while ensuring patient comfort and satisfaction.

Lead Orthodontist and Practice Owner

Straight Smile Orthodontics

09/2016 - Present

Fullerton, CA

• Manage a thriving orthodontic practice, treating over 500 active patients
• Specialize in complex cases, including surgical orthodontics and interdisciplinary treatment planning
• Implement digital workflow using 3D scanning and custom appliance design, improving treatment efficiency by 25%
• Achieved Invisalign Diamond Provider status, placing practice in top 1% of Invisalign providers nationwide
• Mentor orthodontic residents and provide continuing education to general dentists
• Increased practice revenue by 35% through introduction of accelerated treatment options and expanded adult patient base

Associate Orthodontist

Fullerton Dental Associates

07/2013 - 08/2016

• Provided comprehensive orthodontic care in a multi-specialty academic practice
• Collaborated with oral surgeons and periodontists for interdisciplinary cases
• Participated in clinical research studies on orthodontic treatment modalities

Master of Science (MS) in Orthodontics - Orthodontics

Fullerton University

09/2011 - 04/2013

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) - Dentistry

Fullerton Dentistry College

09/2006 - 04/2010

Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics

Advanced Course in Lingual Orthodontics

Surgical Orthodontics Symposium

Accelerated Orthodontics Workshop

Proficient in Invisalign, SureSmile, and lingual orthodontic systems • Expert in 3D treatment planning and digital smile design • Experienced in temporary anchorage devices (TADs) and orthognathic surgery planning • Strong skills in practice management and team leadership

This orthodontist resume effectively showcases the orthodontist's extensive experience and expertise. It highlights leadership skills through practice ownership and mentoring roles. The emphasis on advanced technologies and treatment modalities demonstrates a commitment to staying at the forefront of orthodontic care. The inclusion of research experience, publications, and community involvement adds depth to the profile, making it highly attractive for prestigious orthodontic positions in private practice or academic settings.

This peridontist resume example is tailored for an experienced periodontist looking to join a specialty practice or multi-specialty dental group.

Nikola Papadopoulos, DMD, MS

[email protected] - (555) 963-8520 - Midland, TX

Board-certified Periodontist with 9 years of experience specializing in the treatment of periodontal diseases, dental implant surgery, and advanced regenerative procedures. Committed to providing evidence-based, patient-centered care and staying at the forefront of periodontal and implant dentistry.

Senior Periodontist

Advanced Periodontics and Implant Center

07/2017 - Present

Midland, TX

• Provide comprehensive periodontal care and implant services to a diverse patient base
• Perform advanced surgical procedures including guided tissue regeneration, sinus augmentation, and All-on-4 implant restorations
• Utilize LANAP (Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure) for minimally invasive periodontal therapy
• Collaborate with restorative dentists and other specialists for complex multidisciplinary cases
• Implement digital workflow using CBCT and guided implant surgery, improving surgical precision and outcomes
• Mentor general dentists in periodontal procedures and implant placement through hands-on courses

Associate Periodontist

Midland Dental Hospital

08/2014 - 06/2017

• Treated complex periodontal cases and provided implant services in a teaching hospital setting
• Supervised and trained periodontal residents and dental students
• Participated in clinical research studies on periodontal regeneration and peri-implantitis treatment

Master of Science (MS) in Periodontology - Periodontology

Periodontal Institute

09/2012 - 04/2014

Midland University

09/2007 - 04/2011

Diplomate, American Board of Periodontology

Advanced Bone Grafting Techniques

Soft Tissue Plasticity Around Teeth and Implants Symposium

Perio-Prosthodontic Synergy Workshop

Expert in advanced periodontal and implant surgical techniques • Proficient in LANAP therapy and other laser applications in periodontology • Experienced in 3D treatment planning and computer-guided implant surgery • Strong diagnostic and treatment planning skills for complex periodontal cases

This resume excellently highlights the periodontist's specialized skills and experience. It emphasizes expertise in advanced surgical techniques and technology use, which are crucial in modern periodontal practice. The progression from associate to senior periodontist demonstrates career growth. The inclusion of research activities, publications, and lectures showcases the candidate's contribution to the field. The community involvement adds a humanizing touch, making this resume stand out for high-level periodontal positions in specialty practices or academic settings.

This endodontist resume example is crafted for an experienced endodontist seeking a position in a specialty practice or multi-specialty dental group.

Laura Kovačević, DDS, MSD

[email protected] - (555) 174-9630 - Orange, CA

Board-certified Endodontist with 8 years of experience specializing in microscope-enhanced endodontics, complex root canal treatments, and microsurgical procedures. Dedicated to preserving natural dentition through advanced endodontic techniques and committed to patient-centered care and pain management.

Lead Endodontist

Precision Endodontics

09/2018 - Present

• Provide comprehensive endodontic care, including non-surgical and surgical root canal treatments, retreatments, and apicoectomies
• Utilize state-of-the-art technology including CBCT, operating microscopes, and 3D-guided endodontics for enhanced precision and outcomes
• Specialize in management of complex cases including calcified canals, anatomical variations, and resorption
• Implement regenerative endodontic procedures for immature permanent teeth
• Collaborate with referring dentists to ensure seamless patient care and optimal restorative outcomes
• Mentor associates and provide continuing education to general dentists on advancements in endodontics
• Achieved a 98% success rate in endodontic treatments, as measured by two-year follow-ups

Associate Endodontist

Orange Dental Specialists

07/2015 - 08/2018

• Performed full range of endodontic procedures in a multi-specialty group practice
• Gained extensive experience in emergency endodontic care and pain management
• Participated in interdisciplinary treatment planning for complex restorative cases

Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) - Endodontics

Orange University

Dental College

09/2008 - 04/2012

Expert in microscope-enhanced endodontics and 3D-guided treatments • Proficient in CBCT interpretation and treatment planning • Experienced in management of dental trauma and endodontic emergencies • Strong skills in pain management and anxious patient care • Advanced Microsurgical Endodontics • 3D-Guided Endodontics • Regenerative Endodontics

This endodontist resume effectively showcases the endodontist's specialized skills and experience. It highlights expertise in advanced endodontic techniques and technology use, which are crucial in modern endodontic practice. The progression from associate to lead endodontist demonstrates career growth and leadership abilities. The inclusion of research activities, publications, and lectures underscores the candidate's commitment to advancing the field. The emphasis on collaboration with referring dentists and mentoring shows a holistic approach to professional practice. The community involvement adds a compassionate dimension, making this resume highly attractive for prestigious endodontic positions in specialty practices or multi-specialty groups.

Specialized Dentist Resume Examples

This cosmetic dentist resume example is tailored for an experienced cosmetic dentist seeking a position in a high-end aesthetic dental practice or looking to expand their own cosmetic dentistry services.

Gloria Jones, DDS, AAACD

[email protected] - (555) 285-7410 - Torrance, CA

Accredited cosmetic dentist with 12 years of experience specializing in advanced aesthetic procedures and smile makeovers. Recognized for artistic approach to dental aesthetics, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to achieve natural-looking, stunning results. Committed to staying at the forefront of cosmetic dentistry techniques and technologies.

Lead Cosmetic Dentist and Practice Owner

Radiant Smiles Cosmetic Dentistry

06/2015 - Present

Torrance, CA

• Provide comprehensive cosmetic dental services including veneers, all-ceramic restorations, and full mouth reconstructions
• Specialize in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and conservative smile makeovers
• Implement digital smile design and 3D printing for highly precise and predictable aesthetic outcomes
• Utilize advanced photography and videography for case documentation and patient communication
• Achieved consistent 5-star patient ratings and numerous "Best Cosmetic Dentist" local awards
• Increased practice revenue by 45% through introduction of high-end aesthetic services and expanded marketing efforts

Associate Cosmetic Dentist

Elite Dental Associates

08/2011 - 05/2015

• Gained extensive experience in a wide range of cosmetic dental procedures
• Collaborated with prosthodontists and orthodontists for comprehensive aesthetic cases
• Developed expertise in tooth whitening techniques and composite bonding artistry

University of Aesthetic Dentistry

Accredited Member

Master Course in Porcelain Veneers

Advanced Composite Bonding Artistry Workshop

Digital Smile Design Residency Program

Expert in porcelain veneer design and placement • Proficient in digital smile design and mock-up techniques • Skilled in aesthetic composite bonding and minimally invasive preparations • Advanced knowledge of color science and shade matching • American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) • American Dental Association (ADA) • Academy of Biomimetic Dentistry (ABD)

This cosmetic dentist resume excellently highlights the cosmetic dentist's specialized skills and extensive experience in aesthetic dentistry. It emphasizes expertise in advanced cosmetic techniques and technology use, which are crucial in high-end cosmetic dental practices. The progression from associate to practice owner demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit and leadership abilities. The inclusion of accreditation, notable achievements, and media appearances underscores the candidate's prominence in the field. The emphasis on patient satisfaction and practice growth showcases business acumen alongside clinical expertise. The community involvement adds a compassionate dimension, making this resume highly attractive for prestigious cosmetic dentistry positions or for attracting high-end clientele to a private practice.

This oral and maxillofacial surgeon resume example is crafted for an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon seeking a position in a hospital, surgical center, or private practice setting.

Dr. Yusuf Abboud, DDS, MD, FACS

[email protected] - (555) 396-8520 - Warren, MI

Board-certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with 15 years of experience in complex facial reconstructions, orthognathic surgery, and advanced implant procedures. Dual-degree trained with extensive hospital and private practice experience. Committed to delivering exceptional surgical care and improving patient quality of life through innovative techniques and compassionate treatment.

Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Metropolitan Oral and Facial Surgery Center

08/2014 - Present

• Lead a team of 5 surgeons and 15 support staff in a high-volume surgical practice
• Perform full scope of oral and maxillofacial procedures including orthognathic surgery, trauma reconstruction, TMJ surgery, and complex implant cases
• Specialize in virtual surgical planning for facial reconstruction and orthognathic cases
• Implement cutting-edge technologies including navigation-guided surgery and 3D-printed surgical guides
• Maintain surgical privileges at three major hospitals in the metropolitan area
• Achieved a 30% reduction in average surgical time through implementation of efficiency protocols
• Serve as principal investigator for multi-center clinical trials on bone grafting materials

Attending Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

University Hospital

07/2009 - 07/2014

• Provided full spectrum of oral and maxillofacial surgical care in a Level I trauma center
• Trained residents and fellows in advanced surgical techniques
• Participated in multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial team

Dental School, University of Warren

09/2000 - 04/2004

Medical Degree (MD)

School of Medicine, University of Dayton

09/2004 - 04/2009

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency

09/2002 - 04/2004

Diplomate, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Fellow, American College of Surgeons (FACS)

Expert in orthognathic surgery and virtual surgical planning • Proficient in navigation-guided surgery and CAD/CAM applications in OMFS • Experienced in management of complex maxillofacial trauma • Strong skills in leadership and surgical team management • Fluent in English and Arabic

This oral and maxillofacial surgeon resume powerfully showcases the oral and maxillofacial surgeon's extensive experience and expertise. It highlights leadership roles, advanced surgical skills, and proficiency in cutting-edge technologies, which are crucial in modern OMFS practice. The dual-degree training and board certification underscore the candidate's comprehensive qualifications. The inclusion of research activities, publications, and international lectures demonstrates thought leadership in the field. The emphasis on efficiency improvements and clinical trial involvement shows a commitment to advancing surgical practices. The community involvement through international missions and pro bono work adds a humanitarian dimension, making this resume highly compelling for top-tier OMFS positions in prestigious hospitals, surgical centers, or private practices.

This prosthodontist resume example is designed for an experienced prosthodontist seeking a position in a specialty practice, multi-specialty group, or academic institution.

Dr. Emma Weber, DMD, MS, FACP

[email protected] - (555) 407-9630 - Stamford, CT

Board-certified Prosthodontist with 10 years of experience specializing in complex restorative cases, full mouth rehabilitation, and implant prosthetics. Recognized for expertise in digital dentistry workflows and aesthetic outcomes. Committed to advancing the field of prosthodontics through clinical excellence, research, and education.

Lead Prosthodontist

Advanced Prosthodontics and Implant Center

06/2016 - Present

Stamford, CT

• Provide comprehensive prosthodontic care, including full mouth reconstructions, implant-supported prostheses, and aesthetic rehabilitations
• Implement fully digital workflow using intraoral scanning, CAD/CAM technology, and 3D printing for highly precise and efficient treatments
• Specialize in management of complex cases involving severe wear, congenital defects, and post-cancer reconstruction
• Collaborate with oral surgeons and periodontists for interdisciplinary treatment planning and execution
• Mentor associate prosthodontists and provide continuing education to referring dentists
• Increased practice revenue by 40% through introduction of advanced digital solutions and expanded referral network

Assistant Professor of Prosthodontics

University Dental School

08/2013 - 05/2016

• Taught graduate and postgraduate courses in prosthodontics and implant dentistry
• Supervised prosthodontic residents in clinical patient care
• Conducted research on digital dentistry applications in prosthodontics

Master of Science (MS) in Prosthodontics - Prosthodontics

Prosthodontic Institute

Stamford Dental University

Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics

Fellow, American College of Prosthodontists (FACP)

Expert in digital prosthodontics and CAD/CAM technology • Proficient in treatment planning for complex restorative cases • Experienced in management of TMD and occlusal disorders • Strong skills in interdisciplinary case coordination • Advanced Digital Smile Design and 3D Printing in Prosthodontics • Complex Implant Restorations Symposium • Maxillofacial Prosthetics Workshop

This prosthodontist resume effectively highlights the prosthodontist's specialized skills and extensive experience in complex restorative dentistry. It emphasizes expertise in digital dentistry and advanced prosthodontic techniques, which are crucial in modern specialty practice. The progression from academic role to lead prosthodontist demonstrates versatility and leadership abilities. The inclusion of research activities, publications, and lectures underscores the candidate's contribution to advancing the field. The patent showcases innovation, while the community involvement adds a compassionate dimension. This comprehensive profile makes the resume highly attractive for prestigious prosthodontic positions in specialty practices, multi-specialty groups, or academic institutions.

This dental public health specialist resume example is tailored for an experienced dental public health specialist seeking a leadership position in a public health department, non-profit organization, or academic institution focused on community oral health.

Dr. Layla Rahman, DDS, MPH

[email protected] - (555) 518-7420 - New Haven, CT

Dedicated Dental Public Health Specialist with 12 years of experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based oral health programs. Expertise in health policy analysis, epidemiology, and program management. Committed to reducing oral health disparities and improving access to dental care for underserved populations.

Director of Oral Health Programs

State Department of Public Health

08/2016 - Present

New Haven, CT

• Lead statewide oral health initiatives, managing a team of 15 professionals and an annual budget of $5 million
• Develop and implement evidence-based policies to improve oral health outcomes across diverse populations
• Oversee school-based dental sealant programs, reaching over 100,000 children annually
• Collaborate with state legislators and stakeholders to advance oral health policies and secure funding
• Implement teledentistry programs to increase access to dental care in rural areas
• Reduced early childhood caries prevalence by 25% through targeted intervention programs
• Secure and manage federal and state grants totaling over $10 million for oral health initiatives

Dental Public Health Consultant

New Haven Health Network

07/2011 - 07/2016

• Designed and evaluated community-based oral health programs for underserved populations
• Conducted needs assessments and developed strategic plans for improving oral health in urban and rural communities
• Provided technical assistance to local health departments on oral health surveillance and program implementation

Master of Public Health (MPH) - Concentration in Dental Public Health

School of Public Health, University of New Haven

09/2009 - 04/2011

Dental School, University of New Haven

Dental Public Health Residency

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

09/2004 - 04/2000

Atlanta, GA

Diplomate, American Board of Dental Public Health

Advanced Epidemiology Methods in Oral Health Research

Health Policy and Management Institute

Leadership in Public Health Practice Workshop

Expert in oral health policy development and analysis • Proficient in epidemiological research methods and data analysis • Experienced in grant writing and program evaluation • Strong skills in stakeholder engagement and coalition building

This dental public health specialist resume powerfully showcases the dental public health specialist's extensive experience and expertise in community oral health initiatives. It highlights leadership roles, policy development skills, and success in implementing large-scale programs, which are crucial in public health dentistry. The combination of clinical dental training and public health education underscores the candidate's comprehensive qualifications. The inclusion of research activities, publications, and national presentations demonstrates thought leadership in the field. The emphasis on measurable outcomes, such as reducing early childhood caries and securing significant grant funding, shows a track record of impactful work. The community involvement and awards add depth to the profile, making this resume highly compelling for top-tier positions in public health departments, non-profit organizations, or academic institutions focused on improving community oral health.

Dentist Resume Examples by Practice Type

This private practice owner resume example is designed for an experienced dentist looking to showcase their clinical expertise alongside their business acumen as a practice owner.

Dr. Oliver Young, DDS

[email protected] - (555) 629-8530 - Kent, WA

Accomplished dentist and successful private practice owner with 15 years of clinical experience and 8 years of practice management expertise. Combines advanced dental skills with strong business acumen to deliver high-quality patient care while maintaining a thriving practice. Committed to continuous improvement in both clinical techniques and practice operations.

Founder and Owner

Bright Smiles Dental Care

05/2015 - Present

• Established and grew a state-of-the-art dental practice from the ground up
• Provide comprehensive general and cosmetic dental services to a patient base of over 3,000
• Implemented digital dentistry solutions including CAD/CAM same-day restorations and 3D imaging
• Developed and executed marketing strategies resulting in 25% year-over-year growth for 5 consecutive years
• Manage a team of 3 associate dentists, 2 hygienists, and 8 support staff
• Maintain a 98% patient satisfaction rate and 4.9-star online rating
• Increased practice value by 300% through strategic investments in technology and staff development
• Established community outreach programs, enhancing practice visibility and patient acquisition

Kent Dental

07/2008 - 04/2015

• Provided full spectrum of general dentistry services in a high-volume group practice
• Consistently exceeded production goals while maintaining excellent patient care standards
• Gained valuable experience in practice management and patient relations

University of Kent

09/2004 - 04/2008

Mini-Residency in Implant Dentistry

Implant Education Institute

09/2011 - 04/2012

Advanced Practice Management and Leadership Course

Comprehensive Aesthetic Dentistry Continuum

Digital Dentistry Mastery Program

Expert in comprehensive treatment planning and case presentation • Proficient in CAD/CAM technology and digital workflow • Experienced in practice financial management and team leadership • Strong skills in patient communication and relationship building

This private practice owner resume effectively highlights Dr. Young's dual expertise as both a skilled clinician and a successful practice owner. It showcases the dentist's ability to build and grow a thriving practice while maintaining high standards of patient care. The emphasis on practice growth, patient satisfaction, and community involvement demonstrates a well-rounded approach to dental practice ownership. The inclusion of business achievements and leadership roles outside the practice adds depth to the profile, making it particularly appealing for networking opportunities, speaking engagements, or potential practice expansion ventures.

This corporate dental clinic dentist resume example is tailored for a dentist seeking a position in a corporate dental setting, emphasizing efficiency, adaptability, and team collaboration.

Dr. Mei Zhou, DMD

[email protected] - (555) 730-9640 - Fargo, ND

Dynamic and efficient dentist with 7 years of experience in high-volume corporate dental settings. Skilled in delivering quality patient care while meeting productivity goals. Adept at working within standardized protocols and utilizing modern dental technologies to enhance treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction.

SmileCorp Dental Centers

08/2018 - Present

• Provide comprehensive dental care in a fast-paced, multi-chair corporate clinic
• Manage a team of 2 associate dentists and 6 dental assistants, ensuring smooth clinic operations
• Consistently exceed monthly production goals while maintaining a 97% patient satisfaction rate
• Implement efficient scheduling and treatment planning strategies, increasing patient flow by 20%
• Utilize digital radiography and CAD/CAM technology to streamline patient care
• Collaborate with specialists within the corporate network for seamless patient referrals
• Mentor new dentists on corporate protocols and productivity best practices
• Participate in corporate leadership training and quality improvement initiatives

Fargo Dental Network

06/2016 - 07/2018

• Delivered a wide range of dental services in multiple corporate clinic locations
• Adapted quickly to different practice settings and patient demographics
• Achieved highest patient satisfaction scores among new associates for two consecutive years

Fargo University

09/2012 - 04/2016

Corporate Dentistry Leadership Program

01/2024 - 08/2024

Efficient Endo: Single-Visit Root Canal Therapy

Mastering the Art of Case Presentation in Corporate Settings

Advanced Techniques in Cosmetic Bonding

Expert in high-efficiency dental procedures and time management • Proficient in corporate dental software systems and digital technologies • Experienced in meeting production goals while maintaining quality of care • Strong skills in team leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration

This corporate dental clinic dentist resume effectively showcases Dr. Zhou's expertise in corporate dentistry settings. It highlights her ability to balance high-quality patient care with meeting productivity goals, a crucial skill in corporate dental environments. The emphasis on leadership, efficiency improvements, and adaptability demonstrates her value in fast-paced, standardized clinic settings. The inclusion of corporate achievements, quality improvement projects, and community outreach adds depth to the profile, making it particularly appealing for leadership positions within corporate dental organizations or for dentists transitioning from private practice to corporate settings.

This military dentist resume example is crafted for a dentist with military experience seeking a position either within the military dental corps or transitioning to civilian practice.

Dr. James Anderson, DDS

[email protected] - (555) 841-0750 - Round Rock, TX

Dedicated military dentist with 10 years of experience providing comprehensive dental care in diverse and challenging environments. Expertise in emergency dental procedures, oral surgery, and dental readiness programs. Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to perform under pressure. Seeking to leverage military dental experience in a civilian practice or continued service in the military dental corps.

Major, Dental Officer

United States Army Dental Corps

06/2013 - Present

Round Rock, TX

• Provide comprehensive dental care to active duty personnel, dependents, and retirees at multiple military installations
• Lead a team of 5 dental officers and 15 enlisted dental specialists in a busy military dental clinic
• Conduct dental readiness examinations and treatments for deploying units, ensuring 98% dental readiness rate
• Perform emergency dental procedures in field conditions during training exercises and deployments
• Implement and oversee infection control protocols, maintaining 100% compliance with military standards
• Mentor junior dental officers and provide continuing education to dental staff
• Coordinate with medical teams for integrated patient care and mission readiness

University of Round Rock

Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD)

University of Texas

09/2005 - 04/2009

Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan

09/2016 - 03/2017

Provided emergency dental care in combat support hospital, Treated complex maxillofacial trauma cases in collaboration with oral surgeons

Humanitarian Mission, Southeast Asia

04/2019 - 07/2019

Led dental team providing care to underserved populations in remote areas, Performed over 500 dental procedures in austere conditions

Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Certification

Military Dental Readiness Trainer Course

Advances in Military Oral Surgery Techniques

Expert in military dental readiness programs and field dentistry • Proficient in management of dental emergencies and trauma • Experienced in leading multi-disciplinary healthcare teams • Strong skills in adapting dental practices to resource-limited settings • Combat Casualty Care Course • Field Sanitation and Preventive Medicine • Military Leadership and Management Course

This military dentist resume effectively highlights Dr. Anderson's unique experience as a military dentist. It showcases his ability to provide high-quality dental care in challenging environments, a valuable skill in both military and civilian settings. The emphasis on leadership, emergency care, and adaptability demonstrates his versatility as a dental professional. The inclusion of deployments, military awards, and specific military training adds depth to the profile, making it particularly appealing for continued service in the military dental corps or for civilian practices seeking a dentist with exceptional leadership and emergency care skills. The research and community involvement sections further round out the profile, showing a commitment to advancing the field and serving the community.

This academic dentist/researcher resume example is designed for a dentist pursuing a career in academia, combining clinical expertise with research and teaching experience.

Dr. Valentina Hernandez, DDS, PhD

[email protected] - (555) 952-1860 - Athens, GA

Accomplished academic dentist and researcher with 12 years of experience in dental education, clinical practice, and cutting-edge research. Expertise in cariology, preventive dentistry, and dental biomaterials. Committed to advancing dental science through innovative research and inspiring the next generation of dental professionals.

Associate Professor of Restorative Dentistry

University of Athens

08/2015 - Present

• Teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses in cariology, preventive dentistry, and dental biomaterials
• Supervise clinical training for dental students in the university's comprehensive care clinics
• Lead research team investigating novel remineralization therapies for early caries lesions
• Secured $2.5 million in research grants from NIH and private foundations
• Mentor PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers in dental materials science
• Serve on curriculum development committee, modernizing the dental school's educational approach
• Collaborate with industry partners to develop and test innovative dental products

Postdoctoral Researcher

Athens Dental Research Institute

07/2011 - 07/2015

• Conducted research on bioactive glass materials for dental applications
• Developed and patented a novel remineralizing agent for use in dental adhesives
• Collaborated on multi-center clinical trials evaluating new preventive dental technologies

PhD - Dental Sciences

University of Athens - Dental Research

• Dissertation: "Novel Approaches to Biomimetic Remineralization of Dental Hard Tissues"

09/2003 - 04/2007

Postgraduate Certificate - Higher Education Teaching

01/2016 - 12/2016

Expert in designing and conducting dental clinical trials • Proficient in advanced laboratory techniques for dental materials testing • Experienced in grant writing and research project management • Strong skills in scientific writing and academic publishing • Biomimetic remineralization strategies • Dental biomaterials with antibacterial properties • Minimally invasive caries management techniques • Cariology and Preventive Dentistry • Dental Biomaterials Science • Research Methodology for Dental Students

This academic dentist resume effectively showcases Dr. Hernandez's expertise as both an academic dentist and researcher. It highlights her significant contributions to dental science through research, teaching, and clinical practice. The combination of a PhD and DDS demonstrates her comprehensive understanding of both the scientific and clinical aspects of dentistry. The emphasis on securing research grants, publishing in high-impact journals, and patenting innovations underscores her value in academic settings. The inclusion of teaching expertise, editorial responsibilities, and international presentations adds depth to the profile, making it particularly appealing for prestigious academic positions or research-intensive roles in dental institutions. This resume effectively positions Dr. Hernandez as a leader in dental academia, capable of driving innovation in dental education and research.

Dentist Resume Examples for Career Transitions

This dentist transitioning to dental administration resume example is tailored for an experienced dentist looking to transition into a dental administration or management role.

Dr. Thomas Weber, DDS, MBA

[email protected] - (555) 063-2970 - Columbia, MO

Seasoned dentist with 15 years of clinical experience transitioning to dental administration. Combines strong clinical background with newly acquired business acumen to drive operational excellence in dental organizations. Skilled in practice management, team leadership, and implementing efficient systems to enhance patient care and practice profitability.

Associate Dental Director

Smile Bright Dental Group

01/2021 - Present

Columbia, MO

• Oversee operations of 5 dental practices,managing a team of 15 dentists and 40 support staff
• Develop and implement standardized clinical protocols across all practices, improving efficiency by 25%
• Lead quality assurance initiatives, resulting in a 15% increase in patient satisfaction scores
• Collaborate with HR to recruit top dental talent and develop training programs for new hires
• Analyze practice performance metrics and implement data-driven strategies for growth
• Negotiate contracts with dental suppliers, reducing supply costs by 20%
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and accreditation standards

Owner and General Dentist

Weber Family Dentistry

06/2006 - 12/2020

• Provided comprehensive dental care to a diverse patient base of over 2,000
• Managed all aspects of practice operations, including finance, marketing, and human resources
• Implemented digital dentistry solutions, increasing case acceptance rates by 30%
• Mentored associate dentists and dental students during clinical rotations
• Achieved consistent year-over-year practice growth, with revenue increasing by 10% annually

Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Healthcare Management

Business School of Columbia

09/2016 - 04/2020

University of Columbia

09/2002 - 04/2006

Dental Practice Management and Leadership Certification

Healthcare Finance and Accounting for Managers

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt in Healthcare

Expert in dental practice operations and management • Proficient in healthcare financial analysis and budgeting • Experienced in developing and implementing quality improvement initiatives • Strong skills in team leadership and conflict resolution

This dentist transitioning to dental administration resume effectively highlights Dr. Weber's transition from clinical dentistry to dental administration. It showcases his ability to leverage his clinical experience in management roles, demonstrating a unique blend of dental expertise and business acumen. The emphasis on measurable achievements in his administrative role, such as improving efficiency and reducing costs, underscores his value in management positions. The MBA in Healthcare Management further strengthens his qualifications for administrative roles. The inclusion of continuing education in management-related areas and involvement in professional organizations relevant to dental administration demonstrates his commitment to this career transition. This resume effectively positions Dr. Weber as a strong candidate for dental administration or executive roles in dental organizations.

This dentist moving into dental technology resume example is designed for a dentist seeking to transition into a role in dental technology, such as product development or digital dentistry consulting.

Dr. Sophia Rodriguez, DDS, MS

[email protected] - (555) 174-3080 - Clovis, CA

Forward-thinking dentist with 10 years of clinical experience, transitioning to a career in dental technology. Combines hands-on dental expertise with a passion for digital dentistry and emerging technologies. Skilled in CAD/CAM systems, 3D printing applications in dentistry, and implementation of digital workflows in dental practices.

Dental Technology Consultant

Digital Smile Solutions

03/2022 - Present

• Advise dental practices on implementation of digital dentistry solutions, including intraoral scanners, CBCT, and CAD/CAM systems
• Develop and conduct training programs for dentists and staff on digital workflow integration
• Collaborate with software developers to enhance user experience of dental CAD programs
• Perform beta testing of new dental technologies and provide feedback for product improvement
• Create educational content on digital dentistry for online platforms and webinars

Rodriguez Dental Studio

07/2012 - 02/2022

• Provided comprehensive dental care with a focus on digital and minimally invasive dentistry
• Implemented full digital workflow, including intraoral scanning, CBCT, and in-office milling
• Served as beta tester for various dental technology companies, providing clinical feedback on new products
• Mentored colleagues on integration of digital technologies in general dental practice

Master of Science (MS) - Biomedical Engineering

Tech Institute of Clovis

09/2019 - 04/2021

• Thesis: "Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Automated Dental Diagnosis and Treatment Planning"

University of Clovis

Mobile app for patient education on digital dental procedures

01/2021 - 06/2021

Led development of a mobile app for patient education on digital dental procedures

New intraoral scanner attachment for improved ergonomics

09/2020 - 03/2021

Collaborated on the design of a new intraoral scanner attachment for improved ergonomics

Online course on digital workflow optimization for dental practices

04/2020 - 12/2020

Created a comprehensive online course on digital workflow optimization for dental practices

Advanced Digital Smile Design Residency

CAD/CAM Restorative Dentistry Mastery Program

3D Printing in Dentistry Certification

Expert in CAD/CAM systems (CEREC, 3Shape, Planmeca) • Proficient in CBCT imaging and analysis software • Experienced in 3D printing applications for dental models and surgical guides • Knowledgeable in dental practice management software integration • CAD/CAM • CBCT • 3D Printing • Dental Practice Management Software

This dentist moving into dental technology resume effectively showcases Dr. Rodriguez's transition from clinical dentistry to dental technology. It highlights her unique combination of hands-on dental experience and expertise in cutting-edge dental technologies. The emphasis on her role as a dental technology consultant demonstrates her ability to bridge the gap between clinical practice and technological innovation. Her advanced education in biomedical engineering further strengthens her qualifications for roles in dental technology. The inclusion of specific technical skills, key projects, and contributions to product development underscores her value in the dental technology sector. This resume effectively positions Dr. Rodriguez as an ideal candidate for roles in dental technology companies, consulting firms, or as a digital dentistry educator.

This dentist seeking teledentistry opportunities resume example is tailored for a dentist looking to transition into teledentistry, focusing on remote patient care and virtual dental consultations.

Dr. Chris Müller, DMD

[email protected] - (555) 285-4190 - Billings, MT

Innovative dentist with 8 years of clinical experience, transitioning to a career in teledentistry. Combines strong diagnostic skills with a passion for leveraging technology to improve access to dental care. Experienced in remote patient consultations, digital treatment planning, and virtual dental education. Committed to expanding the reach of quality dental care through teledentistry platforms.

Teledentistry Specialist

TeleDent Solutions

05/2022 - Present

Billings, MT

• Conduct virtual dental consultations for patients across multiple states, providing diagnoses and treatment recommendations
• Develop protocols for remote dental assessments and triage of dental emergencies
• Collaborate with on-site dental hygienists to provide comprehensive virtual exams using intraoral cameras and digital radiographs
• Implement AI-assisted diagnostic tools to enhance accuracy of remote assessments
• Create patient education materials tailored for teledentistry platforms
• Mentor general dentists in transitioning to teledentistry practice models

General Dentist

Smile Center Dental Group

08/2014 - 04/2022

• Provided comprehensive dental care with a focus on preventive and minimally invasive dentistry
• Implemented teledentistry solutions for follow-up appointments and minor consultations
• Utilized digital communication tools to enhance patient education and treatment acceptance
• Served as the practice's technology advocate, integrating new digital solutions to improve patient care

University of Billings

09/2010 - 04/2014

Teledentistry Certification Program

American Teledentistry Association

01/2022 - 12/2022

Advanced Digital Treatment Planning for Remote Care

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Teledentistry

Improving Patient Communication in Virtual Consultations

Proficient in teledentistry platforms (Teledentix, MouthWatch TeleDent) • Experienced in remote diagnostic techniques using intraoral cameras and digital radiographs • Skilled in virtual patient communication and education • Knowledgeable in state regulations and best practices for teledentistry

This dentist seeking teledentistry opportunities resume effectively highlights Dr. Müller's transition from traditional clinical dentistry to teledentistry. It showcases his ability to leverage technology and clinical expertise in virtual care settings. The emphasis on his role as a Teledentistry Specialist demonstrates his hands-on experience in this emerging field. His achievements in implementing teledentistry programs and improving access to care underscore his value in this sector. The inclusion of specific technical skills related to teledentistry platforms and remote diagnostic techniques further strengthens his qualifications. The research, publications, and presentations focused on teledentistry show his commitment to advancing this field. This resume effectively positions Dr. Müller as an ideal candidate for roles in teledentistry companies, virtual dental clinics, or as a consultant for practices looking to implement teledentistry services.

How to Write a Dentist Resume

A well-structured dentist resume should typically include the following sections:

• Contact Information
• Professional Summary or Resume Objective
• Education and Training
• Professional Experience
• Skills and Competencies
• Licenses and Certifications
• Professional Memberships
• Awards and Honors (if applicable)
• Publications and Presentations (if applicable)
• Community Involvement or Volunteer Work
• Languages (if multilingual)

For most dentists, a reverse-chronological layout is the most effective. This format highlights your most recent and relevant experience first, which is typically what employers are most interested in. However, if you're changing careers within dentistry or have a unique background, a combination (hybrid) format might be more suitable. This allows you to highlight your relevant skills at the top while still maintaining a chronological work history.

Your resume header should include:

• Full Name (with relevant credentials, e.g., DDS, DMD)
• Phone Number
• Professional Email Address
• Location (City and State)
• LinkedIn Profile (optional but recommended)
• Professional Website or Portfolio (if applicable)

Dr. Emma Thompson, DDS Phone: (555) 123-4567 | Email: [email protected] Chicago, IL | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emmathompsondds

Samuel Lee, DMD, FAGD (555) 987-6543 | [email protected] Boston, MA | Professional Website: www.drsamuellee676.com

Why it works

These headers are effective because they clearly display the dentist's name with credentials, provide multiple ways to contact them, and include additional professional information like LinkedIn profiles or websites. They're concise yet informative, making it easy for employers to quickly identify and contact the candidate.

Your resume summary should be a brief, powerful statement that encapsulates your professional identity as a dentist. It should include:

• Years of experience
• Areas of expertise or specialization
• Key skills or notable achievements
• Career goals or what you can bring to the position

Tailor your summary to the specific job you're applying for, highlighting the skills and experiences most relevant to that position.

Experienced general dentist with 8 years of practice in comprehensive patient care. Skilled in cosmetic dentistry and implant restorations. Committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered care using the latest dental technologies. Seeking to bring expertise in digital dentistry and practice management to a leading dental group.

Board-certified pediatric dentist with 10+ years of experience specializing in treating children with special needs. Proficient in behavior management techniques and sedation dentistry. Dedicated to creating positive dental experiences for young patients and their families. Looking to contribute to a pediatric dental practicecommitted to excellence in children's oral health.

These summaries effectively highlight the dentists' specialties, years of experience, and key skills. They also indicate the type of position they're seeking, aligning their experience with potential employers' needs. The summaries are concise yet informative, giving a clear picture of what the dentist can bring to a practice.

While responsibilities can vary based on specialization and practice setting, common dentist responsibilities include:

• Diagnosing oral diseases and developing treatment plans
• Performing dental procedures such as fillings, crowns, and extractions
• Interpreting x-rays and diagnostic tests
• Providing preventive care and oral health education to patients
• Prescribing medications for oral health issues
• Managing and coordinating patient care with dental hygienists and assistants
• Keeping accurate and detailed patient records
• Staying updated on new dental technologies and treatment techniques
• Ensuring compliance with safety and sanitation protocols
• Managing business aspects of the dental practice (for practice owners)

Your experience section should highlight your clinical skills, patient care abilities, and any leadership or management roles you've held. For each position, include:

• Job title, company name, location, and dates of employment
• Key responsibilities and duties
• Specific achievements or improvements you made
• Quantifiable results where possible (e.g., patient satisfaction rates, procedure success rates)
• Any specialized techniques or technologies you used
• Leadership or training responsibilities
• Provide comprehensive dental care to a diverse patient base of 2000+
• Implemented digital workflow using CAD/CAM technology, increasing efficiency by 30%
• Mentor and train 2 associate dentists and 4 dental assistants
• Maintain a 98% patient satisfaction rate through personalized care and education
• Increased practice revenue by 25% through introduction of cosmetic dentistry services

Kids' Dental World

08/2015 - 05/2018

Seattle, WA

• Specialized in providing dental care to children, including those with special needs
• Developed and implemented a "gentle dentistry" program, reducing patient anxiety by 40%
• Collaborated with orthodontists and oral surgeons for comprehensive treatment planning
• Conducted community outreach programs, educating 1000+ children annually on oral health

These experience entries effectively showcase the dentists' roles, responsibilities, and achievements. They include specific, quantifiable results and highlight unique contributions to their practices. The use of action verbs and concrete examples makes the entries impactful and demonstrates the value the dentist can bring to a new position.

If you're a new dental school graduate or have limited professional experience, focus on:

• Your education and academic achievements
• Clinical rotations and internships during dental school
• Relevant coursework and specialized training
• Research projects or publications
• Volunteer experience in dental clinics or community health programs
• Leadership roles in student organizations
• Relevant skills acquired during your education (e.g., specific dental software or techniques)

What's the Best Education for a Dentist Resume?

The education section of a dentist's resume should prominently feature:

• Dental degree (DDS or DMD) with the institution name and graduation date
• Any postgraduate education or specializations
• Relevant continuing education courses or certifications
• Undergraduate degree (if space allows)

List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and relevant degree first. Include honors, relevant coursework, or thesis topics if they're pertinent to the position you're applying for.

This education section clearly presents the dentist's educational background, highlighting advanced degrees and relevant honors. The inclusion of a thesis topic for the master's degree demonstrates expertise in a specific area of dental research, which could be valuable for certain positions.

What's the Best Professional Organization for a Dentist Resume?

Professional organizations demonstrate your commitment to the field and ongoing professional development. Some of the most prestigious and widely recognized professional organizations for dentists include:

American Dental Association (ADA)

Academy of General Dentistry (AGD)

• American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD)
• American Association of Endodontists (AAE) for endodontists
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) for pediatric dentists
• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) for oral surgeons
• American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) for periodontists
• American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) for orthodontists

Include relevant state and local dental societies as well. List these memberships in a dedicated section on your resume:

[State] Dental Association

Local Dental Society

This section effectively showcases the dentist's involvement in professional organizations at national, state, and local levels. The inclusion of a board member position highlights leadership within the professional community.

Awards and honors can significantly enhance your resume by demonstrating recognition of your skills and contributions to the field. Some notable awards for dentists include:

• ADA Annual Session New Dentist Conference Award
• AGD Fellowship or Mastership Awards
• Local or State "Dentist of the Year" Awards
• Practice or Hospital-specific Excellence in Patient Care Awards
• Research Awards from Dental Associations or Academic Institutions
• Community Service Awards for Volunteer Dental Work

When listing awards, include the name of the award, the awarding organization, and the year received:

Fellowship Award

Top 40 Under 40 Dentists

Excellence in Patient Care Award

Best Research Presentation

This awards section effectively highlights the dentist's achievements across different areas of professional practice, including clinical excellence, research, and recognition within the dental community. The variety of awards demonstrates well-rounded expertise and continued professional growth.

Volunteer work can demonstrate your commitment to community service and your passion for dentistry beyond your regular practice. Good volunteer opportunities for dentists include:

• Providing free dental care at community health fairs or clinics
• Participating in international dental mission trips
• Offering pro bono services to underserved populations
• Conducting oral health education programs in schools
• Volunteering with organizations like Give Kids A Smile or Dentists Without Borders
• Serving on boards of dental charities or non-profits

When including volunteer work on your resume, briefly describe your role and the impact of your work:

Dental Volunteer

Give Kids A Smile Program

2019-01 - Present

• Provide free dental screenings and treatments to underprivileged children annually
• Educated over 500 children and parents on proper oral hygiene techniques

Mission Trip Dentist

Dentists Without Borders

2021-06 - 2021-06

• Delivered essential dental care to rural communities in Guatemala
• Performed 200+ procedures including extractions and restorations in two weeks

This volunteer section effectively showcases the dentist's commitment to community service and global health. It provides specific details about the nature of the volunteer work and quantifies the impact where possible, demonstrating both clinical skills and a dedication to improving oral health beyond regular practice.

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that are easy to quantify. For dentists, these often include technical skills and knowledge of specific procedures or technologies. Some of the best hard skills to include on a dentist resume are:

• Proficiency in specific dental procedures (e.g., root canals, implants, orthodontics)
• Experience with dental software (e.g., Dentrix, EagleSoft, DentiMax)
• Expertise in digital dentistry technologies (CAD/CAM, 3D printing)
• Skill in using specific dental equipment (CEREC, intraoral scanners, CBCT)
• Knowledge of dental materials and their applications
• Competence in interpreting dental radiographs and CBCT scans
• Proficiency in dental photography
• Experience with specific pain management techniques or sedation dentistry

When listing hard skills, be specific and, where possible, indicate your level of proficiency:

This skills section effectively highlights specific technical abilities that are valuable in modern dental practice. It provides detail about the dentist's proficiency with various technologies and techniques, giving potential employers a clear picture of their capabilities.

Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively with others. For dentists, these skills are crucial for patient care and practice management. Some of the best soft skills to include on a dentist resume are:

• Excellent communication skills (both with patients and colleagues)
• Empathy and compassion for patient care
• Attention to detail
• Manual dexterity
• Problem-solving abilities
• Leadership and team management
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Patient education skills
• Time management and organizational skills
• Adaptability to new technologies and techniques

When including soft skills, it's best to demonstrate them through your experiences rather than simply listing them. However, a concise skills section can still be effective:

This soft skills section effectively highlights key interpersonal abilities that are crucial in dental practice. It goes beyond simply listing skills by providing context for how these skills are applied in a professional setting, making them more credible and relevant to potential employers.

Certifications demonstrate your commitment to ongoing education and specialization in specific areas of dentistry. Some of the best certifications for a dentist resume include:

• Board Certification in your specialty (e.g., American Board of Pediatric Dentistry)
• Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD)
• Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry (MAGD)
• CEREC Certification
• Dental Implant Certifications (e.g., from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry)
• Sedation Dentistry Certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification

List your certifications with the date obtained and renewal date if applicable:

This certification section effectively showcases the dentist's ongoing commitment to professional development and specialization. The inclusion of certification dates and renewal information demonstrates currency in these skills. The variety of certifications indicates a well-rounded practitioner who is adept in multiple areas of modern dentistry.

The resume length of your dentist resume should generally be:

• 1 page for new graduates or those with less than 5 years of experience
• 1-2 pages for experienced dentists with 5-15 years in practice
• 2-3 pages for highly experienced dentists, specialists, or those with extensive research or academic backgrounds

Remember, quality is more important than quantity. Focus on including the most relevant and impactful information rather than trying to fill pages. If you're struggling to fit everything on the recommended number of pages, consider what information is most crucial for the specific position you're applying for and prioritize accordingly.

The focus of your dentist resume should align with the specific job you're applying for and your career stage. However, in general, a dentist resume should focus on:

• Clinical Skills and Expertise: Highlight your proficiency in various dental procedures and technologies relevant to the position.
• Patient Care: Emphasize your approach to patient care, including communication skills and ability to handle diverse patient needs.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development: Show your commitment to staying current with the latest dental techniques and technologies.
• Practice Management Skills: If applicable, showcase your experience in managing a dental practice or leading a team.
• Achievements and Recognitions: Highlight any awards, publications, or notable accomplishments in your career.
• Specializations or Areas of Particular Interest: If you have expertise in specific areas of dentistry, make sure to emphasize these.

Remember to tailor your resume's focus to the specific requirements of the job you're applying for. For example, if you're applying to a pediatric dental practice, you'd want to emphasize your experience and skills in working with children.

Crafting an effective dentist resume is a crucial step in advancing your career in the dental field. Whether you're a recent graduate, an experienced practitioner, or transitioning to a new area of dentistry, your resume should clearly communicate your skills, experiences, and unique value proposition to potential employers. To start building your dentist resume, sign up for Huntr today .

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One of the most important elements of your website is your biography. A dentist’s biography is an opportunity for potential patients to get to know you and decide whether or not you’re the right choice for their needs. Your biography should connect with your readers and invite them to want to get to know you in real life.

As a dentist, your expertise likely isn’t writing; it’s dentistry. We understand how hard it might be to write a biography if you don’t know where to start. To help you write your best dentist biography to date, we’ve broken down the different parts your biography should include. Take a look at our recommendations and start writing!

Part 1: What’s Your Story? What Inspires You?

The first part of your biography should tell your readers about your story with dentistry. It’s even better if your story includes your own personal experiences. For instance, one of our clients wrote her biography that she suffered from TMJ and her own experience inspired her to specialize in that field so she can help her own patients find the same relief as her. This personal touch not only showcases your specialized knowledge but also connects with potential patients on a personal level.

We’ve seen other dentists write about having other family members working in the dentistry field and they inspired them to pursue their careers. A compelling narrative can be a powerful dental marketing strategy that helps to promote a dental practice and build trust with your audience.

Write about whatever inspired you to dive into dentistry as your profession and what continues to inspire you. Highlight how your journey aligns with current dental marketing trends and effective marketing techniques.

Part 2: Education and Specializations

Next, it’s time to let your readers know all about your education history. Where did you get your bachelor’s degree? Where did you attend college for your doctorate? Did you complete any internships, externships, or extracurricular activities while you were in college? Tell your readers everything they should know about your education history and your dedication to dentistry. This section should demonstrate your specialized knowledge and provide a solid foundation for potential patients to understand your expertise.

Part 3: Continuing Education and Associations

After completing your doctoral degree, what continuing education have you completed since then? Provide your readers with a complete list of fellowships, completed courses, and any associations you’re a part of. This will further enhance your credibility and show readers how much knowledge you have in certain areas of dentistry. This is crucial for dental patient acquisition and attracting and retaining new patients.

Part 4: Giving Back

The next part of your dentist biography should include information about any volunteering you and/or your dental practice does. Do you provide dental care to the less fortunate? In your spare time, do you place dental implants in third-world countries? Do you volunteer at your local food bank? Including your volunteer opportunities will help readers know how much you care about giving back and helping your community.

Part 5: Your Hobbies, Your Family, Your Life Outside of Dentistry

The last section of your dentist biography should be all about your life outside the dental office. Tell your readers about what you do in your spare time, your family, and your hobbies. This is an opportunity to connect with your readers on a more personal level. Who knows? You might get a patient who has a lot in common with you that ends up being a delight to talk with.

Need Help Writing Your Dentist Biography? Our Dental Marketing Agency Can Help!

If you have a hard time getting your ideas down on paper, or articulating them into a good read, our content writing team can help. Best of all, they can write all the content on your brand-new website. Each of our website design packages comes with an allocated amount of content and it can include a brand new dentist biography tailored to you.

Learn more about our website design packages and then book a consultation today to start the process. Please call (970) 672-1212 to speak with our dental marketing company today!

PRO IMPRESSIONS PRESIDENT

Jonathan Fashbaugh is the President and Founder of Pro Impressions Marketing. He has been working with dentists since 2000 to help grow their practices and get more ideal patients. He has written articles for websites and publications like Ortho Tribune and Inside Dentistry, as well as been interviewed by the Academy of General Dentistry’s AGD Impact, all on marketing for dentists. He has spoken at numerous dental conferences and helped hundreds of dentists realize effective marketing for their practices.

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