Career Explorer Healthcare (clinical)
Human edge, growing
Dentists, general
Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 85% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.7% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and emotional intelligence.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $170,950
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.7%
- Openings a year
- 4,200
- People doing it (2025)
- 142,000
- Usual route in
- Doctorate or professional degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Advise patients or clients on medical issues
- Analyze health or medical data
- Design materials or devices
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases
- Operate medical equipment
- Follow standard healthcare safety procedures to protect patient and staff members
What the work looks like
- Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
- Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
- Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments.
- Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
- Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- Fewer of these jobs, as the expanding scope of practice of dental hygienists allows them to take on tasks previously performed by dentists.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeonsHuman edge, growing, Index 95, +5.6%
- Nurse anesthetistsHuman edge, growing, Index 95, +9.7%
- ProsthodontistsHuman edge, growing, Index 94, +5.8%
- OptometristsHuman edge, growing, Index 89, +9.5%
Also known as: DDS (Dental Surgery Doctor), Dentist, Family Dentist, General Dentist, DMD (Dental Medicine Doctor), Endodontist, Pediatric Dentist, Pedodontist.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.