Registered  members with 100+ posts do not see Ads

Dentistry Career Prospects: General Discussion

Kinetica

Member
Hi

Ive heard that the dentistry job market particularly in capital cities are nearing saturation point. Before investing in 5 years of my life Im keen to hear from dentists how easy/difficult it is.

Anyone?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
As far as I’m aware, there are no currently practicing dentists that visit regularly here at MSO. We used to have a couple of moderators in this position, but they’ve moved on with their careers and haven’t been by here for quite some time. You might be better off looking for publications or memos from the Dentistry Board or related organisations.
 

Yamster

Dental Moderator
Emeritus Staff
Hutcherson comes on sometimes! I've tagged here, I'm only a wee first year and have no idea about the job markets, unfortunately Kinetica . I've heard through word of mouth that some years capital cities are harder to find a position in for a new grad vs another. eg. Sydney might be saturated one year, Brisbane not, next year it might be reversed. I'm not too sure how accurate this is though as I've only heard it through friends of friends! :(
 
Another dental student here from NZ. I've heard similar things, that the bigger cities here are a struggle to get a full time job straight out of school. We've been told that everyone will secure a job on graduation, although you might have to wait a bit and if we're looking to get jobs in the big cities then we will likely have to settle for a part-time job before moving into a full-time position. Healthcare is a field that will always be in need, and saturation in a job market doesn't mean that you will never get a job so don't be scared off. Dentistry is a great career.
 

Hutcherson

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Hi Kinetica

Really depends where you want to work long term. Finding a full-time job in a regional or rural area isn't an issue. Metro wise you might be looking at two part time jobs depending on the city however most of my friends seems to have full time jobs including myself. Also keep in mind that Dentistry was taken off the skilled occupation list in July 2015 so it will be very hard for internationals to come in with a visa for dentistry. So I expect the market to actually open up over time. Remember most health professions have this problem like medicine, nursing and pharmacy, where too many students are studying in the profession.
 
Hey,

How much does your academics during dental school matter to future job prospects and internship. From my understanding academics, CV and research all play a big part in where you are able to get a job/intern once you have completed dental school.
If this is the case would it then be unrealistic (unless you think you could achieve the same) to look at someone who topped their class, had an amazing CV and research and think you could have a similar job as them once you leave dental school?

I ask this because I know a dentist who just graduated and is working many jobs (a reputable hospital and a few clinics are the main ones) and is able to get a lot of variety in that way.
How difficult is it to get similar jobs (e.g. at a hospital) in your first few years and what sort of CV would you need? Is someone who has the perfect CV afforded many more opportunities than someone who has a very good CV (e.g. top 20% in cohort, good co-curriculars and research but no awards or medals).

Thank you :)
 
Hey,

How much does your academics during dental school matter to future job prospects and internship. From my understanding academics, CV and research all play a big part in where you are able to get a job/intern once you have completed dental school.
If this is the case would it then be unrealistic (unless you think you could achieve the same) to look at someone who topped their class, had an amazing CV and research and think you could have a similar job as them once you leave dental school?

I ask this because I know a dentist who just graduated and is working many jobs (a reputable hospital and a few clinics are the main ones) and is able to get a lot of variety in that way.
How difficult is it to get similar jobs (e.g. at a hospital) in your first few years and what sort of CV would you need? Is someone who has the perfect CV afforded many more opportunities than someone who has a very good CV (e.g. top 20% in cohort, good co-curriculars and research but no awards or medals).

Thank you :)
Hi,

Dentistry is a bit different to Medicine. You are not required to complete an internship to become a dentist. I think most dentists don't have much research experience.

Most dentists/dental graduates work for private clinics and different employers look for different characteristics. Your gradates do not matter unless you're extremely incompetent (eg: failed several units). They generally prefer applicants with good clinical and interpersonal skills. It would be much easier for you to secure a job if you have dentistry related work experience. But keep in mind that most clinics are private, so the owners tend to hire family members or people they know.

In regards to your second question. Yes, you can still have a job similar as "them". It all depends on the employers.

The job market is saturated due to the oversupply of dental graduates. Many new graduates have no choice but to work several part-time jobs if they want to stay in big cities. It is better to have a full time job in one clinic because it allows you to build up your patient base. Most states in Australia only have one dental hospital and some public dental clinics. It is not that competitive to get a job in the public sector. People use to tell new graduates to work in the public sector only if they can't find a job in the private sector. Private dentists have a much higher average salary and a better working environment.

You only need good marks (top 5-10%) to get into some competitive dental specialties.
 
Last edited:

laerla

Member
Hey,

How much does your academics during dental school matter to future job prospects and internship. From my understanding academics, CV and research all play a big part in where you are able to get a job/intern once you have completed dental school.
If this is the case would it then be unrealistic (unless you think you could achieve the same) to look at someone who topped their class, had an amazing CV and research and think you could have a similar job as them once you leave dental school?

I ask this because I know a dentist who just graduated and is working many jobs (a reputable hospital and a few clinics are the main ones) and is able to get a lot of variety in that way.
How difficult is it to get similar jobs (e.g. at a hospital) in your first few years and what sort of CV would you need? Is someone who has the perfect CV afforded many more opportunities than someone who has a very good CV (e.g. top 20% in cohort, good co-curriculars and research but no awards or medals).

Thank you :)

Your grades don't really affect your job prospect, as long as u don't kill your patients during dent skoo, u will be fine. And working in many jobs is not always a good thing because it's easier to build up patient base when you are at one place most of the time.
Usually hospitals take in a few new grads at start of year, especially if you have done placement at the dental hospital, they would be more keen to take you on. At the end of the day, dentistry is like all other jobs, it's all about connections. . So don't spend all your time study for good grades, go out and meet classmates/colleagues/supervisors.
 

JE_FR

Member
From what I've heard and read, Australia is facing an oversupply until around 2025. Outside of big cities it should be easier to secure a position, and if you want to go regional/rural, pay is still amazing. I think it's a good thing that it's becoming more difficult for foreign trained dentists to enter the Australian job market in big cities, but what I'm concerned about is that universities and faculties are still not closing down or not becoming smaller.

Spain had a dental shortage 20 years ago, now they have an extreme oversupply, which was mainly caused by a bunch of faculties opening up.
 

Registered  members with 100+ posts do not see Ads

laerla

Member
In the city area definitely oversupply, but overall as a country not much oversupply, since most people don't tend to want to be working in regional/rural area. But having said that, it has been relatively easier to get jobs these days than compared to in the past

sorry i meant even in metro area, jobs are easier to come by nowadays
 
Last edited by a moderator:

laerla

Member
Hello there MSO,

I've been recently thinking about career prospects, and I think that I've come to the decision that dentistry is right for me. I did my year 10 work experience in a dental clinic, and thoroughly enjoyed my experience there. I have a good enough stats to gain admission into UQ next year, however, I need to address the elephant in the room, and that is future career prospects.

As I understand, dentist places are not capped, unlike medicine.

How is the market currently like for recent grads, and is there any new and relevant information that you have heard of? Is the market over saturated with dentists currently (2019), and how do you think it may look like in the future?

I know this question may be difficult to answer, but I hope you can provide me with some details, any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jenga.

Depends if you are looking at getting jobs in metro or rural/regional area
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
As I understand, dentist places are not capped, unlike medicine.

I leave to others to discuss the job market, just want to say I think there is a funding cap for Dentistry. If not Griffith would run its Dent course as all CSP undergrad instead of splitting it into a full fee Master.
 

Mandok

Lurker
Extremely poor career prospects and extremely Saturated. Did you know that graduates from UK and Ireland can also work here? A lot of corporates actually prefer to hire them over Australian trained and give them VISA and eventual citizenship. Now imagine if U.Ks' and Irelands' 1,000 graduates want to immigrate here (its a lot better in Australia than UK). Then throw in the ADC/International Grads and I just wonder why Dental Schools in Australia were not shut down (and save me my tax payer money). I reckon we can save good tax money by just importing UK, Irish and ADC/International Dentists. This will adequately ensure that the population's dental needs are met.

FYI, I am a Dental Grad and graduated more a year. I also hold a Bachelor of Engineering. Initially I was unemployed for 6 months and then got 2 days a week work. But this work was extremely poor and I couldn't get additional work, so I just quit Dentistry and work in Engineering now (was easier for me to get a grad role in Engineering -> got it in a month).

Now why don't I go country?? - Competition is still high and Discrimination is rampant. Uni reputation matters. People from CSU, La Trobe, Griffith and JCU who want to work interstate are stuffed cause a lot of Dentists are not aware of these NEW universities and so treat you the same as an ADC/International Dentist (don't prefer to hire you). This also applies to public work (very very limited in the state I live in).

At the moment, I am looking at getting a Canadian Licence/Move to NZ or just work in Engineering (which is good fun). Kind of annoyed I wasted my HECS on the course with such poor career prospects.

P.S. - Please don't P.M. me for further information.
 
Wow, not my experience at all after graduation and I don't think I was a lucky unicorn after graduation.
If you're willing to go rural/regional then I think there is plenty of work if you're flexible.
Everybody in my class had pretty much full time hours of work within 6 months of graduation.
 

Unluckydude

Regular Member
Extremely poor career prospects and extremely Saturated. Did you know that graduates from UK and Ireland can also work here? A lot of corporates actually prefer to hire them over Australian trained and give them VISA and eventual citizenship. Now imagine if U.Ks' and Irelands' 1,000 graduates want to immigrate here (its a lot better in Australia than UK). Then throw in the ADC/International Grads and I just wonder why Dental Schools in Australia were not shut down (and save me my tax payer money). I reckon we can save good tax money by just importing UK, Irish and ADC/International Dentists. This will adequately ensure that the population's dental needs are met.

FYI, I am a Dental Grad and graduated more a year. I also hold a Bachelor of Engineering. Initially I was unemployed for 6 months and then got 2 days a week work. But this work was extremely poor and I couldn't get additional work, so I just quit Dentistry and work in Engineering now (was easier for me to get a grad role in Engineering -> got it in a month).

Now why don't I go country?? - Competition is still high and Discrimination is rampant. Uni reputation matters. People from CSU, La Trobe, Griffith and JCU who want to work interstate are stuffed cause a lot of Dentists are not aware of these NEW universities and so treat you the same as an ADC/International Dentist (don't prefer to hire you). This also applies to public work (very very limited in the state I live in).

At the moment, I am looking at getting a Canadian Licence/Move to NZ or just work in Engineering (which is good fun). Kind of annoyed I wasted my HECS on the course with such poor career prospects.

P.S. - Please don't P.M. me for further information.


I agree that dentistry is becoming more competitive but I don't think the situation is as bad as you described. The population to dentist ratio is around 1600+ in North America and 1300+ in Australia. According to Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019, 86.2% of dental graduates found full time employment within four months after graduation and the total employment rate including part time employment was 93.7%.


With respect, were you having difficulties finding a job because you failed a year or you didn't want to work outside big cities?
I dont like the environment at La Trobe. I dont want to stay in Bendigo. Prefer staying in a big city.

 

laerla

Member
Extremely poor career prospects and extremely Saturated. Did you know that graduates from UK and Ireland can also work here? A lot of corporates actually prefer to hire them over Australian trained and give them VISA and eventual citizenship. Now imagine if U.Ks' and Irelands' 1,000 graduates want to immigrate here (its a lot better in Australia than UK). Then throw in the ADC/International Grads and I just wonder why Dental Schools in Australia were not shut down (and save me my tax payer money). I reckon we can save good tax money by just importing UK, Irish and ADC/International Dentists. This will adequately ensure that the population's dental needs are met.

FYI, I am a Dental Grad and graduated more a year. I also hold a Bachelor of Engineering. Initially I was unemployed for 6 months and then got 2 days a week work. But this work was extremely poor and I couldn't get additional work, so I just quit Dentistry and work in Engineering now (was easier for me to get a grad role in Engineering -> got it in a month).

Now why don't I go country?? - Competition is still high and Discrimination is rampant. Uni reputation matters. People from CSU, La Trobe, Griffith and JCU who want to work interstate are stuffed cause a lot of Dentists are not aware of these NEW universities and so treat you the same as an ADC/International Dentist (don't prefer to hire you). This also applies to public work (very very limited in the state I live in).

At the moment, I am looking at getting a Canadian Licence/Move to NZ or just work in Engineering (which is good fun). Kind of annoyed I wasted my HECS on the course with such poor career prospects.

P.S. - Please don't P.M. me for further information.

I find that a bit surprising. As far as I am concerned, if you're willing to go countryside/rural, you will get a job. I mean...around my area there are like 3-4 clinics looking for people, and they will literally take anyone who applies...and my area isn't even like dead rural yet
And dental forums are flooded with job ads atm too
 

Registered  members with 100+ posts do not see Ads

dotwingz

Google Enthusiast
Moderator
Did you know that graduates from UK and Ireland can also work here? A lot of corporates actually prefer to hire them over Australian trained and give them VISA and eventual citizenship.
People from CSU, La Trobe, Griffith and JCU who want to work interstate are stuffed cause a lot of Dentists are not aware of these NEW universities and so treat you the same as an ADC/International Dentist (don't prefer to hire you).

... what?
 

q8888315

Member
And dental forums are flooded with job ads atm too
May I ask which dental forums are you using? I am a first year dental student and am literally worried every single day about my future job prospects. So is the condition of working like bending my back, neck etc. since I already have a bad neck and sore hands by over-using the phone. Could I also ask about the salary of a general dentist in the rural? Thank you so much. It is so nice to see fellow dentists to shed some light on this forum.
 
Not sure about dental forums, but you could have a look here
The Australian Dental Association
Plenty of jobs at the moment

Could I also ask about the salary of a general dentist in the rural?

As a rule of thumb, dentists in rural will earn more, however the numbers can vary wildly depending on whether you get a salaried position or a contractor/commission position. There are pros and cons to each depending on who you ask
Anecdotally in my state, I have heard of grads earning anywhere from 100k - 250k across rural and CBD/metro.
While there is much fuss made about the "dental tsunami" on various forums, I do believe it is more of an expectations problem than a real oversupply. If you are flexible and care more about learning in your first few years rather than the $$$ then I'd say you shouldn't have too much issue finding work.

I am a first year dental student and am literally worried every single day about my future job prospects.

Don't stress. I was very much the same as you, tossing and turning at night wondering where I had made the right choice. I can confidently say that if its just job prospects you're concerned about, then dentistry is a good choice. The work itself however isn't everyone's cup of tea and with the increasing influence of health funds and corporates in the marketplace, it isn't the stress free money printing job older people/parents make it out to be.
However like one of my demonstrators told me during dental school
"We used to have it really really really good... now you guys just have it really good"
In terms of financial remuneration and job prospects, you could be doing a lot worse than dentistry :;)
 

Registered  members with 100+ posts do not see Ads

Top