How to become a Dentist

Official title: Dentists

Also called: Dental practitioner, Dental surgeon, Dentist, Endodontist, Oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Oral pathologist, Orthodontist, Paedodontist, Periodontist, Prosthodontist, Stomatologist

Dentists diagnose, treat and prevent diseases, injuries and abnormalities of the teeth, mouth, jaws and associated tissues by applying the principles and procedures of modern dentistry. They use a broad range of specialized diagnostic, surgical and other techniques to promote and restore oral health.

Main tasks

• Diagnosing diseases, injuries, irregularities and malformations of teeth and associated structures in the mouth and jaw using a range of methods such as radiographs, salivary tests and medical histories
• Providing preventative oral health care such as periodontal treatments, fluoride applications and oral health promotion
• Administering anaesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures
• Prescribing medication for relief of ongoing pain after procedures
• Providing restorative oral care such as implants, complex crown and bridge restorations and orthodontics, and repairing damaged and decayed teeth
• Providing surgical treatments such as extraction of teeth and biopsy of tissue, and performing orthodontic treatment
• Measuring and taking impressions of patients’ jaws and teeth in order to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses
• Designing, making, and fitting prosthodontic appliances such as space maintainers, bridges and dentures, or writing fabrication instructions or prescriptions for dental prosthetic technicians
• Restoring oral function with removable and fixed oral prostheses
• Assisting in diagnosing general diseases having oral manifestations such as diabetes

Ways in

• University: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 9 universities in Hong Kong
• Licence or registration: Registering body: Dental Council of Hong Kong. Law: Dentists Registration Ordinance (牙醫註冊條例), Cap. 156. Summary by Peernovo; check the body's current rules.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: HK$48,000 a month
• About 1,542,900 people in 2025, and about 1,639,100 projected by 2028. (+6.2%)
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Dentist?

Ways in include: Medicine & Dentistry degrees.

Do you need a degree to become a Dentist?

Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Dentist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
• Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026