How to become a general dental practitioner
Official title: General dental practitioner
Also called: General dentist, General dentist
General dental practitioner performs diagnostic, preventive and curative services for dental and oral diseases and disorders. He/she examines teeth and oral cavity, using X-ray and other diagnostic tools as necessary, and prepares a plan of treatment. He/she may organise oral health services and advise on public dental health questions.
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 healthcare such as periodontal treatments, fluoride applications and oral health promotion
- 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, 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
How to become one
Dentists are required to register with the Singapore Dental Council (SDC) or its equivalent in order to practise dentistry in Singapore.
Ways in
- University: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 2 universities in Singapore
- Licence or registration: Dentists and oral health therapists must be registered with the Singapore Dental Council and hold a practising certificate, which is renewed with continuing professional education. Law: Dental Registration Act 1999. Regulator: Singapore Dental Council (SDC) (https://www.sdc.gov.sg).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $61,956 a year. The middle half earn $60,012 to $66,480 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Specialised dentist
- Pharmacist (patient care)
- Occupational health and safety professional
- Environmental officer (public health)
- Physiotherapist
- Dietitian
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Questions people ask
How do I become a general dental practitioner?
Dentists are required to register with the Singapore Dental Council (SDC) or its equivalent in order to practise dentistry in Singapore.
How much does a general dental practitioner earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $61,956 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $60,012 to $66,480.
Will AI change the work of a general dental practitioner?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (Ministry of Health data): Registered Health Personnel (End Of Period), Annual (M870011) (SingStat Table Builder M870011), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat): Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2024 (SSOC 2024 (definitions and index updated 2026-06-24)), Singapore Open Data Licence, 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