How to become a dentist in Australia
Dentists diagnose and treat dental disease, injuries, decay and malformations of the teeth, periodontal tissue (gums), hard and soft tissue found on the mouth and other dento-facial structures using surgery and other techniques.
Pay and growth are for the wider dental practitioners group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the dental practitioners group are projected to grow 35.8% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Diagnoses dental diseases using a range of methods such as radiographs, salivary tests and medical histories.
- Provides preventative oral health care such as periodontal treatments, fluoride applications and oral health promotion.
- Provides restorative oral care, such as implants, complex crown and bridge restorations, orthodontics and repairs to damaged or decayed teeth.
- Provides oral surgical treatments such as biopsy of tissue and prescription of medications.
- Performs routine orthodontic treatment.
- Assists in diagnosing general diseases having oral manifestations such as diabetes.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the dental practitioners group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 95% a degree or higher, 1% a diploma, 1% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
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Victoria5 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Dental Science (Honours) (Regional Entry) · La Trobe, Bendigo99.20NSW and ACT2 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Queensland2 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) · UQ, Herston&St Lucia99.00 Bachelor of Dental Surgery · JCU, Cairns86.95Western Australia1 match
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Doctor of Dental Medicine via Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) (Integrated Dental Sciences Major) Assured Pathway · UWA, Perth93.85Matched on course names, 10 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Investigative, Realistic, Social.
From O*NET ratings for "Dentists, General", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.