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  • COMPLIMENTARY CONSULT
  • Our Practice
    • Who We Are
    • What Makes Us Different
    • Meet Our Doctors
    • Meet Our Team
    • Technology
    • Community Involvement
    • Refer a Patient
    • Patient Reviews
  • Orthodontics
    • Braces
      • Types Of Braces
      • Braces For Kids
      • Braces For Teens
      • Braces For Adults
      • Braces FAQ
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    • Invisalign
      • About Invisalign
      • Invisalign For Kids
      • Invisalign For Teens
      • Invisalign For Adults
      • Invisalign FAQ
      • Payment Calculator
    • Other Treatments
      • Early Orthodontics
      • Brava Independent Movers
      • Gum Contouring & Reshaping
      • Enamel Shaping
      • Zoom Whitening
  • Patient Resources
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Types of Dental Careers

Live Life Smiling

dental-careers
  • Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics
  • April 14, 2021

 

WHAT DOES A CAREER in dentistry look like? Being a dentist is an incredibly rewarding career, and beyond helping our patients maintain lifelong healthy smiles, we hope our team inspires at least a few budding dentists out there!

Private Practice Dentists Aren’t the Whole Story

The dental career everyone is most familiar with is the private practice dentist, meaning an individual dentist or a partnership working with local patients in their own practice. Not everyone who graduates from a four-year dental program goes in this direction.

Other Types of Dentists

Academic dentists add a teaching role and help usher in the next generation of dentists. Research dentists get to be on the cutting edge of new advancements in treatments and technology. Some dentists go international and work with organizations like the WHO, UNESCO, and FAO. Finally, there are dentists who work alongside physicians in hospitals.

Dental Specialties

About 20% of dentists undergo additional years of training in one of the nine dental specialties: Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics.

The Team Is More Than the Dentist

Aside from the dentists themselves, other essential roles in the field of dentistry are dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental lab technicians. Hygienists and assistants interact closely with patients to ensure a high level of care, while dental lab technicians work behind the scenes designing the dentures, crowns, and braces used by dentists.

And of course we wouldn’t get far without our office staff!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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Patient reviews

EVERY SMILE TELLS A SPECIAL STORY

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community with excellent care and take pride in our mission of having a patient-centered philosophy. Check out what our patients are saying about us!

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kristin W.
I will never go anywhere else for my children’s dental care! They never disappoint when it comes to professionalism and fun, no one in Huntington can compare. I would give them 10 stars out of 5 if I could.
kristin W.
I will never go anywhere else for my children’s dental care! They never disappoint when it comes to professionalism and fun, no one in Huntington can compare. I would give them 10 stars out of 5 if I could.
Christina S.
Very family friendly atmosphere! Fun office! Down to earth and kind staff! 10/10 recommend!
Christina S.
Very family friendly atmosphere! Fun office! Down to earth and kind staff! 10/10 recommend!
Kisha F.
Love the staff they are so kind and really good with my children! So kind and patient positive and polite! They answered all of our questions. My children love coming here!
Kisha F.
Love the staff they are so kind and really good with my children! So kind and patient positive and polite! They answered all of our questions. My children love coming here!
Christina A.
We love Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics! They are Great! The atmosphere is amazing the staff is always kind and welcoming!
Christina A.
We love Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics! They are Great! The atmosphere is amazing the staff is always kind and welcoming!
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
Cathy D.
Holmes and Palmer have been wonderful to deal with as we have entered this new world of braces. They have kept our daughter calm and comfortable, all while providing education to all of us brace beginners.
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  • Charleston, WV
  • 867 Oakwood Road
    Charleston, WV 25314
  • (304) 343-3672
Huntington office
  • Hurricane (Teays Valley), WV
  • 3659 Teays Valley Road Suite 200
    Hurricane, WV 25526
  • (304) 201-3672
Hurricane office
  • Huntington, WV
  • 451 Kinetic Drive Suite 200
    Huntington, WV 25701
  • (304) 343-3672
Charleston office
  • Ashland, KY
  • 2000 Carter Ave.
    Ashland, KY 41101
  • 606-388-2561

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