Dentist Resume: 10 Examples + Writing Guide

Dentist Resume (Text Version)

Contact Info:

Micheal Wainford
[email protected]
1 (504) 525-0155
New Orleans, LA 70166
linkedin.com/michaelwainford

Summary Statement:

Dentist (DDS): Senior Dentist dedicated to outstanding patient care specifically applied in large dental practices with heavy patient volume. Clinical skills include; crown and bridge work, restorative work, and oral surgery. Passionate about giving patients a comfortable and secure experience through education, a friendly manner, and listening to patient concerns.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise

• Digital Treatment Planning
• Invisalign Therapy
• Impressionless Scanning
• Extractions
• Soft Tissue Management
• Relaxed Temperament
• Laser Whitening
• Written/Verbal Communication
• Manual Dexterity
• Problem Solving
• Compassion
• Positive Attitude
• Leadership
• Interpersonal Skills

Professional Experience:

Bayou Dental Care, New Orleans, LA
General Dentist | May 2015 – Present

• Examine patients’ teeth & gums, interpret X-rays to make diagnoses
• Perform restorative work including filling, crowns, & implants
• Refer clients for orthodontic or prosthodontic work when required
• Completed basic oral surgery, including extractions of impacted teeth
• Maintain 96% positive reviews due to exceptional patient care

Jonson Dental, New Orleans, LA
General Dentist | January 2013 – March 2015br />

• Worked with team of 4 doctors in large practice
• Handled large patient volumes each day according to schedule
• Communicated with patients concerning proper oral hygiene
• Developed comprehensive treatment plans for patients
• Gave clear and concise direction to dental assistants during procedures
• Administered crown & bridge work to patients using the latest techniques

Bertrand Dentistry and Orthodontics, New Orleans, LA
Dental Assistant | June 2009 – December 2012

• Observed head dentist during advanced restorative work on patients
• Required to perform emergency dental care if needed
• Accurately diagnosed gum disease, tooth decay, & other oral defects
• Stayed current with the latest research via dentistry journals & papers

Education/Certifications

Doctorate of Dental Medicine
LSU School of Dentistry, New Orleans, LA,
Class of 2009

Bachelor of Arts in Biology
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Class of 2005

When most people begin thinking about their resume, they typically start by thinking about what details they are going to write about.

However, it is necessary first to set out a plan for how you want your resume to look as a whole.

Your dentist resume’s formatting is the first thing a hiring manager is going to notice before they read one word you have written.

Having a distinguished resume format is especially important when you consider that most hiring managers only spend 6 seconds looking over each resume they review.

Creating a standout resume format isn’t about making it look different, but instead focusing on a format that highlights your strongest attributes while remaining neat and professional.

Start by selecting a font – there are many acceptable options. Just make sure you go with something legible and easy to read.

While there are many acceptable formatting styles to choose from, there are consistent features that should be maintained despite the format you choose.

For example, a suitable resume format will always include proper spacing between bullet points, sentences, and sections.

Even spacing helps guide your reader’s eyes down the page and maintains an organized look for your resume as a whole.

Utilizing bullet points whenever possible allows for more separation between talking points, so that critical details can become more noticeable.

Never assume that a hiring manager is going to read your resume in its entirety and always list the most impressive details first.

Utilize reverse chronological order to include your more recent and relevant achievements closer to the top of the page.

Overall, a great format comes down to readability and noticeability.

In other words, – you just want your resume to be easy to follow and understand while drawing attention to your greatest features.

If you focus on these two main goals when selecting a resume format, you will be off to a great start.

While the other sections of your dentist resume can shift order due to your own specific needs, the summary always comes first to introduce who you are as a dentist.

If you have been in the workforce for a while, you know that the resume “objective” used to be the first section of a resume.

In recent years, the objective has been done away with because it provides little information about who you are as a dentist and mostly covers details that are already apparent through the hiring process.

It should only take two to three sentences to complete your resume summary, so make sure you are as precise as possible by only discussing details that you feel are most pertinent.

Sometimes it helps to start off more generalized and work your way in.

Start by describing what you think the most important qualities and attributes are as a dentist, then highlight the details you feel pertain to you the most.

Let’s look at a few examples.

The first example lists specific details concerning areas of expertise and experience to explain right away what type of office setting they work well in and what procedures they feel comfortable performing.

The second example remains too general and lacks any relevant details that would separate the candidate from others.

PRO TIP: If you are having a difficult time coming up with a solid summary, try coming back to this section after you have completed the rest of your resume. Sometimes writing your work history, skills, and education sections first allows you to warm up and more adequately introduce yourself.

Often when hiring a dentist, certain offices have specific skills and qualifications they require their dentists to have.

Including a list to layout your own skills and qualifications in a minimalistic and apparent way allows hiring managers to see, at a glance, if you fit their needs.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise

• Digital Treatment Planning
• Invisalign Therapy
• Impressionless Scanning Systems
• Extractions
• Soft Tissue Management
• Positive Attitude
• Leadership
• Interpersonal Skills
• Relaxed Temperament
• Laser Whitening
• Written and Verbal Communication
• Manual Dexterity
• Problem Solving
• Compassion

When looking at this list, make a note of the two main types of skills included – hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills, or technical skills, are the kind of skills that you were taught and needed to practice in order to master.

Soft skills, or people skills, are the kind of skills that are more similar to personality traits and aren’t always teachable qualities.

A dentist who knows what they are doing when it comes to dental procedures and who can put patients and supporting staff at ease requires both kinds of skills to get the job done.

Most companies are looking for a dentist who has mastered multiple skills in either of these two categories to run their offices.

PRO TIP: Always compare your resume with either a job posting or research information about the company you are applying to. Often, job postings will include details and specifics about the skills and qualifications they are looking for in a candidate. Make sure that your resume matches what they are looking for.

While every section of your dentist resume is essential, generally no other section of your resume commands the same amount of space as your work history.

A well put together work experience section will reinforce the skills and qualifications you claim to have by discussing specific experiences that have put those abilities to the test.

You should usually write your work history in reverse chronological order so that your most recent work comes first (it is also typically your most impressive).

When selecting jobs to include in this section, make sure that they are related to dentistry whenever possible, and steer clear of including work that is unrelated to the field.

Once you have selected the jobs that you are going to include in your resume, describe them in about three to five sentences.

When drafting your bullet points, make sure to describe job tasks that you feel will be more relevant to the job you are applying to or describe any impressive dental accomplishments.

Let’s look at a few examples.

The first example lists specific dental tasks while including additional descriptive details and examples to describe their experience fully.

The second example lists the same job tasks without the details necessary to describe the candidate’s level of experience and comfort performing dental work.

PRO TIP: Quantify and qualify job descriptions whenever possible. Provide specific numbers; for example, if you have performed a complicated procedure many times, say that you have by providing a number or estimate. To qualify, make sure you include details like naming the different kinds of procedures you have completed successfully. These details make you a more memorable candidate.

(If you lack work experience, see below for a helpful section.)

About Bots

When writing your dentist resume, keep in mind that it might have to pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), otherwise known as a bot.

When companies use bots to review resumes, it is typically due to the fact that they have too many applications and not enough time to review each one.

Bots can sort through resumes and narrow them down to only the best and most compatible before a hiring manager reviews them.

When a bot reviews a resume, it searches it for specific keywords and power words (action verbs) to discern if it has “good-candidate potential” or not.

To deal with this, some resume experts believe that writing your job descriptions in paragraphs instead of bullet points promotes more use of keywords for candidates.

Let’s look at the differences between these two formatting styles.

Standard Bullet Point Format:

Jonson Dental | New Orleans, LA | General Dentist | January 2013 – March 2015

• Worked with a team of 4 doctors in a large practice
• Handled large patient volumes each day according to schedule
• Communicated with patients concerning proper oral hygiene
• Developed comprehensive treatment plans for patients
• Gave clear & concise direction to dental assistants during procedures
• Administered crown & bridge work to patients using the latest techniques

Paragraph Format:

Jonson Dental | New Orleans, LA | General Dentist | January 2013 – March 2015

Worked with a team of 4 doctors in a large practice, and handled large patient volumes each day according to schedule. Communicated with patients concerning proper oral hygiene and developed comprehensive treatment plans for patients. Gave clear and concise direction to dental assistants during procedures. Administered crown and bridge work to patients utilizing the latest equipment and techniques.

Paragraph Format w/ Bullet Points:

Jonson Dental | New Orleans, LA | General Dentist | January 2013 – March 2015
Worked with a team of 4 doctors in a large practice and handled large patient volumes each day according to schedule. Communicated with patients concerning proper oral hygiene and developed comprehensive treatment plans for patients. Gave clear and concise direction to dental assistants during procedures. Administered crown and bridge work to patients utilizing the latest equipment and techniques.

• Provided dental services to over 4,000 patients
• 97% patients satisfaction

Here at Big Interview, we recommend using bullet points when writing your job descriptions.

Bullet points allow for proper separation between sentences to help guide the reader’s eye, and it is still possible to include more than enough keywords to impress a bot.

Your education section is a bit more straightforward and objective than the other parts of your dentist resume.

List your degrees in order of relevance and impressiveness while including the full title of your degree, the school you attended, and the year you graduated.

You can include any additional certifications and licenses in this section as well, or make a separate section directly preceding or following your education section to include those credentials.

Example:

Education/Certifications

Doctorate of Dental Medicine
LSU School of Dentistry, New Orleans, LA,
Class of 2009

Bachelor of Arts in Biology
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Class of 2005

CPR & First-Aid Certification

Possible Sections to Include

If you have more qualifications or achievements that you feel should be mentioned, it is acceptable to include additional sections.

Some additional sections to consider including are:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What If You Have No Experience?

If you are just recently graduating and are ready to begin your career as a dentist, but you lack relevant work experience, you still have excellent candidate potential.

In order to create a resume that reflects your abilities without a relevant work history section, it is crucial to focus on the areas of experience you do have.

Start by moving your education section up directly below your resume summary so that it is in a more prime location.

Adjust your education section to include more impressive details if possible – things like honors, awards, or a GPA can show a company that you are highly capable.

Make sure that you consider including additional sections that detail any internships or volunteer work that you have completed.

Sections that feature unpaid work are still functional in showing a hiring manager that you have experience.

Overall, focus on the sections of your dentist resume that you can expand and show off that you might have more experience than it would initially seem.

Take a closer look

Make sure that after you write your resume, you take the time to review it and make the necessary revisions. If you have a friend who can review it with you as well, even better. Either way, don’t get in a rush and skip this step – it could cost you an interview.

Keep it brief

Narrow down the details so that they fit nicely on one page. If your dentist resume goes on to a second page, a hiring manager won’t be impressed, because you are likely including information that just isn’t necessary.

The right fit

Review the job posting and the company you are applying to. Make sure that you are a good match and that your resume reflects the same skills and qualifications they are looking for in a candidate.

Don’t be redundant

Make sure that each bullet point is not only presenting new and relevant information, but that they are also using new words to describe things. Make sure that you don’t use the same power word more than once.

Don’t get flashy

Keep your format and font professional and straightforward. Make sure that you are making visual decisions that aren’t just for the sake of drawing attention – that isn’t the kind of attention you are looking for.

Don’t forget the space

Just as you pay attention to the words you are writing, make sure that you are allowing for adequate spacing between lines and sections. Don’t “cram” everything into one page – make sure everything sits comfortably on the page.

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested power words.)

Dentist Resume Power Words

• Administered
• Founded
• Adept
• Formulated
• Built
• Implemented
• Created
• Improved
• Consolidated
• Initiated
• Coordinated
• Launched
• Developed
• Pioneered
• Designed
• Organized

Dentist Resume Skills List