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Description

Dentists are responsible for improving population oral health. Thanks to their deep medical knowledge, they diagnose and treat patients with disorders of the teeth, gums, periodontal tissue, jaws or joints involved. These professionals can join a healthcare team and carry out coordinated multi-disciplinary actions with other healthcare professionals, such as oncologists and surgeons.

Fundamentally, dentists carry out population prevention and oral care, exercising the traditional role of these professionals. However, from the strict medical knowledge of the profession, they can also perform other functions, beyond direct attention to the person. For example, they can work as a dental visitor, promoting products from dental houses, providers of dental laboratories and clinics, as a research professor, generating knowledge within the academic and scientific field, or as a dental expert, advising as an expert in their field in legal matters. Within the expert work, the work derived from administration calls (any dentist can be called in the instructional phase or oral trial) must be distinguished from those who work for the private sector (usually in insurance companies).

Tasks

These professionals are responsible for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases such as tooth decay, periodontal diseases and malocclusions, with one integrated vision (biopsychosocial) and with the objective of preserving and/or rehabilitating the stomatognathic system. They carry out the following tasks:
  • Draw up medical record and diagnostic tests, such as X-rays (periapical, occlusal, bitewing, panoramic) and study models.
  • Diagnose oral and systematic diseases that affect the mouth.
  • Design individual or collective prevention plans, including oral health education, prophylaxis, topical fluoride treatments, application of sealants on cracks and openings.
  • Prescribing medication for the treatment of pain and infections.
  • Administration of local anaesthesia, either to alleviate pain of perform treatments.
  • Treatment and rehabilitation of the stomatognathic system making use of various materials for restoration, prosthetics, inlays, implants; pulp and periodontal treatments.
  • Orthodontic and orthopaedic actions in order to diagnose and treat anomalies in the form, position and function of dentomaxillofacial structures.
  • Dental extractions of varying degrees of complexity.
If these professionals perform visiting dentists¿ functions, they carry out the following tasks:
  • Contact and visit clients in order to determine their needs. Manage the client base, both maintaining and expanding it.
  • Promote the lines of products according to the company guidelines, presenting and offering advice about them.
  • Oversee the sale process from beginning to end, accompanying manufacturers on product demonstrations or fairs.
As dental experts, these professionals carry out the following tasks:
  • Identification, in individuals either dead or alive, of gender, age, race, blood group, profession, socio-economic position and geographic origin.
  • Reconstruction of facts: bite marks, examining dental material, prostheses, large-scale disasters.
  • Identification of dental injuries (occupational accidents and diseases, etc.): determination of causes, concurring causes, source of the injury, vital or post-mortem injuries and consequences of injuries.
  • Assessment of bodily damage in patients, after a poorly performed dental treatment.
  • Identification of cases where dental diseases and injuries are being feigned or concealed.
Finally, as dental researchers, they carry out the following tasks:
  • Generate new forms of knowledge critically assimilating science and technology.
  • Develop research skills and formulate solutions to professional issues relevant to the area of oral health.
  • Publish research articles and participate in congresses in order to share knowledges with the scientific community.
  • Establish research study plans and manage projects.
  • Train professionals in the teaching field, develop knowledge, skills and the active participation of dental students.

Quick access and copyright:

Centre per al desenvolupament professional Porta22

Barcelona Treball (Porta22)
Llacuna, 156-162, 08018 Barcelona
bcn.cat/treball

900533175
Monday to Friday from 9 to 18 h

Generalitat de Catalunya
Unió Europea FEDER
Unió Europea FSE