Headline risk
0%
Very Low RiskDentists, general
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 5% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 172,790
Employment 2024
129.8K
Projected Change (2024–34)
4.1%
Openings (2024–34)
3.9K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of dentists is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases. AI use: 0%
- 2. Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments. AI use: 0%
- 3. Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures. AI use: 0%
- 4. Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services. AI use: 90%
- 5. Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue. AI use: 0%
- 6. Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 46.1 · 192K employed
Under 25: 0% · 25–54: 67% · 55+: 33%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Dentists diagnose and treat problems with patients’ teeth, gums, and related parts of the mouth.
Some dentists have their own business and work alone or with a small staff. Other dentists have partners in their practice. Still others work as associate dentists for established dental practices.
Dentists must be licensed in the state in which they work. Licensure requirements vary by state, although candidates usually must graduate from an accredited dental program and pass written and clinical exams.
The median annual wage for dentists was $179,210 in May 2024.
Overall employment of dentists is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.