Occupation · SOC 29-1024
Prosthodontists
Diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw.
Median wage
$239,200
$97,370–$239,200
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
760
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
3 mapped
Core skills
Critical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingReading ComprehensionMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessJudgment and Decision Making
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguageBiology
Technology & tools
Operating system softwareMedical softwareGraphics or photo imaging software
Representative tasks
Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases.Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications.Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures.Measure and take impressions of patients' jaws and teeth to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses, using face bows, dental articulators, recording devices, and other materials.Collaborate with general dentists, specialists, and other health professionals to develop solutions to dental and oral health concerns.Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians and laboratory bench workers who construct the devices.Restore function and aesthetics to traumatic injury survivors, or to individuals with diseases or congenital disabilities.Repair, reline, or rebase dentures.Use bonding technology on the surface of the teeth to change tooth shape or to close gaps.Treat facial pain and jaw joint problems.Place veneers onto teeth to conceal defects.Bleach discolored teeth to brighten and whiten them.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Oral health examinations — conduct initial diagnostic assessments under direct attending supervision in a prosthodontic residency clinic.Patient jaw impressions — take and record using face bows and dental articulators under close faculty oversight in a graduate training environment.Dental prosthesis specifications — interpret and document design requirements by reviewing treatment plans prepared by supervising prosthodontists.Removable prostheses — assist in the fitting and minor adjustment of complete dentures under direct clinical supervision.Dental laboratory communication — relay fabrication instructions to bench technicians using standardized prescription forms in a residency setting.Interdisciplinary case conferences — participate actively by presenting patient histories and preliminary findings to attending specialists.Critical thinking in diagnosis — recognize common oral pathology patterns and flag anomalies for review by a supervising clinician.Denture repair procedures — perform basic relines and rebases on straightforward cases following established clinic protocols.Patient communication — explain prosthetic treatment options clearly and empathetically to patients during supervised consultations.Digital imaging software — utilize practice management and medical software to document clinical records and radiographic findings under guidance.
developing
Comprehensive oral diagnoses — independently evaluate patients with moderate complexity to identify conditions requiring prosthetic intervention in a group practice setting.Fixed prosthesis fabrication — design and oversee dental technician construction of crowns and bridges for routine cases with limited peer oversight.Implant-supported prostheses — place and fit standard implant-retained restorations, making occlusal adjustments with reduced supervisory input.Occlusal records and articulators — routinely capture and mount accurate jaw relation records for a variety of prosthetic cases in a busy clinic.Collaborative treatment planning — coordinate with general dentists and oral surgeons to develop integrated care plans for patients with multiple dental needs.Aesthetic and functional restoration — restore oral form and function for patients with common trauma or disease-related tooth loss in an outpatient prosthodontic practice.Denture management — independently repair, reline, and rebase removable prostheses for established patients, adapting techniques to variable tissue conditions.Patient progress monitoring — track treatment outcomes over successive appointments and modify prosthetic approaches based on clinical response.Time management in clinical workflow — schedule and sequence complex multi-appointment cases efficiently within a structured practice environment.Mentorship participation — guide dental students or junior residents through routine clinical procedures under the framework of an academic dental center.
proficient
Complex diagnostic workups — autonomously diagnose and develop comprehensive treatment strategies for patients with advanced oral disease, congenital defects, or traumatic injury sequelae.Full-arch implant prosthetics — independently design, supervise fabrication of, and deliver full-arch implant-supported prostheses in a tertiary care or specialty practice.Maxillofacial prosthetics — restore oral and craniofacial structures for oncology or trauma patients requiring extra-oral and intra-oral prostheses across a multidisciplinary hospital setting.Non-routine prosthetic problem-solving — devise and implement solutions for failed or challenging prosthetic cases where standard protocols are insufficient.Interdisciplinary team leadership — lead collaborative case planning with periodontists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons to achieve integrated patient outcomes.Digital prosthetics workflow — apply CAD/CAM and graphics imaging software to design precision prostheses and supervise technician execution in a technologically advanced lab.Resident and student instruction — design and deliver formal didactic and clinical teaching for postdoctoral residents within an accredited prosthodontic program.Evidence-based practice integration — critically appraise current dental literature and apply findings to refine clinical protocols and patient care decisions.Medicolegal documentation — produce thorough clinical records, informed consent documentation, and expert written communications meeting professional and regulatory standards.Outcome evaluation — systematically assess long-term prosthetic outcomes across a patient cohort and use data to optimize treatment planning approaches.
advanced
Clinical program leadership — establish and direct the strategic vision of a prosthodontic department or specialty group practice, setting quality standards and care protocols.Postdoctoral curriculum development — design, implement, and continuously improve CODA-accredited prosthodontic residency curricula and competency evaluation frameworks.Organizational policy formation — author institutional policies governing prosthetic standards of care, infection control, and risk management across a dental health system.Faculty and personnel development — mentor junior faculty and attending clinicians, fostering professional growth and sustaining a culture of clinical excellence.Translational research leadership — lead or co-lead clinical research initiatives in biomaterials, implantology, or digital prosthetics, advancing the evidence base of the specialty.Interdisciplinary systems coordination — forge and sustain collaborative frameworks across medicine, surgery, oncology, and dentistry to support complex patient populations at a health-system level.National professional engagement — represent the specialty in professional organizations, standard-setting bodies, and accreditation committees to shape the future of prosthodontics.Healthcare technology adoption — evaluate and champion the integration of emerging digital, materials, and AI-assisted technologies into clinical and educational practice at scale.Complex case consultation — serve as the definitive specialist resource for the most clinically challenging prosthetic cases referred from within and outside the institution.Workforce and succession planning — identify talent pipelines, cultivate the next generation of prosthodontists, and align staffing strategy with the long-term mission of the organization.
Also known as
77 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Dentist, Advanced Clinical (Air Force 47G3B)Dentist (Air Force 47G4)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Maxillofacial Reconstruction (Air Force 47S4C)Periodontist (Army 63D)Dental Laboratory Technician, Basic (Navy 003401)Dentist, Hospital Dentistry (Air Force 47G4H)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Temporomandibular Joint (Air Force 47S1A)Dental Laboratory Technician (Maxillofacial) (Navy L38A)Dental Laboratory Technician, Advanced (Navy 002670)Dentist, General Clinical (Air Force 47G4C)Dentist, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMR) (Air Force 47G3F)Dental Laboratory Helper (Air Force 4Y012)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Maxillofacial Reconstruction (Air Force 47S1C)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Facial Esthetics (Air Force 47S3B)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (Army 63N)Dental Hygienist (Navy L35A)Executive Dentist (Army 63R)Dentist, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMR) (Air Force 47G1F)Dentist, General Clinical (Air Force 47G1C)Dentist, Public Health (Air Force 47G1D)Removable ProsthodontistMaxillofacial ProsthodontistProsthodontistOral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Facial Esthetics (Air Force 47S4B)Dentist, Dental Materials Science (Air Force 47G1E)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (Air Force 47S4)Dentist, Hospital Dentistry (Air Force 47G3H)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Temporomandibular Joint (Air Force 47S3A)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (Air Force 47SX)Dentist, General Clinical (Air Force 47G3C)General Dentist (Army 63A)Dentist, Hospital Dentistry (Air Force 47G1H)Dentist, Public Health (Air Force 47G4D)Restorative DentistPediatric Dentist (Army 63K)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (Air Force 47S3)Maxillofacial Prosthetics DentistDentist, Public Health (Air Force 47G3D)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Maxillofacial Reconstruction (Air Force 47S3C)Dental Laboratory Technician, Maxillofacial (Navy 003301)