Dental services are provided by dentists, specialist dentists and other members of the dental team, including dental nurses, receptionists, support staff, technologists, hygienists, and dental therapists. Dentistry is practiced in hospitals, private practices, and in community and outreac h settings. Dental laboratories, run by prosthetists and teams of dental technicians, provide technical dentistry services. Specialist dentistry includes Oral-Maxillo Facial surgery, which is also a surgical specialty within medicine, that deals with complex dentistry conditions such as facial trauma.

The dental workforce provides an essential healthcare service to the community and is made up of multiple challenging and rewarding professions. The healthcare sector, including dentistry, continues to benefit from advancements in technology, and building a robust workforce remains integral to meet ongoing and future demand for dental services. Fortunately, there are numerous career paths within Dentistry, and many opportunities for career development and specialisation.

Specialist Dentists are qualified and registered dentists who have undertaken further postgraduate training in a specialty area of dentistry. They work in specialist dental units in hospitals and private clinics, including in acute and emergency settings, as well as in laboratories and secondary care or tertiary institutions. They work in areas such as dental and maxillofacial surgery, radiology, or pathology; periodontics, prosthodontics, or endodontics; public health dentistry, oral medicine, oral microbiology, paediatric dentistry, restorative dentistry or special care dentistry. Specialist Dentists are senior dentists who provide clinical leadership and expertise in their dental specialty, and are often responsible for managing and training junior staff.