SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Prosthodontists

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
  • Dental Science Dr (Dental Science Doctor)
  • Denturist
  • Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
  • Prosthetic Dentist
  • Prosthodontist
  • Reconstructive Dentist
  • Removable Prosthodontist

What do Prosthodontists do?

Prosthodontists are dental specialists who focus on the restoration and replacement of teeth. They are skilled in diagnosing, planning treatment, rehabilitating, and maintaining the oral function, comfort, appearance, and health of patients who have missing or deficient teeth and oral and maxillofacial tissues. This field of dentistry involves the use of prosthetic devices including crowns, bridges, dentures, and dental implants, which are custom-made to fit each patient's specific needs. Prosthodontists work closely with other dental professionals to achieve optimal outcomes for patients, ensuring not only esthetics but also proper oral function. Their training allows them to manage complicated cases, including those involving trauma, congenital defects, and cancer rehabilitation. Due to their expertise, prosthodontists play a crucial role in improving patients' quality of life through enhanced oral health and function.

What the work actually is

  • 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.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities

  • Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Knowledge

  • Medicine and Dentistry Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Biology Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

Post-doctoral training
Doctoral degree
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Getting Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Medical software Henry Schein DentalVision Professional · Henry Schein Dentrix · Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft · Practice-Web Dental
  • Graphics or photo imaging software Image management software
  • Operating system software Apple iOS

Tools

  • Orthodontic pliers Bird beak pliers · Ligature tying pliers · Placing pliers
  • Dental mouth prop or bite block or gag Boley gauges · Bracket positioning gauges · Fox planes
  • Dental marking devices Gothic arch tracers · Needle point tracers · Pantographic tracing instruments
  • Dental articulators Adjustable articulators · Face bows · Non-adjustable articulators
  • Dental impression trays Crown and bridge trays · Edentulous impression trays · Partial impression trays

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Investigative

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Social

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

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Questions people ask

How much do Prosthodontists earn in South Africa?

Prosthodontists salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Prosthodontists do?

Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases, Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications and Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.