Oral health professions: Education, responsibilities, and general overview of careers in oral health

Abstract

At different stages of their professional lives, oral health students and graduates need key information to be in the best position to achieve success as a professional and choose the career path that is right for them. This chapter describes examples from the UK and the USA, but the selection processes are similar to the majority of countries where the selection of oral healthcare professionals is a competitive process. Whether such processes lead to the selection of the ideal oral healthcare professionals will always be open to debate. The process of reviewing the selection criteria will continue and will be influenced by the educational paths within a particular country. As always, the aim should be to select students who will have the skills not only to navigate the academic curriculum but also to provide service to patients for the majority of their working lives. This information would help oral health professionals match their personalities and strengths with the best career path.