Dentist Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2025

Dentist resume template (text format)

This template uses a logical resume format to help you organize your dental qualifications and clinical experience.

Dentist resumes by experience level

We’ve prepared two resume examples for experienced and entry-level dentists so you have something to compare your own resume to:

Entry-level dentist resume

Below is an example of an associate dentist resume so you can see what an entry-level dentist resume should look like:

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Example highlights

• Clinical experience: Although they haven’t held a job as a dentist yet, this applicant has acquired experience in clinical settings during their academic career, which they showcase on their resume.
• Expected licensing date: The student shows employers that they’re in the process of receiving a license required to work as a dentist in their state.

Experienced dentist resume

To land a more senior dentist role, you’ll need a resume that showcases your qualifications, like this one:

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Example highlights

• Career progression: This resume demonstrates the applicant’s commitment to pediatric dentistry by showing how they started out as a general dentist with a focus on young patients.
• Soft skills: Working with children requires a strong set of soft skills to ensure a comfortable, stress free experience for the young patients, which this applicant focuses on in their work experience section.

Dentist resume samples by job title

Here are more dentist resume examples to help you write a compelling dentist resume tailored to your area of specialization:

Dental assistant resume

Below is a dental assistant resume example to show you what employers look for when hiring for this type of dentist role:

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Example highlight

• Combined education and certifications section: To save space on their resume, this applicant lists their education and certifications in the same section. This leaves more space for them to go into detail about their work experience.

Dental hygienist resume

Here’s a well-balanced dental hygienist resume that effectively emphasizes the applicant’s most marketable qualities as a dentist:

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Example highlight

• Bullet point summary: The applicant uses resume bullet points in their introduction to highlight their different areas of dentistry expertise. This is another way to write a resume summary that allows employers to quickly scan it for relevant details.

How to become a dentist

Not sure what steps you need to take to become a dentist? Check out this helpful video by Dr. Stephen P. Ray:

How to write a dentist resume

Need help writing a dentist resume from scratch, or looking for advice on how to improve an existing resume? Take a look at these tips:

1. Add skills and other requirements from the job description

To land a job as a dentist, use the skills section of your resume to highlight your dentist skills.

Beyond the hard skills like teeth cleaning and checking for caries, add unique skills or specialties that set you apart. For instance, if you’ve done research in a particular field of dentistry or have mastered a new dental technology, you should mention it.

Here are the most common dentist skills and requirements we’ve pulled from real job listings:

2. Include a compelling dentist resume summary

A well-written resume summary, placed just below your resume header, informs employers about your top skills and accomplishments as a dentist. This can help keep their attention and ensure they read the rest of your resume carefully to find out all the details about your professional background.

To help you write a resume summary that makes a lasting impression, here are three good examples:

3. Write a strong education section

It takes a lot of training and education to become a great dentist, so don’t neglect your resume’s education section. List your highest degree and dental-related certifications, as well as any continuing education or professional development courses you’ve taken that relate to the field of dentistry.

Here’s an example:

You can also place your licenses and certifications in a separate section if you have additional space on your resume to make them stand out even more.

If you’ve attained any special awards or you’re a member of professional organizations, like the American Dental Association, make sure to include that too. It shows you’re committed to staying informed about the latest developments in your field.

Average dentist salaries in the US

After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.

The following table includes information from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report (May 2024). Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for dentists, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.