Dentists, General

Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.

The occupation "Dentists, General" has an automation risk of 23.3%, which is slightly lower than the base risk of 23.8% for similar roles. This moderate risk reflects a balanced interplay between tasks that are amenable to automation and those that require human skills and judgment. Tasks such as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gloves, and safety glasses can be easily standardized and potentially automated through robotics or smart equipment. Similarly, examining teeth, gums, and related tissues, especially the use of dental instruments and x-rays, has seen increasing support from computerized diagnostic tools and AI-driven imaging technologies, making these tasks more vulnerable to automation. Administering anesthetics, while highly specialized, is a physical process that could be supported or performed by robotic systems under supervision. However, the core responsibilities of general dentists also include tasks that are much more resistant to automation, offsetting the overall risk. Producing or evaluating dental health educational materials requires a level of communication, empathy, and adaptation to individual patient needs that AI systems still struggle to replicate. Procedures like bleaching, cleaning, or polishing teeth, although physical, require a tactile sense and real-time feedback that current robotics cannot easily mimic, especially given the variability in patient anatomy and responses. Planning, organizing, or maintaining dental health programs involves problem-solving, long-term thinking, and often collaboration with other healthcare professionals, all of which demand human oversight and understanding of complex social and institutional contexts. Bottleneck skills that keep the automation risk lower include originality, with reported skill levels of 3.1% and 3.9%. Originality in this context refers to a dentist's ability to devise unique treatment solutions, adapt to unexpected clinical situations, and innovate patient care approaches based on new information or changing patient needs. Such skills are fundamental to tailoring dental treatments and educational materials to individual patients and communities, which automation currently cannot match. As a result, while technology may continue to assume a growing role in diagnostics and routine functions, the aspects of dentistry that require creative thinking, nuanced patient interaction, and adaptive planning are likely to remain human-led for the foreseeable future.