💡 Why it matters: Dental problems affect almost everyone, so skilled dentists are needed in every community, from small towns to big cities.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Nigeria has very few dentists for its size.
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦3M – ₦6M
- Mid-career
- ₦7M – ₦16M
- Senior
- ₦16M – ₦35M
≈ ₦583k – ₦1.3M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Annual wage low/median/high as shown by Job Bank (many are self-employed, so annual rates are used). Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2025 (Job Bank update, as shown)
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Check teeth and gums for problems
- Fill cavities and remove bad teeth
- Fit braces, crowns and dentures
- Teach patients how to care for their mouths
- Treat gum disease and mouth infections
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Steady hands
- Attention to detail
- Empathy
- Communication
- Business sense
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Dental technology diploma, then dental therapy
- Postgraduate fellowship in a speciality such as orthodontics
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Graduate-entry dentistry courses at some universities
- Work as a dental nurse first, then apply to dental school
🇺🇸 United States
- Dental hygienist or assistant first, then dental school
- Postgraduate residency to specialise (for example orthodontics)
🇨🇦 Canada
- Qualify abroad, then complete a degree-completion program and exams
- Postgraduate training to specialise
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Score high in Biology, Chemistry and Physics
- 2Study dentistry at university for about 5 to 6 years
- 3Complete a supervised training year in clinics or hospitals
- 4Register or get licensed with your country's dental regulator
- 5Work in a hospital or open your own dental clinic
⏰ A day in the life
You greet your first patient, find a small cavity and fix it in 30 minutes. Next you fit a brace on a teenager, and then examine a child who has a toothache and explain how to brush properly.