Dentist Resume: The 2023 Guide with Resume Sample and 25+ Examples

How to write a dentist resume?

[Click here to directly go to the complete dentist resume sample]

You are on the right blog to guide you on drafting a dental resume.

As a dentist whether you are an entry-level dentist or experienced, you are giving people the confidence to smile.

But to achieve that purpose you need a strong build dental resume that no recruiter can overlook.

This dentist resume blog will walk you through along with dentist resume examples:

• What is the best format for a dentist resume?
• What sections to include in your dentist resume?
• How to write a professional experience for a dentist resume?
• How to write a summary for a dentist's resume?
• How to write an objective for an entry-level dental hygiene resume?
• How to add key skills to your dentist resume?
• Education in a dentist cv or resume
• Certification in a dentist cv or resume

In order to save your time on formatting and designing a dentist resume, use Hiration’s Resume Builder. You simply have to put all your information in the designated sections, and Voila! Your resume is done in a few minutes.

So, let us start with the guide on dentist resumes.

What is the best format for a dentist resume?

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The format of a dentist resume is very important as it only takes a hiring manager 7 seconds to entirely scan a resume. If in doubt about creating your dentist resume, use our Online Resume Builder to help you make a professional dentist resume.

There are various resume formats available for dental resume, they are largely categorized into three:

• Reverse chronological resumes - This is the most conventional format in which you add your recent work experience first and so on.
  It highlights your career graph and a continuous working experience in your dentist resume. These are generally used by fresh professionals and graduates who are looking for a job in the same field.

• Functional resumes - This resume is also known as a skill-based resume. It is generally used by candidates who have gaps in their work experience and want to highlight their area of expertise and skills rather than their work experience.

• Hybrid resumes - As the name suggests, it is a mix of reverse chronological and functional resumes. This is used to highlight the skills and work experience as desired, to draw the attention of the recruiter.

For fresh dental graduates and even experienced dental hygienists, we suggest you use reverse chronological order for your dental resume to put focus on your work experience or internships.

An organized dental resume has better chances of getting a shortlist for an interview.

How to create a dentist resume?

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Creating a dentist resume can be a daunting task. With so many sections to add and so much information to choose from, only a balanced and strategically made dentist resume will make it through the tough competition.

Here are a few tips before you read on each section explicitly:

• A resume always starts with a summary. Summary or objective is the first thing a recruiter looks at, so it is important to write a summary or objective that intrigues a recruiter to dwell a little longer on the resume
• A well structured professional summary with key achievements so that you look apt for the job position
• Add your educational qualifications along with the details of your licenses and certifications
• Mention the skills that you have acquired during your work experience and mention the skills that are specifically mentioned in the job posting (only if you really possess those dental skills)
• Adding an additional section helps your dentist resume to stand out from hundreds of other dentist resumes

Dentist Resume Sections

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A dentist resume is divided into various sections to make it seem organized and catchy. Also, choose a font that does not make your dentist resume look scattered, but orderly and professional.

Here is the standard list of sections for a dentist resume.

• Header
• Personal Information/Contact Details
• Profile Title
• Summary/Objective
• Key Skills
• Professional Experience/Internships/Externships/Overseas Experience
• Practice License or Relevant Certification
• Education
• Awards & Recognition
• Additional Sections

Have a look at the dentist resume sample below to have a clearer picture of dentist resume sections.

The header of a resume

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The very first part, i.e the header of your dentist resume carries the name of the candidate. This is written in the largest font of the resume, usually in the range of 16-20.

The name is written in Title Case, i.e initials of the first name and last name are capitalized. For example, Lara Jane.

In case a candidate has a middle name then just add the initial of the middle name followed by a period. For example, Freddy Richard Brown should be written as Freddy R. Brown.

Have a look at the dentist resume header below:

How to add personal information and contact details in a dentist resume?

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The personal information section of a dental resume consists of the following information:

• Phone number
• Email address
• City of residence
• Linkedin URL
• Personal Website

Here are a few things to keep in mind while adding personal information:

• Always add the phone number that you are 24x7 available on with ISD code, for example, +1 225 353 4652
• Provide the email address that you check on a daily basis. The email address should be professional for example, larajane52@mail.com
• Mention the current city of residence, avoid mentioning house number, street, or locality; for example Fresno, CA
• Provide the LinkedIn URL and maintain the profile regularly
• Insert passport details only if you are applying for an overseas job

Here is an dentist resume example for personal information:

How to add a profile title in a dentist resume?

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The Profile title in your dentist resume is the description of your professional level. It conveys the following information to the recruiters

• The functional area or industry of the post
• Your current designation
• Your seniority level

Here is a dentist resume sample profile title:

How to write a summary for a dentist resume?

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A summary is the first thing a recruiter looks at. So it is very important to frame a summary that makes you stand out from other candidates and entices the recruiter to dwell on your dentist resume for a few more minutes.

A strategically framed summary is a brief paragraph, usually 3-4 lines, stating your skills acquired during your dentist experience along with your accomplishments.

Hiration Pro Tip:

Always frame your dentist resume summary in the end. So that it reflects your work experience and is well thought out. Add keywords from the job posting to draw the recruiter’s attention.

Have a look at the dentist resume sample summary below to have a brief idea about it.

How to write an objective for an entry-level dentist resume?

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The objective is written by candidates who are straight out of college or candidates who have less than 2 years of experience.

An objective of a dentist resume is a 3-4 lines introduction that states a candidate’s skills and achievements to align with the organization’s objectives.

Here is an example of a dentist resume objective:

A compassionate graduate in dental hygiene with a stellar record of rendering a total of 150 hours of dental services during the internship. Received hands-on experience in conducting initial dental assessments and helping in restorative procedures. Seeking to collaborate with XYZ Clinic to deploy effective dental skills with optimum patient care.

What are the skills to be added to a dentist resume?

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The skills section of a dentist resume highlights the capabilities of a candidate. It should include information about the skills you have acquired during your previous job or your internships.

A recruiter always looks for candidates who possess the skills relevant for a particular job. That means, skills that are of no use for the job you are applying for then omit them from the Skills Section of your resume.

Hiration Pro Tip:

Add those skills in the resume which you truly possess.

Adding skills just for the sake of it would not help you in long run.

Have a look at dentist resume example skills:

Types of Skills

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Skills can be broadly categorized into two: Hard Skills and Soft Skill.

Hard skills are those skills that are specific to an industry or a specific job. These are often measurable skills. For example, it is very important to add skills like restorative procedures, Veneers, etc. to a dentist resume.

Here are a few dental resume key skills/hard skills examples:

• Dentistry
• Fluoride Treatment
• Dental X-Ray
• Dental Procedures
• Diagnosis
• Dental Services
• Oral Hygiene
• Treatment Plans
• Patient Care

Soft skills are those skills that are generic for each industry type and they hold relevance for the job you are applying for.

For example, a recruiter is looking for a dental hygiene resumes then it is very important for the candidate to have effective communication skills to interact with the patients, so mentioning the same in the resume is necessary.

You may also add the following soft skills to your dental hygiene resume such as:

• Organization
• Critical Thinking
• Professionalism
• Manual Dexterity
• Interpersonal skills

How to add Professional Experience to a dental hygiene resume?

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Amid the increasing competition for job positions, a resume needs to stand out among hundred others.

But what exactly does make a resume stand out?

Quite a lot of candidates may have more or less the same skills as yours, the same level of education, etc. but what will distinguish your resume from others is your strategically framed professional experience.

Here is a quick guide on how to start and what to write in a dentist resume professional experience:

• Use the reverse chronological order to enter your job positions, i.e your recent job first
• State your designation, name of the company/organization, dates of the working period (preferably in a month and year format)
• Use one-liner bullet points to describe your roles and responsibilities
• For more than 5 bullet points, try to club these points under a heading (as shown in the dentist resume sample) and bold important terms
• Start the bullet point with resume power words or action verbs
• Quantify wherever possible, for example, performed 40+ restorative procedures, assisting a team of 3 senior dentists, etc.
• Add key achievements to further enhance the effectiveness of the resume

STAR Format

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The experience of a person needs to be direct and should make the candidate appear apt for the job. To achieve this, the most effective way of writing the experience sections is by using the STAR format.

STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result

• Situation-Describe the situation that required to be handled, or the circumstances of your contribution
• Task-Write the tasks that were assigned to you
• Action-What actions did you undertook to complete the tasks
• Result-What exactly did you achieve or what was the final outcome of these actions

Bucketing & Bolding

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This is yet another way of making your professional experience more impactful. The aim is to enhance the readability of your dentist resume and ease out the recruiter’s effort to locate relevant terms.

In this, instead of writing 10 or 15 points without any categorization and bolding we write similar points under unique headings and embolden the important terms.

Have a look at the examples provided below and decide yourself:

Example 1

• Performed 40+ general restorative dentistry procedures and explained before and after surgery precautions to patients
• Ensured the delivery of comprehensive dental diagnosis and effective treatment plans
• Conducted oral hygiene education programs to educate people about primary dental health
• Assisted senior dentists in prescribing and managing treatment plans
• Performed routine patient care and monitored the sterilization of instruments before surgical procedures

Example 2

Dentistry & Diagnosis

• Performed 40+ general restorative dentistry procedures and explained before and after surgery precautions to patients
• Ensured the delivery of comprehensive dental diagnosis and effective treatment plans

Patient Care & Treatment Plans

• Conducted oral hygiene education programs to educate people about primary dental health
• Assisted senior dentists in prescribing and managing treatment plans
• Performed routine patient care and monitored the sterilization of instruments before surgical procedures

Have a look at the example below to further clarify any doubt regarding the professional experience section of a dental hygiene resume.

Adding License and Certificates to the resume

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The license and certification section on your resume makes it stand out. About 76% of healthcare workers hold licenses and certification, according to a survey held by the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics.

Even recruiters use the license and certification as a filter in the Applicant Tracking System.

Before adding license and certification to your dentist resume, here is a list of how and what to include:

• Try to add certificates that are relevant to your job application
• Mention the full name of certifications
• Add the name of the issuing authority as it increases the credibility of the license and certificates
• Location, if applicable
• Dates of issuance and expiration, if applicable
• Follow the reverse chronological order while listing down the certificates
• Avoid adding expired certificates or licenses

Here are a few examples of licenses and certifications for a dentist resume:

• License No. 6514254 | American Dental Association | Issued in Mar ‘21
• Basic Life Support Provider | American Heart Association | Issued in Nov ‘20
• General Dentistry Certification | American Board of General Dentistry | Issued in Sep ‘20

Have a look at the dentist resume sample licenses and certifications:

Adding education in a dentist resume

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It is very important to mention education when applying for a job that will aid the recruiters to shortlist you on a basic requirement basis.

Sometimes, apart from skills and certifications, recruiters also use educational qualifications as a filter to narrow down the pool of applicants.

If you are an experienced dental hygienist then you can also add your externships in the education section. However, if you are a fresh graduate make a separate externship section just like a professional experience section.

Here is a list of things to keep in mind when adding education to your resume:

• It goes without saying, add the education in the reverse chronological order
• Mention the full name of the degree course along with concentration or specialization
• Provide the name of the University/College
• You can add CGPA if greater than 3.4
• If you are a fresh graduate you can provide the coursework related to your degree
• Also, provide the dates of the education duration, preferably with months

Here is an example of education sections for experienced and fresh graduates:

Experienced dental hygiene resume

• Master of Science in Dental Hygiene - Orthodontics | University of California | Jun ‘17 - Apr ‘21
  • CGPA 3.4/4.0
• Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene | University of California | Sep ‘13 - Mar ‘17
  • CGPA 3.75/4.0

Entry-level dental hygienist

• Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene | University of Ohio | Columbus, OH | Jul ‘17 - Mar ‘21
  • CGPA: 3.42/4.0
  • Coursework: Oral Anatomy | Oral Pathology | Oral Histology

Here is an dentist resume sample education section:

Additional Sections

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There are various other sections that can increase the weightage of your dentist resume. These sections are effectively used to highlight the skills that cannot be added in the skills section. This section highlights your interests and personality as a whole.

Let us look at a few sections that can be added in addition to other sections in your resume.

1. Curricular Activities - These activities are based on the prescribed courses of study. These are also referred to as academic activities.

Here is an example of a curricular activity for a dental resume

• Organized Dental Care Week to promote dental hygiene among students | University of Ohio | First Week of Feb ‘21

2. Extracurricular Activities - These activities are also known as co-curricular or extra-academic activities. As the name suggests, these activities are falls outside of the prescribed courses of study.

It may include the activities you have undertaken as part of one of the college/university clubs or organizations

Let us have a look at the example:

• Organized college trips as a member of Tour Club | University of California | Jun ‘20 - Feb ‘21
• Represented college in inter-college Tennis Championship | University of Florida | Nov ‘20

3. Volunteer Experience - This section generally includes the work undertaken by you voluntarily without accepting payment or the services rendered by you.

Here are a few examples of volunteer experiences for your dental resume

• Volunteered to raise money for stray animals | A Home for Loved Organization | Oct ‘20
• Managed the usage of donations | St. Mary Community Church | Feb ‘20 - Jan ‘21

Here have a look at the dentist resume sample volunteer experience section:

4. Additional Information - This section includes various things, for example, languages known, interests, other certifications, etc.

Let us look at the examples of additional information section of your dental resume:

• Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Elementary), French (Elementary)
• Interests: Football, Chess

Key Takeaways

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A deliberately framed resume not only induces confidence in a candidate but also enhances the chances of getting shortlisted for an interview.

Here are the key takeaways from this blog.

• Choose a resume format that is best suited for your experience or job profile
• Mention your name in the header section and provide contact details below it
• Clearly state your current work profile in the title section
• Add an intriguing summary comprising your skills and key achievements and objective in case of an entry-level dental hygiene resume
• State the key skills that you have acquired along the way
• Formulate a very crisp experience section using the STAR method and embolden phrases that highlight your work experience
• Provide the details of certifications and relevant licensures
• Add education section to qualify the minimum qualifications stage of the recruitment process
• Add additional sections such as curricular activities, co-curricular activities, or volunteer experiences to further enrich the impact of your fresher resume
• Write a personalized cover letter for the job application and attach it with the resume
• Proofread the entire document to avoid any silly spelling mistakes or formatting errors

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at support@hiration.com and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

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• Option to save unlimited resumes
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