Tailoring guide
Dentist resume keywords and example
Dentist postings require a DDS or DMD from a CODA-accredited dental school, passing the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) and a clinical licensure exam, and an active state license, plus a DEA registration for prescribing. Practices and dental groups then read for the procedures you complete on your own, such as endodontics, extractions or implants, your patient volume and any sedation permit. Below are the keywords that recur, a sample summary, skills grouped by type, and example bullets across seniority levels.
Updated 14 November 2026. Keyword research current as of November 2026, sourced from public ATS keyword guides, not Weydr's own usage data.
Dentist keywords that repeat in job postings
- DDS / DMD
- State Dental License
- DEA Registration
- General Dentistry
- Restorative Dentistry
- Endodontics
- Oral Surgery / Extractions
- Treatment Planning
- Dental Implants
Only include the ones that are true for you. A keyword you can't back up in an interview costs more than it gains.
Sample professional summary
General dentist (DMD) licensed in the state, with 5 years in a multi-location group practice. Provides comprehensive exams, restorative care, crowns, molar endodontics and surgical extractions, and restores implants. Sees 10 to 14 patients a day, presents treatment plans clearly and works in Dentrix with CBCT for planning.
Illustrative example. Swap in your own years, domain, tools and results.
Skills to list on a dentist resume
Hard skills
- Comprehensive exams and diagnosis
- Restorative and fixed prosthodontics
- Anterior and molar endodontics
- Simple and surgical extractions
- Implant restoration
- Clear aligner treatment
- Radiograph and CBCT interpretation
Soft skills
- Chairside manner with anxious patients
- Clear treatment plan presentation
- Leading assistants and hygienists
- Time management on a full schedule
- Ethical judgment on treatment
Tools
- Dentrix
- Eaglesoft
- Open Dental
- CBCT imaging
- Intraoral scanners
- CEREC or other CAD/CAM systems
A tailored bullet, before and after
Treated patients as a general dentist.
Saw 12 patients a day in a 6-operatory group practice, completing restorative, crown, molar endodontic and surgical extraction cases and presenting treatment plans that most patients accepted the same day.
Example resume bullets by seniority
Illustrative examples: the companies, numbers and outcomes are made up to show the structure (action, scope, tool, result). Use your own real figures.
Entry level
- Completed a one-year AEGD residency, treating patients for implants, endodontics and removable prosthodontics under faculty supervision.
- Joined a community health center as an associate dentist, providing exams, fillings and extractions for Medicaid and uninsured patients.
Mid level
- Took on molar endodontics and surgical extractions in-house, cutting the number of cases referred out to specialists.
- Planned and restored implant cases with a visiting oral surgeon, using CBCT and intraoral scans for surgical guides.
Senior
- Served as lead dentist for a 3-office group, mentoring 4 associate dentists and reviewing treatment planning quality.
- Earned an oral conscious sedation permit and built a sedation workflow with the team for patients with dental anxiety.
Gaps candidates miss most
- Degree, state license and DEA registration, listed near the top
- The procedures you complete on your own versus those you refer out
- Residency training (AEGD or GPR), sedation permits and continuing education in implants or endodontics
Common dentist resume mistakes
- Listing "general dentistry" with no procedures or patient volume.
- Leaving out practice software and imaging, which group practices often name.
- Skipping case acceptance and patient communication, which practice owners weigh heavily.
- Quoting production figures that you cannot explain or that break an employer's confidentiality.
- Including license numbers instead of the state and active status.
Before you stuff in keywords
- Does ATS really reject 75% of résumés?: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- How to tailor your résumé to a job description: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- What an ATS résumé checker can and can't tell you: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- Tailoring a résumé to a job description: a worked example: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- How to explain an employment gap on your résumé: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- How to write a cover letter for a specific job: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- Résumé summary examples, and how to write your own: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- How long should a résumé be?: what the research says about ATS filtering.
- How to write a career change résumé: what the research says about ATS filtering.
Tailor your dentist resume to each job
Free starter allowance, no credit card, no trial timer.
Start free now