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Dentist

Stable

Healthcare

Diagnoses and treats dental and oral health conditions. Requires Malaysian Dental Council registration and a housemanship period; private practice substantially raises earnings beyond public-sector pay.

DentistryScienceNursing

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
  2. 2Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments.
  3. 3Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
  4. 4Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
  5. 5Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
  6. 6Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, or malformations of teeth, gums, or related oral structures and provide preventive or corrective services.
  7. 7Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.
  8. 8Advise or instruct patients regarding preventive dental care, the causes and treatment of dental problems, or oral health care services.
  9. 9Design, make, or fit prosthodontic appliances, such as space maintainers, bridges, or dentures, or write fabrication instructions or prescriptions for denturists or dental technicians.
  10. 10Fill pulp chamber and canal with endodontic materials.
  11. 11Treat exposure of pulp by pulp capping, removal of pulp from pulp chamber, or root canal, using dental instruments.
  12. 12Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
  13. 13Manage business aspects such as employing or supervising staff or handling paperwork or insurance claims.
  14. 14Analyze or evaluate dental needs to determine changes or trends in patterns of dental disease.
  15. 15Apply fluoride or sealants to teeth.
  16. 16Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
  17. 17Perform oral or periodontal surgery on the jaw or mouth.
  18. 18Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
  19. 19Bleach, clean, or polish teeth to restore natural color.
  20. 20Produce or evaluate dental health educational materials.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • DDS
  • DMD
  • Dentist
  • Endodontist
  • Periodontist
  • Dental Officer
  • Family Dentist
  • General Dentist
  • Dentists, General
  • Pediatric Dentist

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. Typical entry

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationDoctoral degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BiologyDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional ScienceDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Medicine and Dentistry100%

    BiologyChemistry

  • Customer and Personal Service85%
  • English Language79%

    English

  • Biology70%

    BiologyAdditional Science

  • Psychology69%
  • Education and Training66%

Skills to build

EmpathyCalm under pressureTeamwork

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingMost of the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

15%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in the private market

Monthly pay from fresh grad to mid-career, from the salary guide cited on this page.

Entry

Private
RM3,000 – RM4,500

Mid-career

Private
RM6,000 – RM12,000

Government pay isn't shown: we haven't yet sourced the SSPA civil-service salary tables, and we won't estimate them.

Job demand outlook

Stable

Steady, reliable demand: a consistent number of openings.

Your readiness

How your current SPM subjects line up with this career.

Add your SPM grades to see how ready you are for this career.

Add my grades

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Dentists, General

Source: Indeed Malaysia / SalaryExpert · as of Jan 2025

Check the salary figures yourself:Indeed MalaysiaSalaryExpert

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue