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Dentist resume skills and keywords

In 72 Dentist job postings from 16 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Patient care (51 %), Mentoring (46 %), Communication (46 %), State license (29 %) and Extractions (26 %). Of the top 40 skills, 29 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 11 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Dentist job postings

Skills requested in 72 Dentist job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Patient care51 %Hard skill
Mentoring46 %Soft skill
Communication46 %Soft skill
State license29 %Certification
Extractions26 %Hard skill
Professionalism25 %Soft skill
Compassion24 %Soft skill
Pediatric22 %Hard skill
BLS21 %Certification
Pediatric dentistry19 %Hard skill
Board certified19 %Certification
Crown17 %Hard skill
CPR17 %Certification
Collaboration15 %Soft skill
Patient Satisfaction12 %Hard skill
Administrative Support12 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills12 %Soft skill
Flexibility12 %Soft skill
Cosmetic Dentistry12 %Hard skill
Preventive Care11 %Hard skill
Case acceptance11 %Hard skill
Certified Management Consultant11 %Certification
Practice Management11 %Hard skill
Risk assessment11 %Hard skill
Needs Assessment11 %Hard skill
Infant10 %Hard skill
Leadership10 %Soft skill
Training & Mentorship10 %Hard skill
Clinical Diagnosis10 %Hard skill
Coaching10 %Soft skill
Clinical Leadership10 %Soft skill
Ethical Standards10 %Hard skill
Scanning7 %Hard skill
Charting7 %Hard skill
Treatment planning7 %Hard skill
Patient-Centered Care7 %Hard skill
Teamwork7 %Soft skill
Community Outreach6 %Hard skill
DEA registration6 %Certification
Endodontics6 %Hard skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (23)

Soft skills (11)

Certifications and licenses (6)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these dentist postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

dental care 65 %treatment plans 39 %accredited dental 38 %dental school 38 %dental license 36 %dental practice 36 %quality dental 35 %meaningful impact 32 %practice dentistry 29 %educate patients 26 %clinical autonomy 24 %treatment options 22 %providing exceptional 22 %active state 21 %develop individualized 19 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Dentist resume example. Then prepare for the Dentist interview questions that test them.

Build a dentist resume with these skills

Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.

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Dentist resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Dentist resume?

In 72 Dentist job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Patient care (51 %), Mentoring (46 %), Communication (46 %), State license (29 %) and Extractions (26 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Dentist resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 11 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Mentoring (46 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Dentist postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were State license (29 %), BLS (21 %), Board certified (19 %), CPR (17 %), Certified Management Consultant (11 %) and DEA registration (6 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 72 public Dentist job postings at 16 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (49), Lever (15) and Ashby (8). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 72. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 72 public job postings for dentist roles (titles such as General Dentist, Dentist, Part-Time Dentist | Outpatient Clinic Setting and Part-Time Dentist | Outpatient Clinic) at 16 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 49, Lever 15 and Ashby 8. Employers in the sample include Specialty Dental Brands, Comprehensive Mobile Care, Elite Dental Partners, Willamette Dental, 42 North Dental and Dental365. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 72. Updated quarterly. Download the data: dentist-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.