Exploring Oral Healthcare Careers

Going Beyond Dentists

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Oral Health Subjects: Career Pathways, Oral Healthcare Teams, Oral Health Education

Keywords: Dentist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Assistant, Dental Laboratory Technicians, Dental School, Certifications, Associate’s Degree

Learning Goals:

Identify the different careers that make up the oral healthcare team and describe their roles.
Compare the education and training required for the different careers in oral healthcare.
Compare the daily responsibilities and work-life balance of the different careers.
Compare the salary ranges and advancement opportunities associated with the different careers.

Standard 1

Standard	Description	Module Alignment
1	Use functional health information to support the health and well-being of self and others.	Lessons 1 & 2: Students learn how different oral healthcare professionals contribute to patient care and oral health.
3	Access valid and reliable resources to support the health and well-being of self and others.	Lesson 2: Students explore reliable information about educational pathways, certifications, licensing, and career requirements for oral healthcare professions.
5	Use a decision-making process to support the health and well-being of self and others.	Lessons 3 & 4: Students compare careers based on education, work-life balance, responsibilities, salary, and advancement opportunities to evaluate potential career paths.

Standard 7

Description	Module Alignment
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.	Students interpret information presented through the education timeline, image comparison activity, and salary pyramid.