Dentist CV example with procedure counts and a case log
A dentist CV shows your licence, then clinical work as procedures with counts, a short anonymised case log of complex treatment, specialty training such as a DUS placement, and courses. Every count should come from your clinic records.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Pull the numbers from your records before you write
Dental work is countable, and a CV that counts reads differently from one that lists duties. Before drafting, export from your practice software or student clinic logbook how many of each treatment you completed over the last two or three years. Then pick two or three complex cases you took from plan to review.
The National Careers Service lists what a dentist is expected to do: check-ups and cleaning, X-rays and scans, treatment planning with patients, fillings, crowns, extractions, dentures, implants and bridges, and cosmetic work such as whitening and veneers. Those categories are a sensible first structure for your counts.
Keep patients unidentifiable
Counts and case summaries need no names, birth dates, file numbers or photographs. Describe a case by age band, the presenting problem, the plan and the result, and keep clinical photographs for a portfolio shown in person.
Licences and registers a dental employer checks
A clinic owner or hospital reads the licence line first, because nothing else on the page matters without it. What that line contains depends on the country.
| Country | What you need to practise | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | A diploma registered by the Ministry of Health. Dentists who start private practice join the local chamber of dentists within one month; dentists in permanent public posts may join voluntarily. | DUS guide; Law 3224, article 17 |
| United Kingdom | A 5-year degree at a GDC-approved school, 2 years of supervised postgraduate training and registration with the General Dental Council | NCS dentist profile |
| United States | A DDS or DMD from an accredited programme, a written exam, a state or regional clinical exam and a state licence | BLS handbook |
| Germany | The Approbation, German at B2 and usually a C1 specialist language exam; a CV is one of the application documents | Recognition Finder, Berlin |
The UK route for qualifications that are not recognised
The GDC says dentists whose qualifications are not recognised for UK registration can sit the Overseas Registration Exam. Part 1 tests the application of clinical knowledge and is computer-based but held in person; Part 2 tests practical clinical skills over several days. Passing lets you apply for registration.
DUS, the specialty entrance exam in Türkiye
DUS selects candidates for specialty training in faculties of dentistry; it is not a licence to practise. The second 2026 sitting is on 1 November 2026, with 120 questions in 150 minutes. ÖSYM’s guide notes that dentists who already hold a doctorate must also pass DUS to become specialists.
| Test | Areas and questions |
|---|---|
| Basic sciences (TBT), 40 questions | Anatomy 6, histology and embryology 4, physiology 6, biochemistry 6, microbiology 6, pathology 4, pharmacology 4, biology and genetics 4 |
| Clinical sciences (KBT), 80 questions | Restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral and maxillofacial radiology, periodontology, orthodontics, endodontics and paediatric dentistry, 10 each |
Oral pathology places candidates on the T score, which weights the basic test 0.6; every other dental specialty uses the K score, which weights the clinical test 0.6. Placement also needs at least 50 in YDS or an accepted equivalent in English, French or German.
How DUS appears on a CV
Write the specialty, the faculty and the start month: “Specialty training in Periodontology, [University] Faculty of Dentistry, since March 2025 (entry via DUS)”. The raw score adds nothing once you are placed.
Skills a practice owner wants to see in action
The NCS profile asks for knowledge of medicine and dentistry, thoroughness, verbal communication, sound judgement, customer service and confident computer use. BLS adds dexterity, leadership, organisation, patience and problem-solving. Turn each into a line with a number or a result.
| Skill | Named by | Line that demonstrates it |
|---|---|---|
| Dexterity | BLS | Completed 140 molar root canal treatments with a rotary system, review X-ray at 12 months |
| Treatment planning with patients | NCS | Presented phased plans with costed options to about 15 new patients a week |
| Customer service | NCS | Kept the recall list current for 1,900 patients; failed appointments fell after reminder texts started |
| Leadership | BLS | Supervised two dental nurses and one hygienist on a shared schedule |
| Organisation | BLS | Set up the clinic’s sterilisation log after an inspection request |
| Computer use | NCS | Charting, imaging and billing in the clinic’s practice-management software |
Worked example: a general dentist moving to an implant clinic
Example only. Dr Can Yılmaz is invented and so are the clinics, counts and cases below. He has four years in general practice in Türkiye and is applying to a clinic that places implants.
Licence line and profile
- Dentist (Diş Hekimi), diploma registered with the Ministry of Health of Türkiye, 2022 · member, Istanbul Chamber of Dentists
- General dentist with four years in private practice; 210 implant restorations and 60 surgical placements under supervision
Clinical experience with counts
- General Dentist, [Clinic], Istanbul · July 2022 to present
- Restorations: about 1,800 composite fillings; 320 single crowns; 45 bridges
- Endodontics: 140 molar root canal treatments with rotary files
- Surgery: 410 simple and 75 surgical extractions; 60 implant placements with the clinic’s implant surgeon present
- Prosthetics: 210 implant-supported crowns; 38 complete and partial dentures
Case log (anonymised)
| Case | Plan carried out | Visits | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, 50s, failing lower bridge | Extraction, two implants, screw-retained bridge | 7 over 5 months | Stable at 12 months, X-ray on file |
| Adult, 30s, worn anterior teeth | Diagnostic wax-up, composite build-up of 6 teeth | 4 | Reviewed at 6 months |
| Adult, 70s, edentulous upper jaw | Complete denture with relines | 6 | Adjusted twice, then routine recall |
Courses
- Implant surgery course, [provider], 40 hours with supervised placements, 2024
- Rotary endodontics workshop, [provider], 2023
Round counts honestly (“about 1,800”) when the software gives a total you cannot split by year, and say “under supervision” whenever someone else held responsibility.
Where these facts come from
Read on 13 October 2026:
- DUS date, length, question areas, score weights, the YDS rule and the doctorate note: ÖSYM, 2026-DUS 2nd period application guide.
- Chamber membership within one month for private practice: Law 3224 on the Turkish Dental Association, article 17.
- UK degree, training and treatments: National Careers Service, dentist profile.
- Overseas Registration Exam parts: General Dental Council.
- US degrees, exams, licences and residency lengths: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, modified 27 August 2026.
- German Approbation, language levels and the CV requirement: Anerkennung in Deutschland, Recognition Finder for a dentist in Berlin.
When a case log is the wrong tool
- Public posts filled by form or allocation, where only the fields asked for are read.
- New graduates with only student clinic cases: list the student totals, and keep a case log for one or two cases you finished yourself.
- Academic posts, which want publications and teaching first.
- Specialty training in the US: BLS says specialists usually complete a 2 to 4 year residency, and oral and maxillofacial surgery takes 4 to 6, so the application is shaped by that programme.
Working abroad and next steps
Dental licensing abroad starts with the regulator, not the CV. For the UK, check the GDC route above; for Germany, the Recognition Finder lists the documents for your state, and the page on degree recognition explains how to write an official comparison on a CV. The guide to CVs for jobs abroad covers translation, format and photos by country.
CitedCV builds a CV only from facts you enter or upload and asks when something is missing, so treatment counts appear only if you supply them. It writes in English, Turkish or German.
- Export treatment totals from your software or logbook.
- Choose two or three finished cases and write them as plan, visits and review.
- Write the licence line for the country you are applying in.
- Add specialty training and courses with hours and dates.
- Order the counts so the treatment the posting asks for comes first.
Questions people ask
Do I need DUS to work as a dentist in Turkey?
No. DUS is the entrance exam for specialty training; a general dentist practises with a registered diploma and, in private practice, chamber membership.
Should a dentist CV list the number of procedures?
Yes, where you can back them up. Totals per treatment type from your practice software tell an employer more than a list of duties.
What is a dental case log on a CV?
It is a short table of a few complex cases, each described by age band, problem, plan, number of visits and review result, with nothing that identifies the patient.
How do I write a dentist CV as a new graduate?
Lead with the degree and diploma registration, then the student clinic totals by treatment, one or two cases you completed, and any courses.
Can a dentist from Türkiye work in the UK?
Only after GDC registration. Dentists whose qualification is not recognised can sit the Overseas Registration Exam, which has a computer-based part and a practical part.
Is chamber membership required for dentists in private practice?
Yes. Law 3224 requires dentists starting private practice to join the local chamber within one month; for permanent public posts it is optional.
Where do implant or aligner courses go on a dentist CV?
Put them under Courses with the provider, the year and the hours, and add supervised cases where the course included them.
Sources
- ÖSYM, 2026-DUS 2. Dönem Başvuru Kılavuzudokuman.osym.gov.tr/web/2026/9/basvuru-kilavuzu-e1esxj-16163038.pdf
- Türk Dişhekimleri Birliği Kanunu (Law 3224), mevzuat.gov.trwww.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.3224.pdf
- National Careers Service, Dentist job profilenationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/dentist
- General Dental Council, Overseas Registration Examwww.gdc-uk.org/registration/overseas-registration-exam
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dentists: How to Become Onewww.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm
- Anerkennung in Deutschland, Recognition Finder: Dentist in Berlinwww.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/en/interest/finder/result?arrangement=nein&country=null&location=47619&mode=ausland&nationality=drittstaat&profession=447&success=ja&whereabouts=ausland&zipsearch=0