Will AI replace prosthodontists?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 1 more task has only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so it stays with people here. For 10 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Replace missing teeth and associated oral structures with permanent fixtures, such as implant-supported prostheses, crowns and bridges, or removable fixtures, such as dentures. (1h 48m a shift)
• Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications. (1h 21m a shift)
• Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases. (1h 8m a shift)
• Measure and take impressions of patients' jaws and teeth to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses, using face bows, dental articulators, recording devices, and other materials. (54m a shift)
• Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians and laboratory bench workers who construct the devices. (41m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 100% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 100% work at arm's length or closer to other people
• 90% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

On Indeed, job postings in the Dental sector are at 117% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 14.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $311,180 a year ($149.61 an hour), 510% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $103,510 and $344,750 or more a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer.

BLS projects growth of 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 1,100 jobs in 2035. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 870 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 791st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 1,100 in 2035.

The most common requirement is post-doctoral training: about 61% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 5 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: graduate degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Science, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Apple iOS, Henry Schein Dentrix

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Consult with patients about treatment options.
• Create treatment plans for patients.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• General Dentists (31m touched, $171k median pay)
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (0m touched, $352k median pay)
• Orthodontists (32m touched, $289k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 12 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.