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Irrespective of your reasons for coming to the Netherlands, your ultimate goal is to embark on a new career in a Dutch dental clinic. That’s precisely where BGB comes in to assist you.

Our primary objective is to locate a suitable clinic where you can thrive as a dentist in Holland. We take into consideration your dental experience, as well as your goals and aspirations. In certain cases, we also consider location, although our main focus is to find the best match for you.

This phase of our process is an exhilarating time. You will discover where you will begin your new life as a dentist, meet your new colleagues, and finally settle down in the Netherlands.

Working in a Dutch dental clinic may differ from what you’re accustomed to. There are working hours, protocols, and, of course, cultural differences to consider. However, we begin preparing you for this experience during our language course, where you will have regular sessions with our dentist advisors, Rita and Daniëlle.

By the time you start your internship, you will be proficient in Dutch, capable of effectively communicating with colleagues and patients, and well aware of what to expect in the realm of Dutch dentistry.

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Arjen Versteeg

Recruiter

How it works

While you focus on learning the Dutch language at our Academy, BGB starts searching for a suitable job in a dental clinic in the Netherlands.

We aim to find the the right match between you and the dental clinic, both personally and professionally, so that you can work in an environment that suits you well.

Once we have found a suitable clinic, you will be invited for an introductory interview. This can be a personal meeting at our Academy, or online via Teams. The purpose of this conversation is to get to know each other and give you an idea of the job in the dental clinic.

If there is mutual interest, you will start with a 3-week internship at this clinic after completion of the Dutch course. During this internship, you will start working in the clinic and be guided by your new colleagues. This way both you and the owner of the practice can assess whether it’s a good match.

If that is the case, it’s time to really start your career as a dentist in the Netherlands!

Where will I work?

Because of the shortage of dentists in the Netherlands, dentist vacancies are spread throughout the country. However, we normally see fewer vacancies in the cities of Amsterdam, Groningen, and Nijmegen, as these are the locations of the three dental universities, and recent graduates often start working there.

But apart from these three cities, you could work anywhere, and we will assess which vacancy is the best match with your profile, regardless of the location. If you have specified a location preference with a valid reason during the selection process, we will take this into account.

Regarding the type of dental clinic, this can vary widely, including solo practices, family practices, practices of dental chains, and so on. During your selection process with BGB, we have gained a good impression of your profile. Therefore, when searching for the right practice, we will also consider which type of practice suits you best.

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What does a work day for a dentist in the Netherlands look like?

Salary for a dentist in the Netherlands

General dentistry

In a Dutch dental clinic you will work as a general dentist, which includes common general dentistry treatments, such as check-ups, fillings, root canal treatments, extractions, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, and eventually more complex treatments.

Since patients normally visit the dentist twice a year, you can expect full agendas on a daily basis and see between 15-35 patients a day.

Patients come to the clinic not only for pain-related issues but also expect from you to offer the optimal treatment that is needed at that time. Doing different treatments every day gives a lot of variety to your work day at the clinic.  Additionally, you always work together with an assistant, enabling efficient collaboration and offering optimal treatment to the patient.

Your working day

The great thing about a job in a Dutch dental practice is that you work fixed hours. You work a maximum of 8 hours per day, excluding coffee/lunch breaks. It may vary slightly per practice, but typically you start around 08:30 and finish at 17:00.

However, if you work the afternoon shift, you will work in the afternoon and part of the evening while having the morning off. Also, bear in mind that you may occasionally have to work in the weekend (for emergencies). This also varies per practice.

Working fixed hours and being able to go home on time allows you to have enough time for your personal life, ensuring a good work-life balance.

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Dental sessions

While you’re learning the Dutch language at our BGB Academy, we will also prepare you professionally for your future job in a Dutch dental clinic. Our dental colleagues, Daniëlle and Rita, will go through the Dutch dental protocols with you and discuss dental cases that you can expect on a daily basis. This way, you will be fully prepared for your future job in the dental practice.

Evaluations

It is also possible to specialize in a specific field of general dentistry. Keep in mind that this always has to be combined with your job as a general dentist in the practice.

As an example, you can take courses or pursue a part-time Master’s degree or Postgraduate program, as long as this doesn’t affect your schedule at the practice.

BGB and dental clinics encourage professional development and can assist you in this. In addition to offering our own BGB Courses and Masterclasses, we are always willing to brainstorm and explore the possibilities with you.

This is also one of the topics that can be discussed during our semi-annual evaluations, where we monitor your progress in the practice and development together. Are you still happy in the clinic? Are you growing professionally? Can we help you with anything?

We always assess whether you are still in the right place. If this is not the case or if there is another valid reason why you want or need to change clinic, we will search a different clinic for you.

When working as a dentist in Holland, you can use all your knowledge gained at university at the practice, allowing you to feel respected and fulfilled in what you do.

By being able to perform various treatments within general dentistry on a daily basis, seeing many patients, and having the opportunity for professional development, we are confident that you can grow professionally and have a successful career in the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, if the collaboration ends after a minimum of three years. In the first 3 years you have a relationship clause that prevents you from leaving us and working directly for the same clinic(s) that you were working for.

Any work experience you can gain before working in a Dutch clinic is always beneficial. In any case, you must demonstrate that you’re confident in performing basic treatments in general dentistry, such as check-ups, fillings, endodontics, extractions, periodontics, and simple prosthodontics. It’s essential you feel confident about this, because Dutch dental clinics expect that you will be able to perform these treatments yourself and without guidance from other colleagues. Additionally, you have theoretical knowledge of advanced treatments, so you will be able to perform those treatments when you’re ready for it.

In any case, as part of the selection process, we will invite you to a dental assessment with one of our dental colleagues, who will check your work experience and knowledge in dentistry. They will evaluatie if you’re ready to start working in a Dutch clinic.

If you have any further questions about this, you can always contact Arjen (arjen@bgbdentistry.nl) and he’ll happy to help you!

No. There’s a shortage of dentists in all regions of the Netherlands, not only in the countryside. However, there are three dentistry universities in the Netherlands, located in Amsterdam, Nijmegen en Groningen.

Normally, we have fewer vacancies in these cities,  because the new graduates of these universities will most likely start working here. But outside of these areas, you could be placed anywhere, in cities or in the countryside.

Unfortunately it is quite impossible to specialize in the first years of our collaboration, since the working contract for at least the 1st year is full-time (5 days). But later on, why not? It all depends on your will and also the flexibility of the clinic/clinics where you are working.

 

 

There are clinics that invest in education for the dentist. However, the dentist may be expected to commit to said clinic for a set amount of time in order to ensure that the investment is mutually beneficial.

Moreover, if you’re working as dentist in the Netherlands through us, and you’re thinking about professional development, don’t hesitate to let us know. We would be pleased to help and advice you about your options.