Dentist Jobs in New Zealand: Planning Your Move? Talk to the Experts.
With typically 70–100 dentist jobs in New Zealand at any one time, predominantly within independent private practice, there is considerable choice for dentists planning their move.
If New Zealand is where you have decided you want to live and work, the next question is where, and in what kind of practice?
Zest Dental Recruitment, working in partnership with our specialist dental recruitment partner based in New Zealand, typically has between 70 and 100 live dentist opportunities across the country at any one time.
We recruit across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga, Rotorua, Hamilton, Nelson, New Plymouth, Hawke's Bay, Northland, Queenstown, Dunedin, Southland and many locations in between.
The overwhelming majority of these opportunities are with private, independently owned dental practices, ranging from smaller established clinics to large, modern multi-surgery practices.
For dentists planning a move to New Zealand, the question may therefore be less "Can I find a job?" and more "Which job and which part of New Zealand would actually suit me?"
Private dentistry across New Zealand
There is considerable variety within the New Zealand private dental market.
Some of our practices offer full or established patient books from day one. Others provide an opportunity to develop a book within a growing practice. We have positions offering mentoring and clinical development, opportunities to pursue particular clinical interests and, for the right dentist, potential routes towards partnership or future practice ownership.
The clinical environments can be impressive too.
Across our vacancies you'll find practices equipped with combinations of CBCT, CEREC, Primescan, Trios scanners, digital workflows, surgical and implant equipment, rotary endodontics, Airflow and IV sedation.
The clinical scope can extend well beyond routine general dentistry, with opportunities for dentists interested in implants, endodontics, oral surgery, clear aligners, cosmetic and restorative dentistry, sedation and full-mouth rehabilitation.
There is also a genuine range of experience levels. Some practices provide mentoring for new and recently qualified dentists, while others specifically want experienced clinicians to take over busy patient books, work with greater autonomy or bring more advanced skills to the practice.
What can you expect to earn?
Many of our private practice positions offer around 40% commission, with some opportunities offering up to 45%, depending on the role, experience and performance.
Salaried positions are also available, and some employers offer additional benefits or initial income guarantees depending on the individual opportunity.
But the headline percentage only tells part of the story.
An established patient book, patient demand, treatment mix, working days, clinical support and the type of dentistry you can provide all influence the real value of an opportunity.
That is why we look at the practice and position as a whole, rather than simply comparing commission percentages.
Registration and visas
To practise dentistry in New Zealand, you must be eligible for registration with the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ).
For UK dentists with an appropriate GDC-approved dental degree, there is an established route to DCNZ registration. Dentists should confirm their individual eligibility with DCNZ as part of planning their move.
New Zealand also offers an attractive immigration position for dentists.
Dentist is a Green List occupation, with a potential Straight to Residence route for eligible dentists aged 55 or under who meet the relevant immigration requirements.
Many of the practices we recruit for are Immigration Accredited Employers, meaning visa sponsorship is available across a substantial proportion of our vacancies.
For dentists planning to make New Zealand their long-term home, rather than simply spending a year or two overseas, this can be particularly significant.
Auckland? Queenstown? Christchurch? Or somewhere you hadn't considered?
One of the most common conversations I have with dentists begins with a location.
Often Auckland.
Sometimes Sydney, but that's another article.
The reality is that deciding exactly where you want to live before understanding the opportunities can unnecessarily restrict your options.
A dentist job in Auckland may absolutely be right for you. But so might Christchurch, Wellington, Nelson or Queenstown. Perhaps you would be happier in Hawke's Bay, Northland or Taranaki. Or perhaps a smaller regional location offering strong patient demand, a short commute and more affordable housing turns out to offer exactly the lifestyle you wanted from your move to New Zealand.
That is why I encourage dentists to start with what actually matters to them.
What sort of dentistry do you want to practise? Do you want mentoring or greater clinical independence? A large multidisciplinary clinic or a smaller independent practice? Are you looking to maximise earnings, develop advanced skills, work four days a week, live by the coast, be near an airport or eventually buy into a practice?
And importantly, when are you planning to move?
Once we understand that, we can start looking at the practices and locations that genuinely fit.
Why speak to Zest about New Zealand?
Zest Dental Recruitment has been recruiting dentists for more than 20 years, but there is an important difference in how we approach New Zealand.
We work in partnership with an established specialist dental recruitment agent based in New Zealand.
That gives us a footing in the market that an overseas recruiter working remotely simply doesn't have, and is one of the reasons we are able to maintain typically 70–100 live dentist opportunities across New Zealand at any one time.
Dentists planning their move can speak to us before leaving the UK, while also benefiting from genuine market knowledge, recruitment expertise and practice relationships on the ground in New Zealand.
We can discuss much more than a list of jobs: the practices themselves, patient demand, remuneration, clinical opportunities, mentoring, locations, registration and visa considerations.
Our job isn't to convince you that every vacancy is right for you.
It's to help you find the one that is.
Planning your move to New Zealand?
You don't need to have chosen exactly where in New Zealand you want to live.
With typically 70–100 live dentist opportunities at any one time, predominantly within independent private dentistry, we can look at what you actually want from your career and life in New Zealand and identify the opportunities that fit.
Tell us about your experience, the dentistry you want to practise, what matters to you outside work and when you are planning to make the move.
Contact Darran Walenta at Zest Dental Recruitment for a confidential discussion about current dentist opportunities throughout New Zealand.
Zest Dental Recruitment has been helping dentists and dental practices throughout New Zealand, the UK and Australia for over 20 years.
Darran Walenta | ZEST Dental Recruitment
UK: +44 (0) 114 238 1729 | AU: +61 (0) 730 534 271
darran.walenta@zestdental.com
www.dentistjobs.co.uk
linkedin.com/in/darranwalenta | linkedin.com/company/zest-dental
