Dental Graduate Handbook: your guide to starting a career in dentistry

New challenges are exciting and scary in equal measure, and that applies to starting your career as much as anything else.

After many years of study, you are suddenly faced with the reality of doing what feels like a thousand things at once to get your career off to a flying start, and while that might feel daunting, it’s made considerably easier with the ADA’s Dental Graduate Handbook.

The publication is divided into four key sections:

1. Getting started: registration, provider/prescriber numbers, insurance protection

2. Finding a job: employment contracts, job applications, nailing your interview

3. Your first year: medicines information, practice management, your wellbeing

4. Furthering your career: CPD, specialties, peer networking, financial resources

This comprehensive guide to everything you need to know to get started as a dentist takes you from registration through to further education and building a financial future, and everything in-between, and it’s available to all ADA members for free. (Graduates can also take advantage of a free contract review service, courtesy of the ADA's member-only HR Advisory Service).

Top 10 items worth noting in the 2026 edition

1. Professional support with ADA Resources

Now that you're a practising dentist, discover a catalogue of ADA resources at your disposal that you may not have known about as a student! These range from our HR advisory service, graduate and general contract reviews, jobs board and CPD opportunities - as well as an index of clinical & professional resources available at your fingertips! (p.59)

2. Peer networking

Opportunities for networking abound, from ADA study clubs to face-to-face events organised by ADA Branches, events such as the Australian Dental Congress (held every two years), and most particularly Peer.org.au, the ADA’s member-only place for you to connect, share, discuss and debate with your peers. (p. 81) 

3. Tips from your colleagues

Right now, you’re armed with a lot of knowledge but perhaps a little less real-world experience; this is where those who’ve graduated before you can provide you with practical tip and insights to help you to avoid all those rookie mistakes and hit the ground running, shaping the kind of successful career you want to have right from the start. This year's introduction and recent graduate's perspective comes ADSA president Ana Elefterescu and Recent Graduates Advisory Panel member and dentist Dr Eric March (pp. 2 & 23 & 43)

4. AI in dentistry

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. In this new section, we help you unpack what AIs role means for dentistry today and what benefits/risks clinicians must be aware of. With key principles to keep in mind and a list of extra ADA resources on the topic, we will help you navigate this evolving space which will be integral to shaping your clinical identity. (p.78)

5. Your wellbeing – simple stretches/healthy mind

Keeping your body and mind in shape is essential to a successful career, and the Dental Graduate Handbook contains a range of useful tips to put that into action, including how to cultivate a healthy body and a healthy mind. (p. 51)

6. Finding your graduate job

Once you’ve settled on the type of role you want, the next step is to find it with a comprehensive job search involving both proactive and reactive strategies to find roles. (p. 35)

7. Nailing your job interview

If you’ve made it to the interview stage, congratulations! You’ve already passed the written elements of the job application process. The next step is to perform well at interviews and land your dream job. (p. 40) Use our tips to guide you in nailing your interview with a professional and effective first impression!

8. Employment contracts

There are a range of contracts you need to be aware of, depending on the basis on which you are employed. This section covers everything from full-time and parttime positions to retainer and commission roles, casual employee status and full and maximum term contracts. (p. 26)

9. Financial resources – HELP/HECS

Your guide to navigating debts incurred during your tertiary studies, with up-to-date figures reflecting the current repayment rates for this financial year. (pp. 21 & 82)

10. Protecting yourself – Where to get insurance protection

Starting out as a graduate dentist is an exciting time, but it also means you face a number of new challenges. To ensure your future is as promising as you’re no doubt hoping for, it’s important to protect yourself against these risks and learn to use appropriate risk-management strategies. (p. 17)