It's not difficult to find work, but its difficult to find good work ie. efficient office, competent staff, good materials, and good pay. I was lucky to find a well paying job in a very rural area. Most of my friends are not making nearly as much because they chose to live in big cities. I have no idea how they manage esp due to all the loans they have to pay back.
I don't manage a practice- I just handle the dentistry part. The pros and cons are:
Pros: I don't have to manage staff, I just do the dentistry and go home
Cons: I have incompetent managers thinking they run the office and taking credit for things, so its a constant reminder to just block them out.
I've talked to lots of people about the future of dentistry in 10 years. Not to be too pessimistic, but the golden age is past us. If you think about it, most people goto school, buy a house, car, and a job. We do the same thing, but throw in the cost of a practice. Dentists have some of the highest startup costs, and there's no guarantee you'll be successful. I thought the same thing as you guys where I've never seen a homeless dentist. However, most dentists won't tell you if they are struggling, but a lot are.