Job Outlook for Dentistry?

[lawvsmed]

Hi there,

I tried to find stuff about this in the search forum but I didnt find alot of good recent discussion. My mother was talking to one of my family members about my interest in going into the field of dentistry. My family member didnt take so kindly to it, saying that the job outlook for dentistry is terrible and then there are alot of unemployed dentists.

I never even thought once that this was the case. I have been thinking all along that although there are no guarantees in our less-than-perfect economy, that dentistry was not amongst the professions that would come up when discussing professions that are suffering.

There is no question that I love all the aspects of the profession, both the job itself and the attractive perks that come along with it, but can any of you provide some insight on the job outlook?

I greatly appreciate it in advance

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[tomhrxbfg]

Your relative is probably jealous of your choice...

 

[cschoet]

Your relative probably has some insider information; you and your friends should probably withdraw your applications from UNC, Temple, Tufts, and the other schools I have applied to.

This is by no means to increase my chances of getting in.

 

[lawvsmed]

Your relative is probably jealous of your choice...

Do you really think so? Everything has been going so well. Good grades, good shadowing, good volunteering, happiness of finding something I love. I havent really had a jolt of sadness til this

 

[mustardseed5]

Everything has been going so well. Good grades, good shadowing, good volunteering, happiness of finding something I love. I havent really had a jolt of sadness til this

You have found something that you love, you HAVE to do it.

 

[DDS Perez]

Just Know These Facts PS: It will help you sleep

1. More dentist retire than graduate a year
2. People will always want a beautiful smile, specially in our society.
3. If Dental School keeps the current trend of tuition increase, by 2020 very few people will be able to attend dental school, therefore US (if you make it in soon) will be on a huge demand.
4. US population keeps growing at astonishing rates<<< Basic demand/and supply principle
5. Your Relative is nuts, just because he/she is your relative doesn't mean that he/she is correct.

 

[DDS Perez]

your relative probably has some insider information; you and your friends should probably withdraw your applications from unc, temple, tufts, and the other schools i have applied to.

This is by no means to increase my chances of getting in.

lol!

 

[finchy86]

Hi there,

I tried to find stuff about this in the search forum but I didnt find alot of good recent discussion. My mother was talking to one of my family members about my interest in going into the field of dentistry. My family member didnt take so kindly to it, saying that the job outlook for dentistry is terrible and then there are alot of unemployed dentists.

I never even thought once that this was the case. I have been thinking all along that although there are no guarantees in our less-than-perfect economy, that dentistry was not amongst the professions that would come up when discussing professions that are suffering.

There is no question that I love all the aspects of the profession, both the job itself and the attractive perks that come along with it, but can any of you provide some insight on the job outlook?

I greatly appreciate it in advance

I have talked to some dentists who would say that they have suffered in this economy. By no means have any of them been unemployed or getting close to it, but their lifestyle may not have been as luxurious as it once was. One dentist I spoke with a few months ago just said that he thinks many dentists are spoiled and complain about these rough times because they can't afford their cabin, boat, and other luxuries. It really depends on the practice, the location, and the individual. From my perspective dentistry is doing just fine.

 

[cwoodds]

I have heard of some dentists in my area going bankrupt recently. No doubt this is partly due to the economy, but other dentists are doing just fine. And they just went to work for someone else (one went to work for the VA and loves it). Some people just don't have what it takes to run their own practice, I'm sure there are bankruptcies in great economic times as well.

Your relative is misinformed. People don't become dentists to get rich, but they have average incomes among the highest of any industry, and I have never met one who was unemployed (or even 'underemployed').

A fellow pre-dent told me something that rings true to me now. When I was first looking into the career change he told me that there's really no 'thinking about going into dentistry,' because once you're thinking about it, you're going to do it. There are too many positives and very few negatives.

 

[Swoops]

In my opinion, I think dentistry as a whole is in no danger. I feel that some dentists just don't know how to run a business and are thus unemployed. Sounds generic, but my father in law owns a few practices and you can always tell which dentists have no idea how to manage money. Which is why i wish I would have done a business degree. Anyways, follow your dreams and don't listen to anyone else, dentistry is a pretty solid career and anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot.

 

[autoclavemonkey]

Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

[John Durian]

It depends on location.

You can work in the middle of no where (where you're needed), help the poor, and still make a decent income. Or you can open up a practice in Socal like the thousand other dschool grads and try to scrape by, be underemployed, or unemployed.

 

[bumpntrunk]

In my opinion, I think dentistry as a whole is in no danger. I feel that some dentists just don't know how to run a business and are thus unemployed. Sounds generic, but my father in law owns a few practices and you can always tell which dentists have no idea how to manage money. Which is why i wish I would have done a business degree. Anyways, follow your dreams and don't listen to anyone else, dentistry is a pretty solid career and anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot.

Guess it helps I have a BA and masters in business?

 

[Swoops]

Ohhhh yaaaa

 

[Parklife]

Become a nurse. Dr. Nurse.

 

[yappy]

Just pick up a few good business books now and then. Maybe take micro econ and financial accounting if you get a chance; but, don't worry about it if you can't. Most business concepts are easy to understand and you won't be doing technical financial services as a dentist. Therefore, might as well focus on personal finance skills and developing a philosophy on money that is conservative, budgeted, and future (planned) oriented. IMO those things will serve you better than learning how to run a corporation. The rest of it will be picked up on the go. Just take the business side seriously once you get there and continue to be a student of both dentistry and small business.

 

[yappy]

If there is one area of health care that needs to be reshuffled & fat cut it is in nursing. Become a nurse if you want to but in many cases I feel like Dr. Nurses and nurse admins are adding to our health care troubles rather than solving them. IMO - don't contribute - don't become a doctor nurse.

Become a nurse. Dr. Nurse.

 

[TXpredent]

According to this source: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm

(no idea if that'll show up)

Job outlook between 2010-2020 is at 21% which is better than average. No idea what that percentage even means or how they calculated it, but it's better than average. I would say it's kinda biased to say that you've never met an unemployed dentist because I doubt that would be highly advertised. And most dentists that we see are obviously still practicing or else we wouldnt be there. Regardless, I think going to dental school will teach us a very important skill that will be useful for years to come.

 

[lawvsmed]

I will definitely take a couple business classes. But I also have a lot of friends and family who have there own practices in medicine, podiatry, and even dentistry and they are doing very well. I'm confident that they will be a great help for me when I am getting accustomed to the business side of solo practice dentistry.

So to sum up, unless I am a business mess and failure who is fiscally incompetent , I shouldnt fret about my career outlook in dentistry?

 

[DoeAdeer]

So to sum up, unless I am a business mess and failure who is fiscally incompetent , I shouldnt fret about my career outlook in dentistry?

Even if you are, you shouldn't fret about it.

 

[Swoops]

Nope don't fret. It really boils down to the individual when a dentist is unsuccesful. If you are smart about managing your overhead, and if you can be aggressive in your treatment planning you should be more then happy with your decision to become a dentist. Just don't buy every cool gadget that sales reps show up at your practice with, just a tip that I have seen kill dentists multiple times

 

[yappy]

These people may be a great resource for you. Someone mentioned an MBA earlier - to me that would be a waist of time/money. Just focus on learning on your own via texts, picking those peoples brain, and getting your own finances under control.

GL

I will definitely take a couple business classes. But I also have a lot of friends and family who have there own practices in medicine, podiatry, and even dentistry and they are doing very well. I'm confident that they will be a great help for me when I am getting accustomed to the business side of solo practice dentistry.

So to sum up, unless I am a business mess and failure who is fiscally incompetent , I shouldnt fret about my career outlook in dentistry?

 

[Parklife]

I am a doctor. Please call me doctor. I went to doctor school. I am a doctor. Please call me doctor. Wasn't becoming a doctor so hard?



I am a doctor. I have my doctorate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmj6WtkJg8A

 

[lawvsmed]

Thank you for the reassuring words

 

[Dentist wannabe]

I am a doctor. Please call me doctor. I went to doctor school. I am a doctor. Please call me doctor. Wasn't becoming a doctor so hard?



I am a doctor. I have my doctorate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmj6WtkJg8A

What's that supposed to mean here. Dentists are not nurses, and definitely know more that any MD or DO about Oral Maxillofacial area.

 

[namiie]

It depends on location.

You can work in the middle of no where (where you're needed), help the poor, and still make a decent income. Or you can open up a practice in Socal like the thousand other dschool grads and try to scrape by, be underemployed, or unemployed.

Pretty much. You can add Norcal/Bay Area to that as well.

 

[BizzyV]

Short of miracle cures to all oral cavity ailments, there will be plenty of work for dentists.

You found something you love. You're lucky that its probably going to be a financial winner if you do it right. Go do it right.

 

[dentalWorks]

dentistry? jobs? huh?

who the heck goes to dental school to work as dentist.... we do this for fun, its more of a hobby than anything else. 300-400k of debt? I say YOLO to that, enjoy life to the fullest, and when I finish my dental school, I am gonna pursue my childhood dream of working as a burger flipper at burger king.

Okay, on a more serious note, dentistry = good job outlook, HOWEVER, dentistry does not equate to alot of $$$ (at least not right out of dental school).

 

[UltraTooth]

First, let me say that your future outlook from going into Dentistry is entirely dependent on 1) how much student debt that you accumulate and 2) your ability to build up a private practice in a hurry.

In California, only two dental schools are public entities with reasonable tuition. The others are all private and very expensive. Dentists are having a very tough time of it.

In other parts of the country, practices can be built up very quickly. Practice loans are available at reasonable rates. Find an area where Dentists are doing well and set up shop there. Avoid areas with high competition unless 1) you graduated without any debt and 2) you have your own money to set up a practice and feed yourself until it matures.

Dentists are becoming a lot like plastic surgeons -- you don't make money treating diseases. You make money by playing upon the human desire for beauty and social acceptance.

 

[UCSFx2017]

First, let me say that your future outlook from going into Dentistry is entirely dependent on 1) how much student debt that you accumulate and 2) your ability to build up a private practice in a hurry.

In California, only two dental schools are public entities with reasonable tuition. The others are all private and very expensive. Dentists are having a very tough time of it.

In other parts of the country, practices can be built up very quickly. Practice loans are available at reasonable rates.

When was the last time you checked the fixed-costs at either UCLA or UCSF? I calculated $290K in loans and interest by the time you graduate from UCSF.

Private loans also have inflexible repayment plans and probably different tax-related issues (interest as tax deductions) than Federal loans.

 

[JAWSSS]

When was the last time you checked the fixed-costs at either UCLA or UCSF? I calculated $290K in loans and interest by the time you graduate from UCSF.

Private loans also have inflexible repayment plans and probably different tax-related issues (interest as tax deductions) than Federal loans.

He/she said "reasonable tuition."

Compared to the private school in California, tuition at UCLA and UCSF is insanely reasonable.

Also, are you calculating for an OOS applicant?

 

[UCSFx2017]

He/she said "reasonable tuition."

Compared to the private school in California, tuition at UCLA and UCSF is insanely reasonable.

Also, are you calculating for an OOS applicant?

Yeah for first-year.