Advice For Dentistry With Arthritis

[Bill1890]

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Hello everyone,

I was fortunate enough to be accepted into dental school this upcoming summer. However, my senior year of high school I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and placed on intense medications. My rheumatologist says that my arthritis is on a mild scale and the medication makes me feel like I don't even have arthritis (except for a few occasional flare ups). I was curious if anyone has any advice going into dentistry with arthritis or if they know anyone with a similar experience? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

You’re almost certainly going to struggle to get disability insurance down the road. That’s a big concern I’d have. Best of luck to you!

Big Hoss

 

[321931]

If you TRULY have some sort of serious hand disability...I would strongly reconsider dentistry. Dentistry is all hands- and as you get older- your ailments like eyes, hands, and back get worse. So things ain't gonna get better when you are 50.

Yes there maybe avenues of teaching, pathology, or "radiology" but noone really pursues that and theres no money in it either. Going into 300-500k debt for a below average dental salary is literally financial suicide.

At least with medicine there are avenues that are NON clinical that you could go into and not really need to use your fine motor skills/hands as much and make a good living.

Thats just my opinion.

 

[free99]

I think it’s too risky to gamble with 300k or more on a career that you may or may not be able to perform based on your health. Disability ins will be a challenge as well. Sorry you’ve gone through the trouble of applying, my honest recommendation is to pursue a different career that doesn’t rely so heavily on psychomotor skills.

 

[mmc12]

Look into oral pathology...

 

[Kypredent92]

You can practice until you are no longer able and then go into an administrative route. You should not neglect administration before that though. Take advantage of research, policy, administrative opportunities in school.
I was accepted and will start this year and I have issues with my left (non dominant) hand. My fingers constantly click and it is painful and it keeps getting worse. A doctor things I may have a collagen disorder. Trigger finger has been ruled out as well as RA. My doctors told me they think I will be fine though but it is something that will get worse and I will have to deal with. You aren't alone!

 

[321931]

Pathology and administrative route....with the average student loan debt accumulated at today's this day and age makes zero sense from a cash flow perspective. If you truly have an ailment that will prevent you from practicing 10+ years, then medicine in a non clinical setting can offer you less debt and higher income. Go be a dermatologist- diagnose- biopsy some lesions and make decent coin. Hell you can just be a dermatologist/Internal Medicine/Pathology/Radiology- diagnose and have someone else do the surgeries. Drilling 2-3 Crowns and 10 Fillings everyday for the rest of your life is BRUTAL on your hands if you have actual problems. Going to dental school and aiming for ortho because of an ailment...is just nonsense. First...you don't know if you are smart enough to be top of your class to get into ortho, and number 2, its 6-8 years of investment for a specialty that is already getting attacked from all sides - corporate- gps- 3d printing.

Just being real. No one in my class went administrative/pathology. Administrative positions tend to be filled by part time dentists who donate their off days to work in the dental school for literally minimum wage, and or older dentists who sold their practice, made their money, and just doing it to pass time. Pathology tends to be filled by the dental schools which get specimens sent from private practice...and are taken by oral pathologists that have been there for years...good luck waiting it out for them to retire. Plus the compensation...just isn't good enough.

Now if you have zero debt, then hey it makes sense, but if you are going into large amounts of student loan debt- you should make it worth it by having a decent income...

 

[sb.tnh]

Administrative positions in dental education can be a lucrative career. Deans of d-schools make tons of money.

 

[321931]

Have you ever looked up Deans on linked in? They have tons and tons and tons of accolades. Go look up your dean from your school. You will be impressed by his resume.