Any advice on choosing a specialty?

[mynameisno]

I am currently a first year dental student going into second year. I know there is a lot information flowing around about the different dental specialties and ways people chose their specialties. Basically, I am not sure if I want to do any specialty because I just don't know enough. And even when I read up about what a specialty does online and am interested, I don't know if it will be something I like doing in real life.

So I guess I am interested to hear from people who decided a specialty while still in dental school how you narrowed in on that specialty (or decided you wanted to specialize at all) and what steps you took to make sure you really understood it? I also understand people can choose to specialize after practicing for a bit but I don't know if I want to delay my schooling more, especially if I want to start a family.

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[RYost234]

My school has all of the residencies, so I learned what each specialty does via assisting. Still sold on gp. Maybe endo one day if I hurt my back/neck

 

[dentalchamp98]

My school has all of the residencies, so I learned what each specialty does via assisting. Still sold on gp. Maybe endo one day if I hurt my back/neck

How does endo not take a toll on your back/neck?

 

[yappy]

How does endo not take a toll on your back/neck?

They sit in special cushy / supportive endo chair, look straight ahead through a microscope, and only move their index finger and thumb.

 

[mynameisno]

My school has all of the residencies, so I learned what each specialty does via assisting. Still sold on gp. Maybe endo one day if I hurt my back/neck

How do you assist residents (did you have to apply?)? I think my school only has us assisting 3rd and 4th years, as part of our clinical first year curriculum.

 

[DocMon16]

How do you assist residents (did you have to apply?)? I think my school only has us assisting 3rd and 4th years, as part of our clinical first year curriculum.

I think if you have the ability to go into the clinics of the specialists at your school you should really do so. If you don't have the ability to do that or you don't have specialty programs I would find some of these specialists near you and call their offices and shadow them and visit. Go see what a private practice peds office is like, same for OMFS and endo and/or any other specialty that you might think interests you. With there being 10 specialities now you should be drawn or have maybe some interest in one or maybe a couple of ones that potentially draw you to them... but all the specialties offer their own expertise and small niche in the dental field that is pertinent.

 

[TanMan]

I am currently a first year dental student going into second year. I know there is a lot information flowing around about the different dental specialties and ways people chose their specialties. Basically, I am not sure if I want to do any specialty because I just don't know enough. And even when I read up about what a specialty does online and am interested, I don't know if it will be something I like doing in real life.

So I guess I am interested to hear from people who decided a specialty while still in dental school how you narrowed in on that specialty (or decided you wanted to specialize at all) and what steps you took to make sure you really understood it? I also understand people can choose to specialize after practicing for a bit but I don't know if I want to delay my schooling more, especially if I want to start a family.

Here's a mini flow chart for deciding a specialty:
1. Do you hate dealing with patients? Do OMF-radiology or oral pathology.
2. Do you enjoy behavioral management of kids and dealing with overbearing parents? Peds
3. Do you enjoy labwork? Prosth or esthetics (not a recognized specialty) What about face, ears, and other non-dental prosthetics? Maxface Prosth
4. Enjoy surgery and want to be capable of doing anything in the maxilla or mandible? OS. If you enjoy surgery but want to stick to bread and butter (3rds/Implants) - Perio
5. Want a lifestyle specialty with minimal blood and not taxing on the body? Ortho
6. Like solving rubix cubes of the orofacial region, managing chronic conditions, working in a multidisciplinary team for non-odontogenic causes of pain and dealing with patients that most dentists have given up on? OFP
7. Like getting people out of pain and not developing relationships with patients (and working in small spaces/bailing GPs out)? Endo
8. Tired of school, interested in owning your own office, and want the flexibility of doing what you want to do in terms of procedures? Don't specialize, do GP.

 

[bergus95]

Here's a mini flow chart for deciding a specialty:
1. Do you hate dealing with patients? Do OMF-radiology or oral pathology.
2. Do you enjoy behavioral management of kids and dealing with overbearing parents? Peds
3. Do you enjoy labwork? Prosth or esthetics (not a recognized specialty) What about face, ears, and other non-dental prosthetics? Maxface Prosth
4. Enjoy surgery and want to be capable of doing anything in the maxilla or mandible? OS. If you enjoy surgery but want to stick to bread and butter (3rds/Implants) - Perio
5. Want a lifestyle specialty with minimal blood and not taxing on the body? Ortho
6. Like solving rubix cubes of the orofacial region, managing chronic conditions, working in a multidisciplinary team for non-odontogenic causes of pain and dealing with patients that most dentists have given up on? OFP
7. Like getting people out of pain and not developing relationships with patients (and working in small spaces/bailing GPs out)? Endo
8. Tired of school, interested in owning your own office, and want the flexibility of doing what you want to do in terms of procedures? Don't specialize, do GP.

Are people really referring 3rds to Perio? Seems unheard of in my area. Even implants seem to held on to by GP’s or mainly referred to OS. That could just be my community who knows

 

[DocMon16]

Are people really referring 3rds to Perio? Seems unheard of in my area. Even implants seem to held on to by GP’s or mainly referred to OS. That could just be my community who knows

I'm from NC, been in residency up in the North and its interesting to hear that GP's are referring thirds to PERIO.

 

[charlestweed]

No need to waste time to shadow.....it's usually very boring. And you don't learn much because it doesn't tell the you the whole story about the specialty. The owner who runs a successful practices will say it's an awesome specialty. The owners with a slow office will say it's a bad specialty. The key to get a lot of patients as a specialist is to have good relationship with the referring general dentists. If you don't want to go around begging the GP, then don't specialize.

If you don't know which specialty to pursue, the safest pick would be the specialty that is hard to get in and a lot of dental students and practicing dentists want to apply to. And this would be Ortho. Getting into ortho is like immigrating to the USA. People from all over the world wish they could become the legal residents of this beautiful country even though they don't know what it's like to live here.

I didn't know anything about ortho when I applied. I applied because everyone in my class said it was the best specialty. I felt it would be a big waste to throw away a good board score (during my year, board score was used by specialty programs), if I didn't apply. And since it wasn't too expensive to specialize, it wasn't a very hard decision for me. If ortho didn't help me make a lot more money, I could always go back to general dentistry. It wouldn't be a horrible mistake. I was only 29 (when I finished ortho)....I should have plenty of time to work to save for retirement.

 

[TanMan]

Are people really referring 3rds to Perio? Seems unheard of in my area. Even implants seem to held on to by GP’s or mainly referred to OS. That could just be my community who knows

Yep, it's an increasing trend, as competition increases in the 3rds/implants arena. Perio works with me since they are a lot more available.

 

[bergus95]

Yep, it's an increasing trend, as competition increases in the 3rds/implants arena. Perio works with me since they are a lot more available.

damn, how do they support themselves legally if paresthesia (or worse) occurs?

seems outside the scope of practice, especially complex 3rd molars involving the sinus or mandibular canal.

 

[TanMan]

damn, how do they support themselves legally if paresthesia (or worse) occurs?

seems outside the scope of practice, especially complex 3rd molars involving the sinus or mandibular canal.

Case selection, kinda like the scabs we GPs are... take the easier cases, pass the hardest ones to the OS. Paresthesia can happen to the best of us, even OS's. I've had paresthesia cases from oral surgeons, but there doesn't seem to be any active intervention, typically initial pharmacological intervention and just wait and see. I'm not sure how other oral surgeons would manage a paresthesia case.

 

[deleted1082923]

Yep, it's an increasing trend, as competition increases in the 3rds/implants arena. Perio works with me since they are a lot more available.

This is more the exception than the norm. It’s rare to see Perio doing 3rd molars at the volume that OS do in private practice. Especially in corporate practices, like with Aspen and PDS for example, they don’t even hire periodontists. Why would they when they can hire Oral surgeons who are far more skilled at exodontia and who are just as capable (if not more, which some might argue) of placing implants or doing preprosthetic surgery.

 

[bergus95]

Case selection, kinda like the scabs we GPs are... take the easier cases, pass the hardest ones to the OS. Paresthesia can happen to the best of us, even OS's. I've had paresthesia cases from oral surgeons, but there doesn't seem to be any active intervention, typically initial pharmacological intervention and just wait and see. I'm not sure how other oral surgeons would manage a paresthesia case.

Timing tends to be everything. Depending on severity and the pain the patient is in, external neurolysis can be an option if the nerve is not damaged but just attached to adjacent structures by scar tissue. Axogen seems to be hot on the market rn for nerve repair but also for neurorrhaphy if the nerve is damaged/severed badly. Essentially a surgeon will remove the damaged part of the nerve and approximate the proximal and distal portions of the nerve with microsutures, and cover it with a nerve protector.

I have heard of Periodontists attempting 3rds here and there but it’s never ended well if they were too cowboy about it. A lawsuit for a lingual nerve damage is the most recent story I heard about and it’s hard to defend when the plaintiffs asks “why didn’t you leave this for an oral surgeon.”

that said, most patients are referred to an oral surgeon due to them wanting to be sedated. I say more power to anyone that wants to increase their skillset and expand their practice, just being sure they are well trained is all. Nothing is worse than a lawsuit or that feeling of guilt knowing you are doing something you didn’t feel comfortable with.

 

[2TH MVR]

I'm from NC, been in residency up in the North and its interesting to hear that GP's are referring thirds to PERIO.

I'm from Arizona and for years .... I referred teenagers, adults to OS for all the 3rd molars extractions. I never once thought of a periodontist extracting 3rds as a stand alone procedure. If a patient has severe perio disease and is needs to have their 3rds out. That's different. The Corp I work for has 2-3 OS and 2 periodontists. ALL 3rd removals go to the OS and an exodontist. None go to the periodontists.

As for implants. I prefer perio to do the anterior implants and perio or OS to do the posterior implants. I just think periodontists are more equipped for the detailed tissue/bone management requirements in doing anterior, highly visible implants/restorations.

If you don't know which specialty to pursue, the safest pick would be the specialty that is hard to get in and a lot of dental students and practicing dentists want to apply to. And this would be Ortho. Getting into ortho is like immigrating to the USA. People from all over the world wish they could become the legal residents of this beautiful country even though they don't know what it's like to live here.

I didn't know anything about ortho when I applied. I applied because everyone in my class said it was the best specialty. I felt it would be a big waste to throw away a good board score (during my year, board score was used by specialty programs), if I didn't apply. And since it wasn't too expensive to specialize, it wasn't a very hard decision for me. If ortho didn't help me make a lot more money, I could always go back to general dentistry. It wouldn't be a horrible mistake. I was only 29 (when I finished ortho)....I should have plenty of time to work to save for retirement.

I usually agree with all your excellent advice ..... but. Sounds like you chose a profession (ortho) as a means to an end (popular, high paying job, good life, etc). Not saying that is entirely bad lol, but ...... students should pick professions they are really interested in. Now .... if you were really interested in PHARMACY. That's different. Pharmacy is dying. Don't do it. Don't choose ONLY because of the money or popularity. Not EVERYBODY will like doing ortho. I live and breathe ortho because I really ENJOY the aspects of correcting malocclusions. Changing young people's lives. It's amazing treatment that has unfortunately been severely devalued as a commodity.

OP. If going to a DS that offers all the specialties. Go spend some time there. Talk to the residents and attendings. Do this during D1,D2. KEEP YOUR GRADES UP. This way you will have options. I personally realized that I wanted to go into ortho the start of D2. General just did not do it for me. I had no idea how much money orthodontists made relative to the other specialists. I simply liked orthodontics. I liked the fact that there were fewer orthos as compared to general dentists.

OP. Don't pick any specialty just for the sake of being a specialist. Yes. On average specialists probably make a little more money than GPs, but there are trade - offs to everything. What they don't teach you in DS is that as a specialist .... you will have to network in order to get referrals from GPs. I believe Charles calls this "begging". Trust me. The politics of "networking, begging, asking for referrals, hoping not to piss off the GPs and their patients, etc. etc." SUCKS. It's fine early on, but it gets really old after that. Some specialties require more begging than others. OMFS. Perio. Endo. Others require less begging: Pedo. Ortho is probably in the middle. In a saturated area .... getting and keeping referrals from loyal GPs is getting harder and harder.

Find what interests you. Don't burn any academic bridges by thinking "C''s gets degrees". If you are ranked in the top 10 in your class ..... you can literally choose any specialty even if you weren't sure as late as a D3,4.

 

[charlestweed]

I usually agree with all your excellent advice ..... but. Sounds like you chose a profession (ortho) as a means to an end (popular, high paying job, good life, etc). Not saying that is entirely bad lol, but ...... students should pick professions they are really interested in. Now .... if you were really interested in PHARMACY. That's different. Pharmacy is dying. Don't do it. Don't choose ONLY because of the money or popularity. Not EVERYBODY will like doing ortho. I live and breathe ortho because I really ENJOY the aspects of correcting malocclusions. Changing young people's lives. It's amazing treatment that has unfortunately been severely devalued as a commodity.

OP. If going to a DS that offers all the specialties. Go spend some time there. Talk to the residents and attendings. Do this during D1,D2. KEEP YOUR GRADES UP. This way you will have options. I personally realized that I wanted to go into ortho the start of D2. General just did not do it for me. I had no idea how much money orthodontists made relative to the other specialists. I simply liked orthodontics. I liked the fact that there were fewer orthos as compared to general dentists.

OP. Don't pick any specialty just for the sake of being a specialist. Yes. On average specialists probably make a little more money than GPs, but there are trade - offs to everything. What they don't teach you in DS is that as a specialist .... you will have to network in order to get referrals from GPs. I believe Charles calls this "begging". Trust me. The politics of "networking, begging, asking for referrals, hoping not to piss off the GPs and their patients, etc. etc." SUCKS. It's fine early on, but it gets really old after that. Some specialties require more begging than others. OMFS. Perio. Endo. Others require less begging: Pedo. Ortho is probably in the middle. In a saturated area .... getting and keeping referrals from loyal GPs is getting harder and harder.

Find what interests you. Don't burn any academic bridges by thinking "C''s gets degrees". If you are ranked in the top 10 in your class ..... you can literally choose any specialty even if you weren't sure as late as a D3,4.

What not to like about ortho? Clean, easy, good work hours, good income, mostly young healthy patients who are “excited” (and not being afraid like when they go see a dentist) to see you every month, low risk of getting sued, less stress on the hands and back etc. If you are like the OP, who doesn’t know which specialty to choose, you can’t go wrong with ortho. I haven’t yet seen an orthodontist who quits to pursue a different specialty. But I have seen practicing dentists, pedos, perios, and some OS residents who quit and applied for ortho.

In general, people do more schooling because they want to make more money. HS kids go to colleges because they want to make more money. College grads want to get a MS, MBA, PhD, DDS, or MD degree because they want to make more money. And doing additional schooling after dental school (to specialize) is no exception. Having a good stable low stress job that pays well can really make a person happy. Let’s be real here. Do you think you can be happy doing something that doesn’t pay you enough to support your family? I think it would be a very bad idea to borrow more loan and spend more time to specialize simply because you like the specialty....and not because you think this specialty would help you earn more. Will you be happier when you have to pay back the additional loan (for specializing) and you make the same as (or less than) a GP?

 

[charlestweed]

damn, how do they support themselves legally if paresthesia (or worse) occurs?

seems outside the scope of practice, especially complex 3rd molars involving the sinus or mandibular canal.

By taking good records (panoramic x ray, CBCT), informing the patients the risks (including parathesia) and benefits before performing the procedure, and making sure the patients sign the inform consent form. These won’t prevent you from getting sued but they help save you a lot of headaches and troubles if you get sued.

There are a few difficult extraction cases that even the OS’s, whom I referred my patients to, didn’t want to touch. One of them has a tooth that is located very close to inferior border of the mandible and extraction of that tooth may break the jaw.

 

[Lemillion]

No need to waste time to shadow.....it's usually very boring. And you don't learn much because it doesn't tell the you the whole story about the specialty. The owner who runs a successful practices will say it's an awesome specialty. The owners with a slow office will say it's a bad specialty. The key to get a lot of patients as a specialist is to have good relationship with the referring general dentists. If you don't want to go around begging the GP, then don't specialize.

If you don't know which specialty to pursue, the safest pick would be the specialty that is hard to get in and a lot of dental students and practicing dentists want to apply to. And this would be Ortho. Getting into ortho is like immigrating to the USA. People from all over the world wish they could become the legal residents of this beautiful country even though they don't know what it's like to live here.

I didn't know anything about ortho when I applied. I applied because everyone in my class said it was the best specialty. I felt it would be a big waste to throw away a good board score (during my year, board score was used by specialty programs), if I didn't apply. And since it wasn't too expensive to specialize, it wasn't a very hard decision for me. If ortho didn't help me make a lot more money, I could always go back to general dentistry. It wouldn't be a horrible mistake. I was only 29 (when I finished ortho)....I should have plenty of time to work to save for retirement.

As a child of immigrants who came to the US, this made me LOL while at the office just now.

 

[TanMan]

Ortho is great if you're in it for the long haul, but if you want to get in and out asap, gp still gives you a great headstart. Of course, there's entrepreneurial potential with being a specialist, but it's more time out of your peak physical and mental (prime) condition, and you don't need to be a specialist to go into the business aspects of dentistry.

 

[bergus95]

No need to waste time to shadow.....it's usually very boring. And you don't learn much because it doesn't tell the you the whole story about the specialty. The owner who runs a successful practices will say it's an awesome specialty. The owners with a slow office will say it's a bad specialty. The key to get a lot of patients as a specialist is to have good relationship with the referring general dentists. If you don't want to go around begging the GP, then don't specialize.

If you don't know which specialty to pursue, the safest pick would be the specialty that is hard to get in and a lot of dental students and practicing dentists want to apply to. And this would be Ortho. Getting into ortho is like immigrating to the USA. People from all over the world wish they could become the legal residents of this beautiful country even though they don't know what it's like to live here.

I didn't know anything about ortho when I applied. I applied because everyone in my class said it was the best specialty. I felt it would be a big waste to throw away a good board score (during my year, board score was used by specialty programs), if I didn't apply. And since it wasn't too expensive to specialize, it wasn't a very hard decision for me. If ortho didn't help me make a lot more money, I could always go back to general dentistry. It wouldn't be a horrible mistake. I was only 29 (when I finished ortho)....I should have plenty of time to work to save for retirement.

Well by this sentiment, OMFS is the “best” specialty.

 

[charlestweed]

As a child of immigrants who came to the US, this made me LOL while at the office just now.

You have to live/grow up in your parents’ birth country in order to appreciate the greatness of this country. You have to work as a general dentist for a few years and then switch to ortho, in order to appreciate the beauty of the orthodontic specialty. I’ve told my kids the story of how my dad and I risked our lives to escape communism and came to this country and how this country has given us the opportunities to succeed several times. But they will never fully understand because they were born here. My mother, my sister and my brother later re-united with us through chain migration. And both of my younger siblings became dentist and doctor....thanks America, the land of opportunities.

 

[charlestweed]

Well by this sentiment, OMFS is the “best” specialty.

Yes, it is right up there with ortho. The problem is it takes 1-4 years longer (depending on the length of your OS training….4 vs 6yrs) to complete. And it’s much harder…… and that’s why the malpractice insurance premium for OS is much higher. Ortho is easy.

 

[Lemillion]

You have to live/grow up in your parents’ birth country in to appreciate the greatness of this country. You have to work as a general dentist for a few year and then switch to ortho, in order to appreciate the beauty of the orthodontic specialty. I’ve told my kids the story of how my dad and I risked our lives to escape communism and came to this country and how this country has given us the opportunities to succeed several times. But they will never fully understand because they were born here. My mother, my sister and my brother later re-united with us through chain migration. And both of my younger siblings became dentist and doctor....thanks America, the land of opportunities.

Yup very true. I try to remind myself when there's a bad day...things could be much rougher.

 

[yappy]

damn, how do they support themselves legally if paresthesia (or worse) occurs?

seems outside the scope of practice, especially complex 3rd molars involving the sinus or mandibular canal.

I’ve known quite a few oms who have removed teeth which resulted in paresethia. It’s a known risk of tooth removal and can be caused by position of structures as much as surgical technique. Periodontists are well trained in exodontia and surgical techniques so I don’t see how it would beyond their scope. Many gps without post graduate training remove third molars also.

 

[bergus95]

I’ve known quite a few oms who have removed teeth which resulted in paresethia. It’s a known risk of tooth removal and can be caused by position of structures as much as surgical technique. Periodontists are well trained in exodontia and surgical techniques so I don’t see how it would beyond their scope. Many gps without post graduate training remove third molars also.

I was referring to impacted 3rd’s. When that is all you do in private practice, it is bound to happen eventually. The question is did you do everything possible to mitigate that risk, post complications what did you do, and was your care in the best interest of the patient. If your answer is yes, who can ever tell you to stop or you’re not well trained.

I have seen both GP’s and OS’s remove impacted thirds. Of course there are outliers, the time taken for the procedure and the quality of work almost always sided with the OS. Not saying there haven’t been exceptions, there are crappy OS’s and GP’s.

And with all due respect , no, Perio program do not gear their training towards exodontia and impacted wisdom teeth and wisdom teeth in general. They are generally referred from the general public and the dental schools to the oral surgery department. If you have numbers that contradict what I said please show me them. It comes down to who best serves the patient for a given procedure that should be doing it.

 

[yappy]

And with all due respect , no, Perio program do not gear their training towards exodontia and impacted wisdom teeth and wisdom teeth in general. They are generally referred from the general public and the dental schools to the oral surgery department. If you have numbers that contradict what I said please show me them. It comes down to who best serves the patient for a given procedure that should be doing it.

Exactly which skill are they deficient in? They know how to elevate soft tissue flaps. They routinely cut on bone. They routinely remove teeth using surgical and none surgical methods. I see no reason why they could not be just as proficient as an oms at dental alveolar surgery. Many also provide IV sedation.

no disrespect but is your only interaction with periodontists from dental school? I only ask because in dental school I thought periodontists only managed periodontal disease. It wasn’t till I entered practice that I’ve learned they do a lot of dental alveolar surgery; tooth removal, site development, pre prosthetic surgery, implants, and more.

 

[bergus95]

Exactly which skill are they deficient in? They know how to elevate soft tissue flaps. They routinely cut on bone. They routinely remove teeth using surgical and none surgical methods. I see no reason why they could not be just as proficient as an oms at dental alveolar surgery. Many also provide IV sedation.

You are entitled to your opinion. I and most others in the dental community disagree with you.

Their training programs do not have them removing anywhere close to the amount of impacted thirds as most OMFS programs. Their grasp on surgical techniques is not done with the approach of a surgeon. Management of complications is not to the same degree.

And with regards to anesthesia, that deep level IV sedation is approached with caution in even the best trained OS’s, knowing that complications may arise and being well trained to manage them. Many OS’s will say that 5 months of Anesthesia rotation still isn’t enough preparation.

From a personal viewpoint, I heavily explored both Perio and OMFS with the intent of the pursuit of a private practice setup. It was night and day in terms of sedation, surgical approach, and impacted thirds being done (with most Perio programs doing zero). I based my decision on the numbers and procedures residents were coming out, so I do not know where you are getting your data from.

Periodontal Programs - American Academy of Periodontology

www.perio.org

You can look at any given program and come with your conclusions. I don’t need to speak of anyone. Periodontists are great specialists in what they do. That’s why they are called specialists, because they are and should be experts in their craft.

 

[yappy]

You are entitled to your opinion. I and most others in the dental community disagree with you.

Their training programs do not have them removing anywhere close to the amount of impacted thirds as most OMFS programs. Their grasp on surgical techniques is not done with the approach of a surgeon. Management of complications is not to the same degree.

And with regards to anesthesia, that deep level IV sedation is approached with caution in even the best trained OS’s, knowing that complications may arise and being well trained to manage them. Many OS’s will say that 5 months of Anesthesia rotation still isn’t enough preparation.

From a personal viewpoint, I heavily explored both Perio and OMFS with the intent of the pursuit of a private practice setup. It was night and day in terms of sedation, surgical approach, and impacted thirds being done (with most Perio programs doing zero). I based my decision on the numbers and procedures residents were coming out, so I do not know where you are getting your data from.

It’s not really a matter of opinion or consensus, perio have adequate education and skill to remove impacted third molars. They absolutely use surgical techniques that “surgeons” use to remove teeth. Although I’m not an oms or periodontist, the biggest surprise to me when I rotated on OMS was that surgeons used the same techniques as the skilled GP I shadowed. There was no magical new knowledge, techniques or equipment.

I think you’re underestimating the amount of time you’re spending in residency on non-clinical tasks (running your department, admin, teaching, face time, etc.) and surgeries that most residents will never do beyond residency. In the end it all boils down to the same skills that periodontists have regarding tooth removal.

 

[bergus95]

It’s not really a matter of opinion or consensus, perio have adequate education and skill to remove impacted third molars. They absolutely use surgical techniques that “surgeons” use to remove teeth. Although I’m not an oms or periodontist, the biggest surprise to me when I rotated on OMS is that they use the exact same techniques as the skilled GP I shadowed while on Christmas break used. There was no magical new knowledge, techniques or equipment.

I think you’re underestimating the amount of time you’re spending in residency on none clinical tasks (running your department, admin, teaching, face time, etc.) and surgeries that most residents will never do beyond residency. In the end it all boils down to the same skills that periodontists have regarding tooth removal.

Surgical foundations aren’t unique. Training and numbers are. It’s not magic. I can’t wait to do microvascular surgery without a fellowship, or better yet be a full fledged neurosurgeon. My month long rotation prepared me.

 

[2TH MVR]

Ah. The inevitable turf wars. Happens at every level with no end in site. GP vs. Specialist. Specialist vs. Specialist. Dental Specialist vs. Medical Specialist. How about the Exodontists? Pretty soon ...... Dental Therapists vs. Hygeinists, GPs. Dental anesthesia vs. Medical anesthesia. TMJ "Specialist" vs. MD doctors.

In the real world ..... GP's, Specialists will choose whomever they want to treat their patients based on credentials, past patient experience and success of said procedure. If the patient is happy. No complications. Procedure went as planned ..... then ..... the "insert GP, specialist" will continue to get those referrals. It's not just about who is more qualified. The relationship between the two parties and the patients also plays into this.

As an example. I had a great relationship with an OMFS. I referred EVERYTHING to him. If a button/chain attachment came loose on a patient with an impacted cuspid regardless of time .... he re-attached it at no charge to the patient. He also took the time to attach the button/chain on the PROPER Labial surface of the impacted tooth. Now a periodontist can do this procedure also. Maybe even better regarding the soft tissue in the area. But I had a solid relationship with the OMFS.

Hopefully the OP is getting some good info here.

 

[bergus95]

Ah. The inevitable turf wars. Happens at every level with no end in site. GP vs. Specialist. Specialist vs. Specialist. Dental Specialist vs. Medical Specialist. How about the Exodontists? Pretty soon ...... Dental Therapists vs. Hygeinists, GPs. Dental anesthesia vs. Medical anesthesia. TMJ "Specialist" vs. MD doctors.

In the real world ..... GP's, Specialists will choose whomever they want to treat their patients based on credentials, past patient experience and success of said procedure. If the patient is happy. No complications. Procedure went as planned ..... then ..... the "insert GP, specialist" will continue to get those referrals. It's not just about who is more qualified. The relationship between the two parties and the patients also plays into this.

As an example. I had a great relationship with an OMFS. I referred EVERYTHING to him. If a button/chain attachment came loose on a patient with an impacted cuspid regardless of time .... he re-attached it at no charge to the patient. He also took the time to attach the button/chain on the PROPER Labial surface of the impacted tooth. Now a periodontist can do this procedure also. Maybe even better regarding the soft tissue in the area. But I had a solid relationship with the OMFS.

Hopefully the OP is getting some good info here.

Words well spoken.

 

[yappy]

Surgical foundations aren’t unique. Training and numbers are. It’s not magic. I can’t wait to do microvascular surgery without a fellowship, or better yet be a full fledged neurosurgeon. My month long rotation prepared me.

If you think comparing oms to perio is like comparing oms to neurosurgery then we’ll never agree.

 

[deleted1082923]

You realize perio is 3 years and oms is 4?

At the end of the day, both an oral surgeon and periodontist can do extractions with a similar success rate, but oral surgeons are just much faster and more experienced by virtue of extracting thousands and thousands of teeth during training and practice. At the end of the day it’s really just about repetition and seeing and doing all kinds of cases.

If one wants to truly be well trained in exos, become an oral surgeon. This is literally the bread and butter of most private practice oral surgeons. You also get much more comprehensive training in sedation as an oral surgeon-that is a fact. You get 4 months of adult and 1 month of pediatric general anesthesia training by MD anesthesiologists. Periodontists are nowhere near as qualified to do sedation.

 

[bergus95]

If you think comparing oms to perio is like comparing oms to neurosurgery then we’ll never agree.

We will not then

 

[PerioDont]

I am currently a first year dental student going into second year. I know there is a lot information flowing around about the different dental specialties and ways people chose their specialties. Basically, I am not sure if I want to do any specialty because I just don't know enough. And even when I read up about what a specialty does online and am interested, I don't know if it will be something I like doing in real life.

So I guess I am interested to hear from people who decided a specialty while still in dental school how you narrowed in on that specialty (or decided you wanted to specialize at all) and what steps you took to make sure you really understood it? I also understand people can choose to specialize after practicing for a bit but I don't know if I want to delay my schooling more, especially if I want to start a family.

Do you have residencies at your school? I spent every free moment in dental school in the residency clinics from D1 year. I figured even if I don't specialize, I'll get to pick up cool tips from residents which I totally did.

I would start there. You can definitely just show up and ask to assist. Most residents are very helpful too in my experience and were eager to talk about why they picked X specialty. You will understand a bit more about what you like in clinic when starting D3 year.

I agree with you, I think its harder to come back after practicing a bit. I didn't want to delay schooling any longer, pursued residency right after dschool. not sure how easy it is for people go back to residency after having clinical autonomy and an income as a GP.