Are these Ortho stereotypes true?

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Do any of these common stereotypes about Orthodontics have any truth in them?

1. Orthodontists work less hours than most/all dentists. Most of the work is done by the assistant.

2. Orthodontics is horribly boring



Not meant to offend any of you Orthodontists/residents out there. Just wondering where these statements come from.

 

[Brownstain]

100% true, but the shiny new Porsche Cayenne Turbo S makes all of that boring, assistants do it for you, waste of your 8 years of medical and biological education, "Wire Bender DDS", etc. disappear. I think they may actually use $20 dollar bills as TP, don't quote me on that! We'll wait for a resident or ortho on the board to confirm.

 

[blankguy]

1. I heard about ortho being like that.

2. It depends on who you ask. Obviously if the person is into ortho he/she doesn't think of it as boring.

 

[12YearOldKid]

When I was in school I thought the same thing. Now that I have been out a year my thinking has completely changed. Ortho can be extremely engaging - I have found it so interesting that I am spending $15,000 on a comprehensive course that won't even be completed until late 2009. I haven't started any cases, but it is very different from other aspects of dentistry. The fun lies in the nuances of diagnosis and treatment planning - it is definitely hands off compared to other aspects of dentistry.

 

[Cold Front]

I have found it so interesting that I am spending $15,000 on a comprehensive course that won't even be completed until late 2009.

Who is teaching this course? and where? 😎

 

[aphistis]

Who is teaching this course? and where? 😎

I am. Just send a personal check payable to Bill Johnson at... 😀

 

[charlestweed]

Do any of these common stereotypes about Orthodontics have any truth in them?

1. Orthodontists work less hours than most/all dentists. Most of the work is done by the assistant.

2. Orthodontics is horribly boring



Not meant to offend any of you Orthodontists/residents out there. Just wondering where these statements come from.

1. True. There are not enough patients to keep orthodontists busy 5 days/week (unless you work for chain offices like Western Dental).
2. False. How can it be boring when the RDA’s do all the boring works for you?

 

[HuyetKiem]

When I was in school I thought the same thing. Now that I have been out a year my thinking has completely changed. Ortho can be extremely engaging - I have found it so interesting that I am spending $15,000 on a comprehensive course that won't even be completed until late 2009. I haven't started any cases, but it is very different from other aspects of dentistry. The fun lies in the nuances of diagnosis and treatment planning - it is definitely hands off compared to other aspects of dentistry.

It's so true. It's kidda fun doing ortho in private practice. I just started my first 3 cases last week and did 3 more ortho workups today. Hopefully the parents will accept my treatment plan next week.

 

[DrJeff]

Do any of these common stereotypes about Orthodontics have any truth in them?

1. Orthodontists work less hours than most/all dentists. Most of the work is done by the assistant.

2. Orthodontics is horribly boring



Not meant to offend any of you Orthodontists/residents out there. Just wondering where these statements come from.

Let's see, on #1 me as a GP works 29 hours a week, and my wife as an ortho works 24, so that would be a "yes"

#2 For me as a GP, I find ortho boring, but my wife as an ortho still loves it after a decade or so of being a wire bender

You also forgot the 3rd thing, all orthos are really hot looking people(side note, I'm DEFINATELY going to encourage my wife to read this thread😀😉)

To be serious for a minute, it will vary from situation to situation. Some orthos will work more than a GP, some less, it all depends on demand and desire.

As for the boring part, some will find it to be that, but those tend to be the folks that went into ortho for the wrong reasons (i.e. the $$) not because they found it interesting.

In general, in dentistry, you're best to find what you like doing, and then do that. In the end, you'll be a heck of alot happier that why, and in all likelyhood, make more $$ that way too.

 

[210116]

Do any of these common stereotypes about Orthodontics have any truth in them?

1. Orthodontists work less hours than most/all dentists. Most of the work is done by the assistant.

2. Orthodontics is horribly boring

Not meant to offend any of you Orthodontists/residents out there. Just wondering where these statements come from.

I think either question #1 or #2 really depends on your personality. Orthodontists are notorious for working slightly less hours than general practice, but you set your own schedule. And this schedule can largely be determined by your local population. I know some orthodontists who work 5 days a week and do patient consultations on Saturday and are still have months-long waiting lists. At the same time, I know some orthodontists who only work three days a week with a two hour lunch break.

As far as boring--again this goes with your personality. In ortho, you make a few changes to a wire and pop it in and let the patient go for a month or two and you see the changes when they come back. So, no instant gratification in ortho. But you can work wonders changing people's smiles.

Hope this helps!

Mike