Being dentist at 42

[Clar1]

Asking all the current dentists !
By the time I become a dentist , I will be 42. Is it too late?! I appreciate your response in advance !

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[chlrbwls]

Asking all the current dentists !
By the time I become a dentist , I will be 42. Is it too late?! I appreciate your response in advance !

Do you currently have an acceptance ?

What are your future plans?

Are you single?

 

[eortho]

I don't mean to be a downer, but knowing what I know, I 100% would not do it finishing up at 42. School is now too expensive and this job wreaks your body, and everyone know what insurance is doing. Choose another profession in healthcare, if you are determined to enter healthcare at this age.

 

[2TH MVR]

Asking all the current dentists !
By the time I become a dentist , I will be 42. Is it too late?! I appreciate your response in advance !

The key is how much will you owe for dental school. If you owe too much .... you will spend the rest of your dental career WORKING to pay off your DEBT.
If your DS debt is reasonable (<300K) then dentistry is a wonderful profession. Dentistry will always be needed and there are plenty of jobs available.

 

[Molar Whisperer]

I'm 51 and I'm trying to slow down. Fortunately all of my financial goals are met such as the house all paid, full retirement portfolio, college funds well contributed. I'm focusing on my health and hoping to live long enough to enjoy those goals. I'm spoiled because I rarely struggle with procedures, but when I do (as most new dentists will encounter), I feel like I'm too old to deal with the stress.

Dentistry for newbies is much harder than for the dentists you all shadow with. 3rd party insurance is reimbursing peanuts. I live in an area where the rich won't spend a dime on their teeth.

As many will advise you, keep your school loans manageable or preferably paid for by the military or health service organizations. You can consider practicing in a less saturated area with lower Cost of Living such as in the Midwest, Plains, or Southeast. Unfortunately lower COL generally means less desirable areas with little to no amenities and very crappy schools. I know because I grew up in that environment. If you have a spouse that have or make bank, disregard everything I mentioned.

 

[charlestweed]

It should be 100% funded by you. I don’t think you should do it if you have to take out student loans. I hope you have some saving money (from your previous jobs) that will help you pay for dental school. That’s how many of my older non-traditional classmates paid for theirs. Yes, 42 is too old if you have student loan to pay back. I don’t think you’ll have enough time to make enough money to pay back the loan and to save for your retirement. You will have to work at least 5 days/wk. And working 5 days/wk as a general dentist at this age is tough. A 40+ year old body is not the same as a 20+ yo body. Many of my dental colleagues started to slow down at this age.

 

[Saddleshoes]

I speak with young dentists all the time about the "Dentist Break Even Point" DBEP.
The DBEP is the point in their career where a young dentist catchs up and passes their peers with 4 year professional degrees, in terms of total income.
The DBEP tends to happen between 38 and 45.
As a 42 year old, getting out of DS your DBEP may be unattainable.

 

[Dochopeful13]

I speak with young dentists all the time about the "Dentist Break Even Point" DBEP.
The DBEP is the point in their career where a young dentist catchs up and passes their peers with 4 year professional degrees, in terms to total income.
The DBEP tends to happen between 38 and 45.
As a 42 year old, getting out of DS your DBEP may be unattainable.

What about if one specializes?

 

[Wahoowah]

Asking all the current dentists !
By the time I become a dentist , I will be 42. Is it too late?! I appreciate your response in advance !

It's hard to answer this question without knowing exactly what your concerns are. Money? Enduring 4+ years of training? Stress?

What is it that you hope dentistry will do for you? How do you see dentistry as being better than your current career?

 

[charlestweed]

What about if one specializes?

The same applies to the specialists as well. The older you are, the harder it is for you to set up your own specialty practice and to gain the referrals from the younger general dentists. Ortho, IMO, is the only specialty that is worth pursuing because ortho requires very little physical work….you can work until you are in your 70s. Working as an ortho is like having a vacation every day. The hard part is to get out of the bed and show up for work. It’s kind of like showing up at the gym….once you are at the gym, you no longer feel lazy about working out.

I’ve just got a call from the corp manager. She begged me to work at one of their busiest offices temporarily until they can find a new doctor. The new grad orthodontist, whom they recently hired for this office, is too slow and the office is losing a lot of new patients….many appointments had to be rescheduled. Damn, I thought I could relax after I became debt-free. Now I have to go back to working 6 days/wk again. Hopefully, it won’t be long. I’ve already booked a week long trip to Miami/Key West this 4th of July and I am looking forward to this. I am glad I am still valuable to the corp. At least I don’t have to worry about getting fired/laid off like many people who are in the non-healthcare fields. I didn’t realize how hard it is for the corp to find an associate orthodontist. I thought we have a surplus of orthos here in CA.

 

[Ivy.ch]

Hell no I wouldn’t do it. It feels like I need another 5-8 years after graduation to get my personal life together. I couldn’t imagine being 42 already, being married, having kids, etc.

 

[yappy]

Asking all the current dentists !
By the time I become a dentist , I will be 42. Is it too late?! I appreciate your response in advance !

I would not go to dental school if I were in your shoes. Dentistry is a great career, but I think you will be frustrated at the length of training, intensity of the work, and debt. I recommend looking into the Physician Assistant career path if you really want to be in healthcare.

If you've done a lot of self reflection and have determined that you must be a dentist to be fulfilled in life, then I recommend doing the military scholarship program. The military will pay for all of your education, pay you during dental school, and then you will work as a military dentist afterwards for at least four years. The advantage of this route is that you will have zero debt and fulfill your goal of becoming a dentist.

 

[Molar Whisperer]

The same applies to the specialists as well. The older you are, the harder it is for you to set up your own specialty practice and to gain the referrals from the younger general dentists. Ortho, IMO, is the only specialty that is worth pursuing because ortho requires very little physical work….you can work until you are in your 70s. Working as an ortho is like having a vacation every day. The hard part is to get out of the bed and show up for work. It’s kind of like showing up at the gym….once you are at the gym, you no longer feel lazy about working out.

I’ve just got a call from the corp manager. She begged me to work at one of their busiest offices temporarily until they can find a new doctor. The new grad orthodontist, whom they recently hired for this office, is too slow and the office is losing a lot of new patients….many appointments had to be rescheduled. Damn, I thought I could relax after I became debt-free. Now I have to go back to working 6 days/wk again. Hopefully, it won’t be long. I’ve already booked a week long trip to Miami/Key West this 4th of July and I am looking forward to this. I am glad I am still valuable to the corp. At least I don’t have to worry about getting fired/laid off like many people who are in the non-healthcare fields. I didn’t realize how hard it is for the corp to find an associate orthodontist. I thought we have a surplus of orthos here in CA.

I feel sorry for the orthodontist in our corp. He's been practicing for 5 years and owes about $800k. His wife could not pass the optometry Boards so she is at home with no income and most likely having a hefty student debt as well. They don't have a house so they are renting. He is in his mid 30's with no kids. I don't think they fully realize the difficulties $1M debt (I'm guessing) could bring. With the rising interest rates, he may still be in debt maybe with a mortgage and working well into his elderly years.

 

[Clar1]

Do you currently have an acceptance ?

What are your future plans?

Are you single?

No I am planning to apply next year because I didn’t take my DAT yet. I am
getting martied next year so I am
planning to do a dental hygiene school to have a good income & then dental school after. I got into dental hygiene program , but it is so expensive so I am
trying to get into a cheaper one.

 

[Clar1]

It's hard to answer this question without knowing exactly what your concerns are. Money? Enduring 4+ years of training? Stress?

What is it that you hope dentistry will do for you? How do you see dentistry as being better than your current career?

I LOVE dentistry. I studied microbiology and after graduating I had to work as a microbiologist for 3 years.I was always thinking about dentistry so I quit and I became a dental assistant. It’s been a year that I am dental
assistant . Dentistry is my passion I don’t do it for money. I got into dental hygiene , but I am thinking to go for dental school after. My employer says I should do dentistry cuz he sees how much I love & learn it .

 

[PerioDont]

I LOVE dentistry. I studied microbiology and after graduating I had to work as a microbiologist for 3 years.I was always thinking about dentistry so I quit and I became a dental assistant. It’s been a year that I am dental
assistant . Dentistry is my passion I don’t do it for money. I got into dental hygiene , but I am thinking to go for dental school after. My employer says I should do dentistry cuz he sees how much I love & learn it .

How do you know that you love dentistry?

Respectfully you have never done any while being responsible and legally liable for the outcome on the patient.

Is your employer an owner dentist? How old are they?

assuming you are 42 now, With your current plan of going to DH then dental school you likely will be done around 48-50.

I know a hygienist who graduated dental school class at 47. She had an existing mortgage, teenage kids she ignored for 4 years, a husband 10 years older who was prepping for retirement, then she added 400k in student loans. Upon graduation, she immediately bought a 1 million dollar practice. Which to her credit is very gutsy.

Now she is almost 50, with around 2 million of debt from mortgage, student, practice, car etc. it will likely take her a decade plus to pay it off in the best case scenario (don’t forget interest!) at which point her body is about to give out and retirement should be the main concern. And her husband will be 70+. Also her kids hate her for missing almost everything in their teenage years like school events etc.

 

[2TH MVR]

I’ve just got a call from the corp manager. She begged me to work at one of their busiest offices temporarily until they can find a new doctor. The new grad orthodontist, whom they recently hired for this office, is too slow and the office is losing a lot of new patients….many appointments had to be rescheduled. Damn, I thought I could relax after I became debt-free. Now I have to go back to working 6 days/wk again. Hopefully, it won’t be long. I’ve already booked a week long trip to Miami/Key West this 4th of July and I am looking forward to this. I am glad I am still valuable to the corp. At least I don’t have to worry about getting fired/laid off like many people who are in the non-healthcare fields. I didn’t realize how hard it is for the corp to find an associate orthodontist. I thought we have a surplus of orthos here in CA.

You and I live very similar lives in Corp. Hard to believe, but I've been with the same DSO for a little over 5 yrs now. I was hired as a PT employee working 3-4 days per week. But EVERY time they hire a new ortho who doesn't work out ... I am asked to help out. They hired 3 new orthos and one didn't work out. So ... Iike you ... I was asked to cover for that vacancy until they find someone else. Back to 5 days temporarily. Like you said .... at least we are still valuable to the Corp.

 

[Wahoowah]

You and I live very similar lives in Corp. Hard to believe, but I've been with the same DSO for a little over 5 yrs now. I was hired as a PT employee working 3-4 days per week. But EVERY time they hire a new ortho who doesn't work out ... I am asked to help out. They hired 3 new orthos and one didn't work out. So ... Iike you ... I was asked to cover for that vacancy until they find someone else. Back to 5 days temporarily. Like you said .... at least we are still valuable to the Corp.

In your view, why do the younger grads not work out? Inexperience or just unwilling to work as hard?

 

[Molar Whisperer]

I LOVE dentistry. I studied microbiology and after graduating I had to work as a microbiologist for 3 years.I was always thinking about dentistry so I quit and I became a dental assistant. It’s been a year that I am dental
assistant . Dentistry is my passion I don’t do it for money. I got into dental hygiene , but I am thinking to go for dental school after. My employer says I should do dentistry cuz he sees how much I love & learn it .

When I was doing full time endo referrals as a GP at the Corp, I worked with a male DA. He had similar passions for dentistry and desperately wanted to go to DS. I would show him every endo pulpal access and he absorbed everything I was doing including crowns and extractions on cancelled schedules. That was one of my best working experiences because we also talked sports, cars, and other guys' stuff. I would give him all my dental journals and he would study them intensely. Last time I met him a few years after he left, he was teaching DAs at the school and loved it. Perhaps that could be an option for you to consider with your love of dentistry.

 

[Dochopeful13]

I assume you’re 38 now? That’s not too old to go back to school.

 

[Clar1]

I assume you’re 38 now? That’s not too old to go back to school.

I am 35 now. I will graduate dental hygiene school at 37. like in my class schedule my graduation date is March 2025 which I will be 37. I can skip dental hygiene school and just apply to dental school, but I kinda need a back up because my goa is low.

 

[charlestweed]

You and I live very similar lives in Corp. Hard to believe, but I've been with the same DSO for a little over 5 yrs now. I was hired as a PT employee working 3-4 days per week. But EVERY time they hire a new ortho who doesn't work out ... I am asked to help out. They hired 3 new orthos and one didn't work out. So ... Iike you ... I was asked to cover for that vacancy until they find someone else. Back to 5 days temporarily. Like you said .... at least we are still valuable to the Corp.

The assistants and front office staff told me that this new grad orthodontist is “crazy.” He made them take progress photos and xrays on every active patient. That’s why they were an hour behind every day. When the new patients accepted the tx plan that he proposed, signed the contract and put down the payment, he refused to start the case because, according to the assistant, he didn’t feel confident to treat the case on the same day….he needed more time to think about the case. The treatment coordinator had to void the contract and refund the patients the down payment money. The office has lost a lot of new patients. That’s why they want me to come in to rescue it.

 

[Dochopeful13]

I am 35 now. I will graduate dental hygiene school at 37. like in my class schedule my graduation date is March 2025 which I will be 37. I can skip dental hygiene school and just apply to dental school, but I kinda need a back up because my goa is low.

Even better. If I’m you I would do a one year masters and apply to dental. Why do both programs?

 

[PerioDont]

Even better. If I’m you I would do a one year masters and apply to dental. Why do both programs?

Agreed

 

[2TH MVR]

In your view, why do the younger grads not work out? Inexperience or just unwilling to work as hard?

Mostly inexperience and the fact that Corp is usually a stopover for better opportunities.

New grads come from an academic setting where patients are treated by multiple dental students/residents. Usually with no time table for completion. New dentist. New attending. New revised tx plan. Poor patient needs to endure "another" revised tx plan. With Corp Ortho .... time for completion of the tx is a fixed amount. i.e 18-24 months of tx. Anything over that amount means the patient is "responsible financially" for the additional time in braces. I see it all the time. New ortho comes in. Takes a bunch of progress records (which is good btw). But this is where the new orthos mess up. They need to read the ENTIRE history of that patient. Review the timeline of tx. Realize that the ortho pt had probably seen at least YOU and one other ortho (maybe more). Who have slightly different opinions on treatment, but it would be be best for you and the patient to finish the tx as best as you can ...... BASED on the time remaining. We all want board quality results. But real life is different. Some patients disappear for months at a time. If you disregard the patient's time in tx. Well. The Corp doesn't care. They will want to charge the patient more. Patient will be pissed. The angry patient will complain to everyone causing stress. Poor reviews. Pt rightfully complains that they had 2 or more different orthodontists with different ideas on tx. Middle and upper management will discuss with ortho the complaints which causes more stress. New ortho gets pissed and decides to leave for "better" pastures.

The other issue is that Corps are usually just a stopover. Does anyone go into a Corp job thinking that is going to be their entire career? Maybe the part time female dentists? Maybe specialists who feel they can make more money in a Corp situation? Us older dentists like myself who sold their ortho practices to have a simpler life. How about the dentists with private practices who are augmenting their slow schedule with PT work at a Corp? Is their heart really into their PT Corp job? No.

 

[Molar Whisperer]

Mostly inexperience and the fact that Corp is usually a stopover for better opportunities.

New grads come from an academic setting where patients are treated by multiple dental students/residents. Usually with no time table for completion. New dentist. New attending. New revised tx plan. Poor patient needs to endure "another" revised tx plan. With Corp Ortho .... time for completion of the tx is a fixed amount. i.e 18-24 months of tx. Anything over that amount means the patient is "responsible financially" for the additional time in braces. I see it all the time. New ortho comes in. Takes a bunch of progress records (which is good btw). But this is where the new orthos mess up. They need to read the ENTIRE history of that patient. Review the timeline of tx. Realize that the ortho pt had probably seen at least YOU and one other ortho (maybe more). Who have slightly different opinions on treatment, but it would be be best for you and the patient to finish the tx as best as you can ...... BASED on the time remaining. We all want board quality results. But real life is different. Some patients disappear for months at a time. If you disregard the patient's time in tx. Well. The Corp doesn't care. They will want to charge the patient more. Patient will be pissed. The angry patient will complain to everyone causing stress. Poor reviews. Pt rightfully complains that they had 2 or more different orthodontists with different ideas on tx. Middle and upper management will discuss with ortho the complaints which causes more stress. New ortho gets pissed and decides to leave for "better" pastures.

The other issue is that Corps are usually just a stopover. Does anyone go into a Corp job thinking that is going to be their entire career? Maybe the part time female dentists? Maybe specialists who feel they can make more money in a Corp situation? Us older dentists like myself who sold their ortho practices to have a simpler life. How about the dentists with private practices who are augmenting their slow schedule with PT work at a Corp? Is their heart really into their PT Corp job? No.

I observed similar situations in the GP settings. Usually the new dentists are fresh grads. We also get new dentists that's been out for varying years. I can understand new grads being inexperienced and they generally take mentoring well. The seasoned GPs are the worst. For whatever reasons, they are still slow and useless. I have an experienced colleague who dumps all the work needed after Emergency Limited cases to me and this individual refers so many cases that it burdens me and the other providers who do specialty work (we do Medicaid). As always, there seems to be many inexperienced and useless dentists leaving for "better pastures." How are they making it while they are still struggling with simple fillings and not able to get patients numb?

 

[Wahoowah]

Mostly inexperience and the fact that Corp is usually a stopover for better opportunities.

New grads come from an academic setting where patients are treated by multiple dental students/residents. Usually with no time table for completion. New dentist. New attending. New revised tx plan. Poor patient needs to endure "another" revised tx plan. With Corp Ortho .... time for completion of the tx is a fixed amount. i.e 18-24 months of tx. Anything over that amount means the patient is "responsible financially" for the additional time in braces. I see it all the time. New ortho comes in. Takes a bunch of progress records (which is good btw). But this is where the new orthos mess up. They need to read the ENTIRE history of that patient. Review the timeline of tx. Realize that the ortho pt had probably seen at least YOU and one other ortho (maybe more). Who have slightly different opinions on treatment, but it would be be best for you and the patient to finish the tx as best as you can ...... BASED on the time remaining. We all want board quality results. But real life is different. Some patients disappear for months at a time. If you disregard the patient's time in tx. Well. The Corp doesn't care. They will want to charge the patient more. Patient will be pissed. The angry patient will complain to everyone causing stress. Poor reviews. Pt rightfully complains that they had 2 or more different orthodontists with different ideas on tx. Middle and upper management will discuss with ortho the complaints which causes more stress. New ortho gets pissed and decides to leave for "better" pastures.

The other issue is that Corps are usually just a stopover. Does anyone go into a Corp job thinking that is going to be their entire career? Maybe the part time female dentists? Maybe specialists who feel they can make more money in a Corp situation? Us older dentists like myself who sold their ortho practices to have a simpler life. How about the dentists with private practices who are augmenting their slow schedule with PT work at a Corp? Is their heart really into their PT Corp job? No.

Makes sense. They're probably concerned about liability too, no? How would you address that?

 

[Clar1]

Even better. If I’m you I would do a one year masters and apply to dental. Why do both programs?

Thank you ! I don’t know because my GPA is lower I was thinking it’s better to do hygiene instead of masters since even if I don’t get into dental school, at least with hygiene I can make decent money.

 

[oralcare123]

Only, if you are in good physical health and have money to pay for it. Then you spent 20 years just enjoying life and building retirement funds.
Training is nothing, working on the other hand is much harder

 

[Arthur Jeffries]

I know someone who is currently enrolled in dental school, that had a career change, and is now starting their D2 year at 51. It can be done if you really love the profession and see yourself working in the field for a long time. Be ready for how difficult dental school is and that a lot of the faculty might be younger than you

 

[PerioDont]

I know someone who is currently enrolled in dental school, that had a career change, and is now starting their D2 year at 51. It can be done if you really love the profession and see yourself working in the field for a long time. Be ready for how difficult dental school is and that a lot of the faculty might be younger than you

I also know of someone that graduated at 56.

so yes it is possible, but is it worth it? we all have limited time, money and energy in our life.

 

[charlestweed]

Mostly inexperience and the fact that Corp is usually a stopover for better opportunities.

New grads come from an academic setting where patients are treated by multiple dental students/residents. Usually with no time table for completion. New dentist. New attending. New revised tx plan. Poor patient needs to endure "another" revised tx plan. With Corp Ortho .... time for completion of the tx is a fixed amount. i.e 18-24 months of tx. Anything over that amount means the patient is "responsible financially" for the additional time in braces. I see it all the time. New ortho comes in. Takes a bunch of progress records (which is good btw). But this is where the new orthos mess up. They need to read the ENTIRE history of that patient. Review the timeline of tx. Realize that the ortho pt had probably seen at least YOU and one other ortho (maybe more). Who have slightly different opinions on treatment, but it would be be best for you and the patient to finish the tx as best as you can ...... BASED on the time remaining. We all want board quality results. But real life is different. Some patients disappear for months at a time. If you disregard the patient's time in tx. Well. The Corp doesn't care. They will want to charge the patient more. Patient will be pissed. The angry patient will complain to everyone causing stress. Poor reviews. Pt rightfully complains that they had 2 or more different orthodontists with different ideas on tx. Middle and upper management will discuss with ortho the complaints which causes more stress. New ortho gets pissed and decides to leave for "better" pastures.

The other issue is that Corps are usually just a stopover. Does anyone go into a Corp job thinking that is going to be their entire career? Maybe the part time female dentists? Maybe specialists who feel they can make more money in a Corp situation? Us older dentists like myself who sold their ortho practices to have a simpler life. How about the dentists with private practices who are augmenting their slow schedule with PT work at a Corp? Is their heart really into their PT Corp job? No.

My corp only charges overtime treatment ($85 per visit) if it’s the patient’s fault: multiple missed appointments, poor OH, poor elastic wear, excessive bracket breakages etc. If it’s the doctor’s fault in underestimating the length of the treatment, the patients don’t have to pay extra for the tx extension. There are some difficult impacted canine cases that take a long time to complete and therefore, patients don’t have to pay extra for going beyond the original estimated tx time. My corp is very reasonable because they want good reviews so they can get more customers. That’s why I’ve stayed at this Corp for so long....more than 20 years.

In order to avoid the stress of having an overbooked schedule every day, you need to finish all your cases on time. There is a sticker on every patient’s chart that shows the month/year that I am supposed to finish the case. The more overtime cases that you have, the more jam-packed appointment book you will have. You need to get the patients out of braces to make room for the new patients who start tx. Learn to use more effective mechanics to move teeth faster. Learn to diagnose and tx plan the cases correctly and quickly. Corp office is a good place for you to learn all these. They have a lot of patients. To become a good orthodontist, you have to challenge yourself to treat many difficult cases.

 

[charlestweed]

Thank you ! I don’t know because my GPA is lower I was thinking it’s better to do hygiene instead of masters since even if I don’t get into dental school, at least with hygiene I can make decent money.

This is a good and safe plan. My brother in law’s wife has worked for 20+ years as a dental hygienist. It’s a well paid job. They have 4 kids and a nice house. She has a mild hand problem but it’s not bad enough to prevent her from working full time.

 

[charlestweed]

I know someone who is currently enrolled in dental school, that had a career change, and is now starting their D2 year at 51. It can be done if you really love the profession and see yourself working in the field for a long time. Be ready for how difficult dental school is and that a lot of the faculty might be younger than you

If you don’t have anybody else but yourself to support, you can finish school at any age you want. When you die, your student loans will be forgiven.

 

[Clar1]

This is a good and safe plan. My brother in law’s wife has worked for 20+ years as a dental hygienist. It’s a well paid job. They have 4 kids and a nice house. She has a mild hand problem but it’s not bad enough to prevent her from working full time.

Nice ! I hope I won’t have hand problems ! Yes I just want to get iver my dental hygiene and try for dental school with a piece of mind .

 

[Clar1]

Nice ! I hope I won’t have hand problems ! Yes I just want to get iver my dental hygiene and try for dental school with a piece of mind .

If you have a kid and you die , does your kid have to pay the loan back?!

 

[cmsmith85]

If you have a kid and you die , does your kid have to pay the loan back?!

Federal loans will die with you, so they wouldn't get passed on to anyone. I'd assume it's the same for private loans, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Clar1]

Federal loans will die with you, so they wouldn't get passed on to anyone. I'd assume it's the same for private loans, but I'm not 100% sure.

Thanks !

 

[AONLINE]

I also know of someone that graduated at 56.

so yes it is possible, but is it worth it? we all have limited time, money and energy in our life.

A woman a class above me also graduated from my dental school in her 50’s. She’s been working 2 years now and is enjoying it so far.

 

[George Lincoln]

Do you currently have an acceptance ?

What are your future plans?

Are you single?

Sorry to see so much negativity in the responses. It’s a great profession and the most important considerations are what you and your family want to do? People change career choices the benefits of being an American. Not to get overly patriotic but it’s America do what you want to do. The only gaurantee we get as Americans is life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Through my whole practice career I only worried about doing the right thing and everything else took care of itself. I had a spectacular office with great margins because the patients responded to that. I participated in a free clinic and Donated Dental Services as well because it was the right thing.
Bottom line this is not a dress rehearsal so if you want to go to Dental School and your family is on board do it. Never have any regrets about doing the right thing. The caveat is carefully consider all tbe factors that go with this path but there is no reason to be dissuaded from your goal.
All the beds.

 

[George Lincoln]

Sorry to see so much negativity in the responses. It’s a great profession and the most important considerations are what you and your family want to do? People change career choices the benefits of being an American. Not to get overly patriotic but it’s America do what you want to do. The only gaurantee we get as Americans is life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Through my whole practice career I only worried about doing the right thing and everything else took care of itself. I had a spectacular office with great margins because the patients responded to that. I participated in a free clinic and Donated Dental Services as well because it was the right thing.
Bottom line this is not a dress rehearsal so if you want to go to Dental School and your family is on board do it. Never have any regrets about doing the right thing. The caveat is carefully consider all tbe factors that go with this path but there is no reason to be dissuaded from your goal.
All the beds.

Sorry all the best.

 

[tissy]

I know many dentist who went to dental school after 40 and are very happy! If you have the energy and mindset, I say go for it.

 

[DrJeff]

I think another thing to consider, especially with what it sounds like you are also getting married soon, especially if you and your soon to be spouse haven't lived together before (no clue, no judgement!) but dental school, and even hygiene school, take a bunch of time for the academic and clinical portion, and that's just hours per day, not just years. If your spouse isn't aware, and/or fully behind your decison if you go that route, what affect that may have on your relationship.

The other part, the age side of it, especially if you are currently in good physical health and don't have any back/neck issues, isn't really a big deal in my mind, as with graduating at 42, if you have the passion for the profession like you say, then you'll have a solid 20+ years of practice more than likely ahead of you, and the debt issue becomes less of a super pressing concern.

Make sure, if you go for it, that your support mechanism at home is aware of things and totally supportive

 

[NavyBlueSuit]

It's a good idea if you can have your schooling paid for, or you are able to keep your debt extremely low.

If you want to become a dentist then it's better to do it sooner than later.

 

[Clar1]

It's a good idea if you can have your schooling paid for, or you are able to keep your debt extremely low.

If you want to become a dentist then it's better to do it sooner than later.

Thank you !

 

[Clar1]

I think another thing to consider, especially with what it sounds like you are also getting married soon, especially if you and your soon to be spouse haven't lived together before (no clue, no judgement!) but dental school, and even hygiene school, take a bunch of time for the academic and clinical portion, and that's just hours per day, not just years. If your spouse isn't aware, and/or fully behind your decison if you go that route, what affect that may have on your relationship.

The other part, the age side of it, especially if you are currently in good physical health and don't have any back/neck issues, isn't really a big deal in my mind, as with graduating at 42, if you have the passion for the profession like you say, then you'll have a solid 20+ years of practice more than likely ahead of you, and the debt issue becomes less of a super pressing concern.

Make sure, if you go for it, that your support mechanism at home is aware of things and totally supportive

Thank God my soon to be spouse is very supportive. My only concern is the money and age ! Thank you !

 

[Clar1]

Sorry all the best.

I know some of these comments are very negative. I don’t see anything bad in dentistry . I just wish I was younger and little rich . I wouldn’t even hesitate. I came to this country when I was 23. I had to start from ESL classes . It was much harder for me to apply in younger age . Life happens ! Thank you for your positive comment . Much needed !

 

[Clar1]

Sorry to see so much negativity in the responses. It’s a great profession and the most important considerations are what you and your family want to do? People change career choices the benefits of being an American. Not to get overly patriotic but it’s America do what you want to do. The only gaurantee we get as Americans is life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Through my whole practice career I only worried about doing the right thing and everything else took care of itself. I had a spectacular office with great margins because the patients responded to that. I participated in a free clinic and Donated Dental Services as well because it was the right thing.
Bottom line this is not a dress rehearsal so if you want to go to Dental School and your family is on board do it. Never have any regrets about doing the right thing. The caveat is carefully consider all tbe factors that go with this path but there is no reason to be dissuaded from your goal.
All the beds.

Thanks ! I needed your positive opinion.

 

[White_Sponge_Nevus]

I just wish I was younger and little rich

Amen to that! I have nothing else to contribute other than to wish you good luck!

 

[Clar1]

Amen to that! I have nothing else to contribute other than to wish you good luck!

Thank you ! I appreciate it !