Common question: What are the negatives of Dentistry?

[konovsi]

This is asked a lot on interviews wondering what some of you have answered.

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[busupshot83]

This is asked a lot on interviews wondering what some of you have answered.

I asked this question to some dentists on the forum Dental Town, and they said the biggest negative of dentistry is also one of its biggest positives: private practice.

Having autonomy over you career is obviously a plus, but they concluded that running a private practice can be a huge pain in the @$$.

Of course, this is an opinionated response, and to each their own.

 

[DrTacoElf]

I asked this question to some dentists on the forum Dental Town, and they said the biggest negative of dentistry is also one of its biggest positives: private practice.

Having autonomy over you career is obviously a plus, but they concluded that running a private practice can be a huge pain in the @$$.

Of course, this is an opinionated response, and to each their own.

Patients who don't take care of their teeth and are a neverending battle and then turn around and try to claim malpractice and take you to court.

 

[KingHamster]

Some, keyword being "some", physicians/med-students view dentists as 2nd class doctors (especially if you attend one of those dental school where you take classes with med students), that dentists are not "real" doctors.

Somewhat rare, but these still exist for sure. My g-friend (soon to be my wife!!!) is 1st year med-student, and she knows few med-students who view dental-students simply as "those that couldn't get 3.5 science GPA".

Oh well, but these exists in any job, even among physicians depending on what they specialize, so.... ^_^

 

[DREDAY]

Some, keyword being "some", physicians/med-students view dentists as 2nd class doctors (especially if you attend one of those dental school where you take classes with med students), that dentists are not "real" doctors.

Somewhat rare, but these still exist for sure. My g-friend (soon to be my wife!!!) is 1st year med-student, and she knows few med-students who view dental-students simply as "those that couldn't get 3.5 science GPA".

Oh well, but these exists in any job, even among physicians depending on what they specialize, so.... ^_^

IT actually depends on the dental school you attend. UCLA dental school for example, is more difficult to get into than UCLA medical school.

 

[ToothMonkey]

Some complaints I've come across:

-Physical complications --> Carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, vision problems, etc. are very real risks. Using loupes and headlamps can help.

-Patient apathy/noncompliance --> The same people that expect miracles from their dentists are the ones that refuse to spend a few minutes each day taking care of their own mouths. Apparently even brushing before a dental appointment is too much to ask.

-Lack of respect --> From physicians, maybe, but more significantly from the general public. In my experience most people think dental school is a 2-year program. Heck, there are plenty of stories on DentalTown about lack of respect even from dental auxiliaries (who feel like they know more than the dentist and are being screwed out of their fair share of the practice revenues).

-Lack of positive reinforcement --> It seems that for dentists all too often job satisfaction must arise from *within*, not from external recognition and praise. You may have the finest clinical technique in the world, but in most cases nobody will ever know. Similarly, you may find satisfaction in healing people, but as they stumble out of the chair all numbed up most will not feel very "healed", so don't expect visibly positive reactions in most cases. You will have to inflict a lot of discomfort and even pain in the course of treatment without seeing instantaneous results.

-Financial/Practice Management --> Dental schools have never prepared new graduates for managing money or staff issues. My impression is that most dentists hate the hassle of the business side of the profession and wish there were some magical way to focus solely on clinical matters without sacrificing autonomy.

-Debt load --> Dentistry requires arguably the highest initial investment of any profession. School loans in excess of $250,000 are becoming more and more common...throw in the cost of purchasing a practice or starting from scratch and many current dental students will be half a million in the hole before earning a penny. That's a pretty hefty obligation regardless of net income.

Obviously none of these complaints are universal, but they do give us some idea of the issues we *may* struggle with over the course of an otherwise wonderful career.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Great post Toothmonkey!!! That should be in the FAQ!

 

[UNLV OMS GUNNABE]

dental school

 

[Neon Black]

ugh, that debt load just depressed me. I better stick to an instate school.

 

[Tzips]

-Patient apathy/noncompliance --> The same people that expect miracles from their dentists are the ones that refuse to spend a few minutes each day taking care of their own mouths. Apparently even brushing before a dental appointment is too much to ask.

i have this idea about handing every patient a toothbrush BEFORE they go in , pointing to the sink, and saying, "have some courtesy for the dentist - at least pretend you brush your teeth!"

 

[aphistis]

dental school

Amen.

 

[psiyung]

dental school

Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[polarnut]

application process

 

[trypmo]

i have this idea about handing every patient a toothbrush BEFORE they go in , pointing to the sink, and saying, "have some courtesy for the dentist - at least pretend you brush your teeth!"

This is exactly what my ortho did when I was a kid -- the practice (shared by 2 orthos) had an area with sinks where you'd go to brush before the appointment. Free toothbrush every time you'd go in for an adjustment, and they always had good-tasting toothpastes. I think this is a great idea, and apparently it worked really well for them.

 

[aphistis]

application process

I don't know how to break this to you gently, but if you think the application process is bad, you're going to be in for a rough time once school actually starts.

 

[Tzips]

I don't know how to break this to you gently, but if you think the application process is bad, you're going to be in for a rough time once school actually starts.

Just PLEEEEEASE tell me it's not the same kind of waiting... schoolwork, i can manage (i hope!).

 

[msf41]

I asked this question to some dentists on the forum Dental Town, and they said the biggest negative of dentistry is also one of its biggest positives: private practice.

Having autonomy over you career is obviously a plus, but they concluded that running a private practice can be a huge pain in the @$$.

Of course, this is an opinionated response, and to each their own.

I agree...I have heard orthodontist, endodontists, and gen dentists say that it is indeed a blessing and a curse.

 

[burnedDDS]

There are many drawbacks to a dental career. Besides the very technical nature of the job, it can be very difficult to do great dentistry because most patients don't want to pay for it....even if they have insurance, it's generally very limited. So "case acceptance" can be a big challenge. Also, the high cost of the education and then buying or setting up a practice (and the headaches!) Another problem is licensure. I owned my own practice in Maine and had it destroyed by the corrupt licensing board there. A colleague had reneged on an agreement with me over office space, leaving me temporarily without a facility. This person was one of the seven board members and they attacked me, claiming I had psychiatric problems and had abandoned a patient and other bogus charges. The truth was they wanted to cover up for the fact that the board member had caused my business setback. So my license was unfairly revoked, my investment in my practice destroyed. I was forced out of the state and later had to go through a lengthly investigation in my current state (only because of the "discipline" in Maine). Fortunately, they didn't revoke my license, but it was a close one. I'm now unemployed, still struggling to get a career back, but with a bad economy dentistry is even harder since dental care is one of the first things people drop when times are tough. So I just think anyone going into dentistry needs to really be aware that licensing boards can be very abusive and you won't get due process! There are many other dentists who were forced out of Maine or have endured long, costly hearings. One was accused by a disgruntled former employee of being sexually assaulted by the female dentist and that patients were as well....that the dentist performed lap dances on patients, etc. (all unsubstantiated)....so the board went after the dentist. It's a twisted system!

 

[rockclock]

There are many drawbacks to a dental career. Besides the very technical nature of the job, it can be very difficult to do great dentistry because most patients don't want to pay for it....even if they have insurance, it's generally very limited. So "case acceptance" can be a big challenge. Also, the high cost of the education and then buying or setting up a practice (and the headaches!) Another problem is licensure. I owned my own practice in Maine and had it destroyed by the corrupt licensing board there. A colleague had reneged on an agreement with me over office space, leaving me temporarily without a facility. This person was one of the seven board members and they attacked me, claiming I had psychiatric problems and had abandoned a patient and other bogus charges. The truth was they wanted to cover up for the fact that the board member had caused my business setback. So my license was unfairly revoked, my investment in my practice destroyed. I was forced out of the state and later had to go through a lengthly investigation in my current state (only because of the "discipline" in Maine). Fortunately, they didn't revoke my license, but it was a close one. I'm now unemployed, still struggling to get a career back, but with a bad economy dentistry is even harder since dental care is one of the first things people drop when times are tough. So I just think anyone going into dentistry needs to really be aware that licensing boards can be very abusive and you won't get due process! There are many other dentists who were forced out of Maine or have endured long, costly hearings. One was accused by a disgruntled former employee of being sexually assaulted by the female dentist and that patients were as well....that the dentist performed lap dances on patients, etc. (all unsubstantiated)....so the board went after the dentist. It's a twisted system!

haha yeah but who hasn't had that happen to them?!

you just revived a 7 year old thread brother. don't do that. also don't come on here and post ridiculous stories as your first post if you intend on being a serious member. good day.

 

[dantemac]

Good resurrection of a topic with interviews coming up for some of us!

 

[Bereno]

despite the odd revival of this thread, it is still pertinent to interviews coming up in the latter part of the year! Might be a good time to let others chime in

 

[dantemac]

Some complaints I've come across:

-Physical complications --> Carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, vision problems, etc. are very real risks. Using loupes and headlamps can help.

-Patient apathy/noncompliance --> The same people that expect miracles from their dentists are the ones that refuse to spend a few minutes each day taking care of their own mouths. Apparently even brushing before a dental appointment is too much to ask.

-Lack of respect --> From physicians, maybe, but more significantly from the general public. In my experience most people think dental school is a 2-year program. Heck, there are plenty of stories on DentalTown about lack of respect even from dental auxiliaries (who feel like they know more than the dentist and are being screwed out of their fair share of the practice revenues).

-Lack of positive reinforcement --> It seems that for dentists all too often job satisfaction must arise from *within*, not from external recognition and praise. You may have the finest clinical technique in the world, but in most cases nobody will ever know. Similarly, you may find satisfaction in healing people, but as they stumble out of the chair all numbed up most will not feel very "healed", so don't expect visibly positive reactions in most cases. You will have to inflict a lot of discomfort and even pain in the course of treatment without seeing instantaneous results.

-Financial/Practice Management --> Dental schools have never prepared new graduates for managing money or staff issues. My impression is that most dentists hate the hassle of the business side of the profession and wish there were some magical way to focus solely on clinical matters without sacrificing autonomy.

-Debt load --> Dentistry requires arguably the highest initial investment of any profession. School loans in excess of $250,000 are becoming more and more common...throw in the cost of purchasing a practice or starting from scratch and many current dental students will be half a million in the hole before earning a penny. That's a pretty hefty obligation regardless of net income.

Obviously none of these complaints are universal, but they do give us some idea of the issues we *may* struggle with over the course of an otherwise wonderful career.

This is a VERY good start!

 

[LetsGo2DSchool]

A patient's offensive rancid odor penetrating thru your mask.

I would rather stick my head into a toilet bowl.

 

[dentalWorks]

its interesting... back in 2004, the highs for dental debt was at about 250k.... today, 250k is a freaking bargain.

Today, the highs are in the low 400ks.

Its interesting to see what the new number will be in 7 years.... If I remember, I'll revive this thread then.

 

[Bereno]

its interesting... back in 2004, the highs for dental debt was at about 250k.... today, 250k is a freaking bargain.

Today, the highs are in the low 400ks.

Its interesting to see what the new number will be in 7 years.... If I remember, I'll revive this thread then.

Hmmm.... an increase in loans by 150K or 60% is a definite negative, especially when the income potential for a GP has not risen by the same amount! (dollar or percentage)

 

[DrFelt]

My old man has been practicing for 20+ years and he always tells me the worse part about dentistry is staff. Get 6-10 females in close quarters for 8 hours a day and there will be issues. Throw in some mat. leave, estranged lovers, fake sick days etc. and the staff provide all sorts of issues.

 

[dantemac]

Haha this is so true...every dental office will have drama!

 

[UCLAzy]

Haha this is so true...every dental office will have drama!

every *office will have drama

 

[mc719]

Haha this is so true...every dental office will have drama!

Haha, I 100% agree. I'm just crossing my fingers that I'll be able to staff my future office with hot, fun women. That, in my opinion, would help make being a dentist a very enjoyable profession.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Haha, I 100% agree. I'm just crossing my fingers that I'll be able to staff my future office with hot, fun women. That, in my opinion, would help make being a dentist a very enjoyable profession.

Multiple hot women in the same office? Calls for a TV drama.

Why even bother practicing dentistry!