Cosmetic Dentists can make over $1 million?!

[crazy4clana]

A dentist I spoke with said that she makes well over $1 million per year and 1.5 million if she didn't hire hygenists, dental assistants ect...How in the world do you generate that much when you aren't even a specialist? I guess she was just an anomaly?

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[blankguy]

A dentist I spoke with said that she makes well over $1 million per year and 1.5 million if she didn't hire hygenists, dental assistants ect...How in the world do you generate that much when you aren't even a specialist? I guess she was just an anomaly?

Either she is an anomaly or she likes boasting. Just be wary of going by lottery winners. I'm not denying that they earn that much but you certainly run into wealthy dentists that are not the average. Maybe she brings something to the field that makes her that successful.

 

[BioMaxDDS]

A dentist I spoke with said that she makes well over $1 million per year and 1.5 million if she didn't hire hygenists, dental assistants ect...How in the world do you generate that much when you aren't even a specialist? I guess she was just an anomaly?

so she spents 500,000 on hygenists and assistants? Either, she pays them alot or she has alot of hygenists and assistants lol. besides, she probably wouldn't be able to make that much without all those hygenists and assistants helping her.

 

[crazy4clana]

^ Yeah she has a lot.

I don't think she was boasting, she told me to be really smart about the finances for owning your practice and such...taking business classes ect. Her practice is really busy, there is hardly any down time so that could be it?

 

[blankguy]

I don't think she was boasting, she told me to be really smart about the finances for owning your practice and such. Her practice is really busy, there is hardly any down time so that could be it?

Yea, if you bring to the table business smarts you can make more money that then average. The other thing could be having amazing personal skills. I think when somebody approaches you and tells you " I make XXXXXXXXXX" you should look at then critically and not blindly believe them.

 

[topdent1]

How does one get into cosmetic dentistry? Its not a specially program is it?

 

[BioMaxDDS]

its not a specialty....any general dentistry is also a cosmetic dentist

 

[crazy_sherm]

Are we talking $1 million gross or net? It's not unusual to see a practice that grosses $1 million. With overhead of around ~70%, the dentist is taking home $300k which would be considered a pretty successful practice.

Now if she's making $1 million as her take home pay, it would probably mean she's doing A LOT of cosmetic work. Pure high end cosmetic practices are really expensive to run, your overhead is in the 80-90% range due to high lab costs. so for her to make $1 million take home, she has to be producing $5-10 million each year. That would definitely be on the difficult side, not impossible, but rare for sure.

 

[crazy4clana]

Sounds like a good deal, screw OMFS when you can make that much right out dental school.

 

[joshipri]

What area of the country does she work in? Also, how did she start her practice??
Thanks!

 

[will9631]

its all business sense I imagine. My cousin is a general dentist who owns several medicaid practices and makes well over 1 million a year. He works hard, but more importantly he knows how to manage overhead expenses and how to advertise. I don't think I could do it that way, since he sees as many as 4 patients an hour, but the dentists he has working for him are making an easy 250-400 a year their first and second year out of d-school. Its not luck in my opinion, its just about your business model and whether or not you're willing to be that kind of dentist.

 

[DRHOYA]

That is pretty cool if she is taking $1mil home at the end of the day!!. Are you sure she didn't mean the practice grosses $1mil before all other costs are factored in, because that sounds likely? Anyway, sounds like a conglomerate practice with many hygenists, and herself doing nothing but expensive and intensive cosmetic work........that must have taken many years and $$$ to get running.



PS. Just out of curiosity. To the OP, is this the same Dentist that told you your OC score on the DAT is the sole determining factor of how well you do in dental school....from your other thread?? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=532515

 

[blankguy]

Sounds like a good deal, screw OMFS when you can make that much right out dental school.

Not so. OMFS on average make more. If you wanted to make a lot as a general dentist you really have to stand above a crowd.

 

[crazy4clana]

^ I meant that if you already make a great living out of a general dentist salary, who needs more than that to specialize which is why people do it in the first place. She said that what she makes every year so that's all I know about that versus net and gross income.

PS. Just out of curiosity. To the OP, is this the same Dentist that told you your OC score on the DAT is the sole determining factor of how well you do in dental school....from your other thread?? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=532515

Yep, the same one. She practices in the midwest and used to be a dental professor, then had a dental partner and moved on to her own clinic ect...

 

[blankguy]

^ I meant that if you already make a great living out of a general dentist salary, who needs more than that to specialize which is why people do it in the first place.



Yep, the same one. She practices in the midwest and used to be a dental professor.

People seem to specialize for the wrong reason. Prestige, money whoring, etc...

 

[Quattro DMD]

Sounds like a good deal, screw OMFS when you can make that much right out dental school.

I don't care how business savvy you are, you're not going to make anywhere near that right out of school.

 

[Quattro DMD]

People seem to specialize for the wrong reason. Prestige, money whoring, etc...

Its not just specializing....a lot of people go into dentistry in general for those reasons.

 

[crazy4clana]

Well obviously you won't be making 1 mil right after I'm taking about after you get started with your practice you start banking 150-300k which is really good money. People who want to specialize to make more than that are money hungry but who cares?

People seem to specialize for the wrong reason. Prestige, money whoring, etc...

Don't tell me you're going into dentistry for your love of teeth. Truthfully most people choose it because of the lifestyle and money, at least everyone I know has including lots of people on this board. Who cares why someone goes into specialization for the money? Will it make them any less of a good doctor? They are only hurting themselves if they are not happy with what they do.

 

[SugarNaCl]

It is possible but not common to make 1.5 million/yr as a GDP or specialist. There is a dentist however that graduated from VCU in 1970 (Dr. Baxter Perkinson) that is a general dentist. With smart business planning (and God only knows what other skills) started a practice that now is one of the largest in VA with many branches and specialists (that he hired). A couple of years ago he gave VCU over 3 million dollars and now the dental school is getting a 3rd building they are naming after him (the Perkinson Bldg). He is also rector of the VCU board of visitors.

 

[blankguy]

Well obviously you won't be making 1 mil right after I'm taking about after you get started with your practice you start banking 150-300k which is really good money. People who want to specialize to make more than that are money hungry but who cares?



Don't tell me you're going into dentistry for your love of teeth. Truthfully most people choose it because of the lifestyle and money, at least everyone I know has including lots of people on this board. Who cares why someone goes into specialization for the money? Will it make them any less of a good doctor? They are only hurting themselves if they are not happy with what they do.

Okay fine. But that doesn't change the fact that you need certain level of interest. The last thing you want is a midlife crisis. Also lifestyle and money can also mean working 70+ hrs and making $$$$$$ but people don't use it that way.

 

[crazy4clana]

I personally think that people who go into dentistry or specialization for the money are often the best doctors ya? They work hard and maintain great patient care and satisfaction to keep them coming and eventually increase the size of their clientèle right? If they hate it or have no interest then sucks for them. I don't understand your comment...how does working 70 hrs per week = a good lifestyle?

 

[blankguy]

I personally think that people who go into dentistry or specialization for the money are often the best doctors ya? They work hard and maintain great patient care and satisfaction to keep them coming and eventually increase the size of their clientèle right? If they hate it or have no interest then sucks for them. I don't understand your comment...how does working 70 hrs per week = a good lifestyle?

It is a lifestyle not a pleasant one though. There are people who do that and love it but not in dentistry. Generally people who are strong performers in dental school tend to be good with people however it is not always the case. You could have somebody who is cutout for academia but is not terribly socially adept. School is a threshold to be a dentist how you do once your out is all up to your personality. There are people who do smashingly well and there those that are only so so.

 

[Montserrat]

Definitely possible. But the second part of that where she seems to think she'll make more without assistants and hygienists ... that part just screams BS. There are many ways someone can deal with rotating staff. Plenty of practices hire a part time hygienist, and HRSA has the ideal dentist:assistant (1:1.5). Compounded with the fact that assistants really don't make all that much ... you either misheard her or she has an untenable business model.

 

[Brownstain]

Well obviously you won't be making 1 mil right after I'm taking about after you get started with your practice you start banking 150-300k which is really good money. People who want to specialize to make more than that are money hungry but who cares?



Don't tell me you're going into dentistry for your love of teeth. Truthfully most people choose it because of the lifestyle and money, at least everyone I know has including lots of people on this board. Who cares why someone goes into specialization for the money? Will it make them any less of a good doctor? They are only hurting themselves if they are not happy with what they do.

I don't want to get you on another tirade because obviously from your past posts you're pretty confrontational. But you need a bit of an attitude adjustment. You don't have to constantly argue with people who are just trying to help one another on a message board. If you treat patients or staff like how you talk on this forum, you will never make money in dentistry. There are plenty of people in my class who have this attitude and are loathed by everyone form students to professors at my school, they will never get a referral from me!

I can't stress enough how this whole must specialize thing is is a bunch of crap. People in dentistry have the potential to make money no matter what they do. If this thread has accomplished anything it has at least informed a great deal of pre-dent people that they don't have to be turds and gun for specialties just in order to afford their fantasy BMW M6...which is just going to rust, lose value, and won't get you a girl anyway if you act like such a jerk trying to make money. Not to mention with so many technological advances in dentistry several specialties are becoming obsolete. The glory days of specialists are to a degree dwindling and only staying afloat because the population growth. You can apply yourself to whatever you like and make tons of money in the process. A few CE courses and you can be doing 50% ortho or all your own implants.

It's all about how you want to run a business and how you want to treat your patients. Some orthos only make 150 a year, why, because they don't run their practices like stock yards pushing through as many 13 year olds as possible and using 10 assistants. Well, that or they work for a chain or as an associate. Yes, gp's can make a mill. It's not a total fluke. No matter what it takes some work, determination, and a little luck. Yes, if we were all here to help people we would be in the peace corps. But take an honest look at what you want to do with your life and if dentistry is for you. Going in and keeping options open in case you decide seomthing fits you better is great. But, don't go in thinking tht you HAVE to specialize just to make a decent living.

So many of you guys have all this info about dentistry and I have no clue where you get it from? I'm almost done with school and don't understand the half of it. I will say I thought I knew it all when I matriculated, I was way off!!! So before people throw stones and argue to the grave take a first hand look and get an idea of how it really happens.

Oh yeah, I really want to know where people are making 150-300K right out of school, thats way out of the ballpark of most people I know who just graduated.

 

[crazy4clana]

Actually my general dentist back at home is the only one who works in his office, he answers the phone, gives you the bill, cleans teeth/instruments and so on. He also has two practices, so yes it is very much possible. I did not mishear her, she has about 10 people working for her who rotate shifts.

No offense to you, but you seem to have an attitude for someone that just joined a month ago. Pot calling the kettle black much? It's an internet forum buddy, when people hide under an anonymous screen name they can act whoever they feel. In real like I'm probably the most non-confrontational, passive person you'll meet, I don't care if you believe me or not. I don't understand why people get their panties in a twist when someone disagrees with their opinion, SDN is full of bitter people for some reason. When I usually ask a question, people either say "use the search button" or "you're OMFS resident is going to hate you for asking so many questions." The real world isn't full of rainbows and puppies, you will meet people that disagree with your views and opinions, if you can't handle that on an internet forum then you live in a pretty sheltered and protected bubble which will be popped very fast. When/if I get into dental school, I won't he hanging around here anyone, I won't need a referral from you anyway.

By the way, before you started YOUR tirade, you missed all of my points. Kind of hard to when you can only hear the sound of your own voice huh? I said that specializing to make even more money after making so much as a regular dentist is done by money grubbing ******. Also, I said that dentists make 150-300k AFTER they get their practice started, back track and read again. I'm a girl BTW, in case that wasn't known.

 

[Bruinlove]

It's an internet forum buddy, when people hide under an anonymous screen name they can act whoever they feel. In real like I'm probably the most non-confrontational, passive person you'll meet, I don't care if you believe me or not. I don't understand why people get their panties in a twist when someone disagrees with their opinion, SDN is full of bitter people for some reason. When/if I get into dental school, I won't he hanging around here anyone, I won't need a referral from you anyway.

I'm a girl BTW, in case that wasn't known.

Give her some love, people.
Only love can cure this kind of online disorder.

 

[KOM]

Are we talking $1 million gross or net? It's not unusual to see a practice that grosses $1 million. With overhead of around ~70%, the dentist is taking home $300k which would be considered a pretty successful practice.

Thank you.

It seems to me that any dentist, or anyone else for that matter, that feels compelled in the first place to tell someone they make 1 million is just an egotistical twit. Especially if they go on to say they COULD be making more...

She's talking gross income...and she sounds like a tool. Offense intended.

 

[crazy4clana]

*Sigh* If you don't know much about the situation, don't comment or make ASSumptions. She is very nice and it took her A LOT of time to get where she is today, and is the farthest thing from a egotisical tool. The reason why she told me how much she makes is because she was explaining how much she generated with her clientèle and how to go about buying practices. Her practice does everything, perio, ortho, oral surgery...she brings in specialists weekly. People are even getting angry about this, is it cause you don't to believe it or really have something against successful dentists?

Give her some love, people.
Only love can cure this kind of online disorder.

Hahahaha, you're so funny and witty. But I'm not the one in dental school still posting in online forums who has nothing better to do than picking fights with a pre-dent.

 

[Blarelli]

A dentist I spoke with said that she makes well over $1 million per year and 1.5 million if she didn't hire hygenists, dental assistants ect...How in the world do you generate that much when you aren't even a specialist? I guess she was just an anomaly?

I don't dispute that a dentist can make that kind of money, after all my uncle makes about $800k, but has 3 dentists working for him. I do question the above dentist when she says she could make $500k more a year without hygienists and assistants. Sure, not having employees sure drops the overhead, but it would also severely drop the gross cash you are bringing in. Why would you go to school for 8+ years, and then slow yourself down by doing the job of a hygienist, and an assistant on top of the job of a dentist?

 

[DCRedskinsRule]

Actually

No offense to you, but you seem to have an attitude for someone that just joined a month ago. Pot calling the kettle black much? It's an internet forum buddy, when people hide under an anonymous screen name they can act whoever they feel. In real like I'm probably the most non-confrontational, passive person you'll meet, I don't care if you believe me or not. I don't understand why people get their panties in a twist when someone disagrees with their opinion, SDN is full of bitter people for some reason. When I usually ask a question, people either say "use the search button" or "you're OMFS resident is going to hate you for asking so many questions." The real world isn't full of rainbows and puppies, you will meet people that disagree with your views and opinions, if you can't handle that on an internet forum then you live in a pretty sheltered and protected bubble which will be popped very fast. When/if I get into dental school, I won't he hanging around here anyone, I won't need a referral from you anyway.

The AP English graders must be getting lazier...

 

[crazy4clana]

The AP English graders must be getting lazier...

Laughing at your own joke, nice. I'm typing as I'm studying for my Physics test so excuse me for not correcting my spelling in an internet forum for which I don't care to impress members like you.

PS Have you been following me around? cough*stalker*cough

 

[tncekm]

A dentist I spoke with said that she makes well over $1 million per year and 1.5 million if she didn't hire hygenists, dental assistants ect...How in the world do you generate that much when you aren't even a specialist? I guess she was just an anomaly?

Not anomalous, but her hygienists, especially, are HUGE source of her income so I don't know how she could imply that they're some burden to her. When you pay someone $180 to do a $1000 quad scale patient, you're making big cash from them.

Office that have multiple hygienists (huge client bases) make huge money. $250/quad-hr $45/hygienist hour and get multiple hygienists and that's HUGE cash a dentist makes simply by hiring someone who is essentially self-sufficient in your practice in most states.

All you predents out there, learn to appreciate your hygienists b/c they'll make you big money if you can pull in the clients--just don't have your hygienists doing routine cleanings, get them doing lots of quad scaling.

 

[Montserrat]

Actually my general dentist back at home is the only one who works in his office, he answers the phone, gives you the bill, cleans teeth/instruments and so on. He also has two practices, so yes it is very much possible. I did not mishear her, she has about 10 people working for her who rotate shifts.

Dentists are trained to be dentists. They aren't trained as virtuosos, so the time that they take away from treatment to perform other tasks influences their bottom line heavily. More than possible to create profit from it, but it is far more taxing (physically and financially) to go this route, while also decreasing one's professional longevity. This principle extends far past dentistry into any business practice, and is why a successful lawyer doesn't also work as his secretary, and why a CFO asks for weeklies instead of performing the analysis himself.

Because she is also operating under rotating staff, her claim of a 500K differential is downright absurd. You realize that she is essentially saying that she is paying her employees to lose money for her net, right ? To even suggest that she can individually perform the tasks of 10 rotating staff members while fulfilling her duties as a clinician is a bit of a stretch. To suggest that she could maintain their output to result in a net increase, is even more of one.

 

[DRHOYA]

I've been laughing at this thread.

1.) We are all pre-dents on here despite a few who are actually in Dental School. Thus, as far as believing information, I think I'll tend to lean towards Dental students rather than a pre-dent who is stating facts about a Dentist she "knows" (no offense, but I don't know you).

2.) Crazy4clana, I don't understand what you are trying to prove here. Thats great if she takes home as much money as you say she does......so? With each post, you are straying from your own original discussion, and blasting others.

3.) No one knows if any of this is true except for yourself. So why do you care whether or not the SDN pre-dental community believes you or not. There are only 2 options here. A) You are fabricating, and in this case you have some serious problems. Or, B) All your facts are 100% true, and we have been enlightened by the hardwork and prosperity of this Dentist that you know.

 

[tncekm]

Because she is also operating under rotating staff, her claim of a 500K differential is downright absurd. You realize that she is essentially saying that she is paying her employees to lose money for her net, right ? To even suggest that she can individually perform the tasks of 10 rotating staff members while fulfilling her duties as a clinician is a bit of a stretch. To suggest that she could maintain their output to result in a net increase, is even more of one.

Exactly. "Glory Hog's", like the dentist the OP is referring to, are really bothersome to me.

My fiancee is a hygienist, her dad is a dentist, and two of my very good gym buddies are dentists. Your assistants and hygienists are essential. Hygienists can actually make you huge money if you've got enough patients, not to mention they spend 2 straight years of being instructed just to scale teeth and administer anesthetic! They're very efficient scalers, and a smart dentist would appreciate his or her hygienists because they are money makers, not leeches.

E.g. a friend of our just graduated hygiene school. She contacted lots of dental office looking for a job and she talked to a dentist at one dental office where the dentist obviously had no idea how much of a benefit she could be to his practice, and he didn't want to give her a chance because he thought she'd be a burden on him financially. Well, next thing you know she convinced him to try her out for a while, she found tons of his patients were actually quad scale and now he thinks she's the coolest thing since sliced bread because while he's in the other room extracting teeth she's making him an additional $150/hr working on quad scale patients.

 

[crazy4clana]

I've been laughing at this thread.

1.) We are all pre-dents on here despite a few who are actually in Dental School. Thus, as far as believing information, I think I'll tend to lean towards Dental students rather than a pre-dent who is stating facts about a Dentist she "knows" (no offense, but I don't know you).

2.) Crazy4clana, I don't understand what you are trying to prove here. Thats great if she takes home as much money as you say she does......so? With each post, you are straying from your own original discussion, and blasting others.

3.) No one knows if any of this is true except for yourself. So why do you care whether or not the SDN pre-dental community believes you or not. There are only 2 options here. A) You are fabricating, and in this case you have some serious problems. Or, B) All your facts are 100% true, and we have been enlightened by the hardwork and prosperity of this Dentist that you know.

I am NOT fabricating anything. WTF? Why would I come up with such an asinine topic like this? Please enlighten me, what advantage is it to me to LIE about how much a dentist I know makes? It's not like it has anything to do with me, I'm not claiming I got into Harvard Dental or a 30 on the DAT. Like I said, you know what happens when you make assumptions.

I'm not even interested in cosmetic/general dentistry. I posted this because I thought it was really unusual for her to make that much money, and people even posted that they knew people who made about that much also. Is it sooo hard for you to believe? Read my original question, which got bastardized by this thread. I was just curious at to how common this was and how they can make that much money without being specialists. I wasn't the one who started "blasting" anyone. It was noobs who popped into the thread and started posting smarta$$ remarks, but nobody says anything about them. I guess they are all jealous of the fictional dentist right?

 

[DCRedskinsRule]

Laughing at your own joke, nice. I'm typing as I'm studying for my Physics test so excuse me for not correcting my spelling in an internet forum for which I don't care to impress members like you.

PS Have you been following me around? cough*stalker*cough

Don't flatter yourself. You just don't ever stop spamming these forums with your garbage so it's hard to avoid you.

 

[crazy4clana]

I guess sarcasm is lost on you. If you don't like what I post, don't enter the thread. Simple as that, also for someone who joined a month ago, you have a lot of balls to say that I post garbage when you're a noob.

 

[doc toothache]

Actually my general dentist back at home is the only one who works in his office, he answers the phone, gives you the bill, cleans teeth/instruments and so on. He also has two practices, so yes it is very much possible. I did not mishear her, she has about 10 people working for her who rotate shifts.

Must be an interesting practice. If the gp answers the phone, gives patients walk out statement, cleans teeth/instruments, what in the world does the rest of the staff of 10 do?

 

[crazy4clana]

He books patients right after the other, that's the difference I guess. It's not as busy but I don't know how his other practice works.

This dentist has A LOT of hygienists and assistants, they complete some procedures on their own like temporaries, and implants.

 

[DCRedskinsRule]

I guess sarcasm is lost on you. If you don't like what I post, don't enter the thread. Simple as that, also for someone who joined a month ago, you have a lot of balls to say that I post garbage when you're a noob.

Good luck in the application process.

 

[DRHOYA]

Ok, for crying out loud. Enough about this "fictional" dentist who know one knows execpt 1 person!!! Who cares, what they do. Crazy4clana, the bottom line is, YOU ARE STRAYING FROM YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION. Now, back to your question. First of all, you really want to know how common it is for Dentists to run a practice similar to your pals? Then here is my question to you. Why are you asking predents?? Everyone is going to have a different story from a different dentist they shadowed. Why don't you post this on the Dental forum, that way real graduating dental students can give you a more reasonable answer.

 

[Sbosu]

I guess sarcasm is lost on you. If you don't like what I post, don't enter the thread. Simple as that, also for someone who joined a month ago, you have a lot of balls to say that I post garbage when you're a noob.

What does it matter if someone is a "noob"? Are you smarter than them because you have more posts then him/her? I just don't understand

 

[crazy4clana]

Ok browksy, calm down there. Don't have a heart attack over a silly thread.

First of all, it is NOT a fictional dentist. I have already told you that. I am not avoiding my original question, I have restated it many times but as I said before, people are focusing on the details so we are straying from the topic. I really don't have time to convince that this what the dentist said she makes, it seems like you have issues with this which I can't figure out. Have a few Coronas and relax.

 

[HoangDDS]

I'm a dental office manager and we have 2 locations in Santa Clara, CA. Last year our production was 1.2+mil. With about about a 65-70% overhead, I think our main dentist took home about 400K. That's insane that the general dentist your describing took home 1 mill. I'm not saying that is impossible, but for a general dentist to do that, he needs to own the land in which multiple offices are located opening 7 days a week and have no debts/loans/ or mortgages. Sounds like a headache.

I'll be happy with working 4 days a week and making 100K

 

[aphistis]

That's enough. Stop feeding the social misanthrope, please.