Overall, dentistry is a very good career. The salary differs greatly in different parts of the country and in different specialties. In the south, a general dentist can expect to make 250K-400K working 4 days/week after 5 years of practice. Specialists may make more or less depending on the demand in the area. Everybody is jumping on the endo bandwagon these days because of the possibility of making 500k and up with very little overhead. However, endo is very tedious and can get boring. I would say dentists are well respected in the community, but you will always be viewed as not being a "real doctor". In my experiences, you will have no problem getting financing for a practice, house, or cars once the lending institution knows you are a dentist. If you are thinking of a career in dentistry, you really need to enjoy running a business. Some of the most talented people in my class will never make it in the real world because they don't know how to run a business. If deciding between dentistry and medicine you should think about a few things:1.Time off-much better in dentistry, usually one only works 4 days/week w/o call
Medicine: 60-80hr weeks with plenty of call is not uncommon
2.Money:Some dentists make more than physicians and vice versa, but when you break it down into hours worked the dentist will win everytime
3.Prestige: A surgeon will always have more prestige than the local dentist, but the local dentist will be on the golf course while the surgeon is in some OR
Overall, I have really enjoyed dentistry. I earn a great income (300K on 32hrs/week), and I actually have a life outside of work. I hope this helps, and good luck to you. Both dentistry and medicine are great careers.
