Endo or ortho?

[wplumlee83]

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The OP has got to be a bona fide idiot to even compare ENDO and ORTHO... those guys don't even think in the same way. Mechanics/bending moments/volume/long-term relationships vs. skilled/tooth carpentery/relieving pain and suffering. You're comparing an elective cosmetic procedure with an actual need for treatment. OKU top 10% of class, high GPA ortho vs. top 50% class rank at best endo.
i'm not saying one better than the other, but they are starfish and warthogs. different animals!
you should seriously look introspectively.
any guy who interviews you and smells the whiff of another discipline will bounce you outta the door

 

[KMMG]

I am an orthodontist and I regret not going for Endo. The amount of research and publications and kissing a** to get into ortho through dental school is not worth it. Corporate cut down your days if you can’t get enough starts (even though it may not be your problem and they just have a crappy TC). Ortho depends largely on the market, the first thing any private practice, or corporate does in bad economy is cutting down your days and hence your pay. Almost all 99% of orthos I know have a daily guarantee (you will barely make 1500/day for 60 patients a day with extremely bad assistants). You will work extremely hard, you will sit and do most of the work yourself, and you will have to deal with every single patient and their complaints (you can do the math on how many parents you will have to deal with for these 60-70 patients). Not to mention divorced parents, you say something to one parent and the next appointment the other parent come with their **** and crap just to disagree with the other spouse. Ortho in practice is completely different than what you learn at school. I enjoyed ortho in residency and I couldn’t believe anyone would want to practice anything but ortho but now since I have been in practice, I don’t feel the same about it. When you’re extremely exhausted, overworked, having big team, big overhead, and under compensated plus add bad economy to the equation you will realize what you need to do to get into ortho is not worth it at alllll!! Sorry for the very long post. Hope this helps!

 

[AEGD Director]

I guess what slows me down the most is the interproximal cuts. Any tips?

Conceptually:
1: Start with a MOD prep first_ This gets a box in the interproximal
2: go back to the central groove and depth guide w a 245 diamond and run out the grooves at full depth
3: Shorten tooth with the barrel diamond= 240 c premier, to bottom of depth guides
4: now START in the box on M- make a 360 degree shoulder around the tooth with a flat end diamond just above Gv
note: this step is key, to answer your question, this way you dont have to slice through and abraid the contact
5: knock should off with a washington monument bur to equigingingiva

I think this is a version of the "90 sec crown prep "( however , i dont think step 5 is in that version)

most young docs can do this in 6-7 min w/o too much racing

 

[mmc12]

I am an orthodontist and I regret not going for Endo. The amount of research and publications and kissing a** to get into ortho through dental school is not worth it. Corporate cut down your days if you can’t get enough starts (even though it may not be your problem and they just have a crappy TC). Ortho depends largely on the market, the first thing any private practice, or corporate does in bad economy is cutting down your days and hence your pay. Almost all 99% of orthos I know have a daily guarantee (you will barely make 1500/day for 60 patients a day with extremely bad assistants). You will work extremely hard, you will sit and do most of the work yourself, and you will have to deal with every single patient and their complaints (you can do the math on how many parents you will have to deal with for these 60-70 patients). Not to mention divorced parents, you say something to one parent and the next appointment the other parent come with their **** and crap just to disagree with the other spouse. Ortho in practice is completely different than what you learn at school. I enjoyed ortho in residency and I couldn’t believe anyone would want to practice anything but ortho but now since I have been in practice, I don’t feel the same about it. When you’re extremely exhausted, overworked, having big team, big overhead, and under compensated plus add bad economy to the equation you will realize what you need to do to get into ortho is not worth it at alllll!! Sorry for the very long post. Hope this helps!

You joined SDN only to post this? Why don't you quit being an orthodontist and just go back to practicing as a GP?

 

[paamp]

I am an orthodontist and I regret not going for Endo. The amount of research and publications and kissing a** to get into ortho through dental school is not worth it. Corporate cut down your days if you can’t get enough starts (even though it may not be your problem and they just have a crappy TC). Ortho depends largely on the market, the first thing any private practice, or corporate does in bad economy is cutting down your days and hence your pay. Almost all 99% of orthos I know have a daily guarantee (you will barely make 1500/day for 60 patients a day with extremely bad assistants). You will work extremely hard, you will sit and do most of the work yourself, and you will have to deal with every single patient and their complaints (you can do the math on how many parents you will have to deal with for these 60-70 patients). Not to mention divorced parents, you say something to one parent and the next appointment the other parent come with their **** and crap just to disagree with the other spouse. Ortho in practice is completely different than what you learn at school. I enjoyed ortho in residency and I couldn’t believe anyone would want to practice anything but ortho but now since I have been in practice, I don’t feel the same about it. When you’re extremely exhausted, overworked, having big team, big overhead, and under compensated plus add bad economy to the equation you will realize what you need to do to get into ortho is not worth it at alllll!! Sorry for the very long post. Hope this helps!

Do/did you have plans of opening your own office?

 

[P7898]

To OP, do whatever interests you. Obviously you are having second doubts for the money because these two specialties are polar opposite. DO NOT do anything for the money. If you do, you will not be interested in the specialty and you will be less than average at it and your pay will show. Do the specialty because you get excited about it everyday. Do the specialty because you are obsessed with the information and you could teach it at a University and not be upset about the income. If you go about life doing things for the money, you will always be second guessing your decisions and never be happy or satisfied - hint this post. Please do not make this mistake.