Future of Dental Economics Question

[astronaut99]

I am currently a D2 and I have been reading about how owning your practice works. It seems like the more research I do, the more intimidated and truthfully worried I am about my future profession. I seldomly see a comment that has anything positive to say about income. Instead, I see hundreds of comments about salaries dropping below $100k, corporate offices will be on every corner in America, and that reimbursement rates are going to be at an all-time low. From what I've gathered, it seems like paying off loans will be a 30-year plan whilst living off of only bread and water. Perhaps I'm being dramatic, but are there are any recent graduates who can shine some light on this (and hopefully prove what I've read is not all true)?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TenaciousT]

You'll see pretty soon that as a group, dentist can be "doom and gloom" bunch. In the end of the day, you eat what you kill. If you believe you'll make sub 100k then you will. If you believe you'll make 300k plus, then you will. You create your reality with the amount of effort you give.

 

[_balzac_]

I will put it like this. Is not uncommon anymore to see people with multiple degrees/certificates, and I doubt there are that many people who love to study forever.
You won´t be poor for sure, but rich? I don't know.

 

[P7898]

Do not do anything for the money. Find something you like and try to get an affordable education. If you find something you like and cannot get an affordable education for it (hint private dental schools), move on to another option. At the end of the day, a job is a job.

 

[LAtoBakDentist]

There is plenty of money to be made but there will be sacrifices to make larger amounts. 1) Location: Don't expect to be wealthy off dentistry living is a major metropolitan city (its possible but the odds are against you). 2) Work hard: The dreams of dentists doing just a 3-4 days of bread and butter dentistry and making a killing are unlikely. 3) Own a practice: Whether private of with a corp. Yes I said with a corp... I have friends making nearly 7 figures "owning" with a corp and I have friends making that in private. I also have friends making right over 100K in both as associates. That being said owning a private practice will give you significant tax advantage over owning with a corp.

None-the-less dental school generally speaking doesn't give a good ROI. Dental Schools are businesses that found a seemingly endless source of income. The yearly percent increases in already high tuition are a little questionable and since dentists historically have one of the lowest default rates with student loan lenders the money keeps flowing... Its a problem IMO... We'll see where it goes....

Don't view the field you've selected with doom and gloom just make smart decisions and hustle when you graduate.