How much money do prosthodontics make?

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Stillmaticbeat

Stillmaticbeat

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please do not flame me out

i have no idea how much this specialty makes and i was just interested. and i dont wanna hear about the ADA avg's. if you have anecdotal information that would be more helpful. also, i learned that prosths do implants as well as cosmetics. can someone explain this further.

so is it true that perio, prosth, and oral surgeons are trained in implants in their residencies and gps will refer to each of these specialties?

Thanks
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1.Prosth is second after OMFS, and 6th highest in the country. Ortho is next. Check the Forbes link below.You re right to avoid the ADA self reported stats. the US Dept of Labor and Stats is probably more accurate as its based on tax returns. Now you will say these are all low but remember these include, residents on stipends (10% of all prosthodontists) (350 out of around 3000) full time faculty, military and part time folks. Yes, prostho is the specialty of "esthetic, implant and cosmetic dentistry".
2.Due to the rise in income and the increased demands for cosmetic and implant therapy, prostho entrance requirements have risen. Previously it was the least competitive, now that honor belongs to perio.
3.Prostho programs have to place implants to be accredited. Originall (1982) only prosthos and omfs could take the branemark course for implant therapy.

(http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/20/best-paying-jobs_cx_pm_06work_0523jobs.html
 
Calidental said:
1.Prosth is second after OMFS, and 6th highest in the country. Ortho is next. Check the Forbes link below.You re right to avoid the ADA self reported stats. the US Dept of Labor and Stats is probably more accurate as its based on tax returns. Now you will say these are all low but remember these include, residents on stipends (10% of all prosthodontists) (350 out of around 3000) full time faculty, military and part time folks. Yes, prostho is the specialty of "esthetic, implant and cosmetic dentistry".

(http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/20/best-paying-jobs_cx_pm_06work_0523jobs.html
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I doubt it is 2nd after OMFS. That Forbes link puts prosth and general dentists above endo, which doesn't even make the list. Somehow it doesn't seem very accurate to me.
 
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Stillmaticbeat said:
please do not flame me out

i have no idea how much this specialty makes and i was just interested. and i dont wanna hear about the ADA avg's. if you have anecdotal information that would be more helpful. also, i learned that prosths do implants as well as cosmetics. can someone explain this further.

so is it true that perio, prosth, and oral surgeons are trained in implants in their residencies and gps will refer to each of these specialties?

Thanks
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Salary question is impossible to answer because the data is either self reported or too small of a sample. The reports you see on magazines or on the Web is pretty much useless. But this is the fact: Prosthodontist has the highest overhead of all specialties due to laboratory cost. I have a prosthodontist friend and he NETs over 400K a year. Once you have a steady flow of patients and you do pretty much cosmetics, I can imagine you can pull in at least 250K a year net.
 
This article was published a couple of years ago. It has a lot of information about prosthodontics and future income potential. It also talks about a pros residency as an investment and what the return on this "investment" would likely be.

Private practice and the economic rate of return for residency training as a prosthodontist.
J Am Dent Assoc. 2005 Aug;136(8):1154-62
Nash KD, Pfeifer DL
 
Let me reply to this in the fitting manner, on behalf of all specialists as Rat is apparently the most experienced DDS in America being an OMFS, periodontist and prosthodontist.
 
desert rat said:
Many I know work as a general dentist or they teach in a dental school or are in military. Few general dentists will refer to a pros. Most all general dentists can do what they do.

There really is no such thing as a pros in private practice.
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Desert rat no room in here for chips on your shoulder when your mixing it with the big boys, a lot of who will go onto specialty. Is it because youre a tad jealous that I mentioned yesterday that while in residency i charged 70% more for a crown than you do at the end of your career? Now I have tremendous respect for GPs who know their limits. Ive been on both sides of the fence as a GP before becoming a specialist, and you dont know what you dont know. Youll have to take my word on that one.

Youre argument above defeats itself. You've never worked with pros but you know what you do is the same as them? I learnt a lot of respect for my fellow specialist in residency and what they can do. You never worked with pros so you are simply living in ignorance. Its like saying "Hmm Ive never climbed up Everest but I know I can climb so I must be able to climb aswell as all the mountaineers who put in the training for Everest."

There really is no such thing as a pros in private practice.[/QUOTE]

Again another gem. I see 5-6 patients a day, start a handful of new pts a month but Ill put my numbers up against any specialist (note not GP). Why because its all implant or esthetic reconstructions. Its a myth about remoavable, I do a couple a year at most.We dont worry about you as competition we re not competing for the same pts. I get high end, complex, pain in the *** pts with big problems. Or the ones cases you did 5 years ago, performed a little malpractice and the pt left you for me to cut that gold and ceramics off (which pays for my Vegas trip each year). You take silence as a happy pt, really they arent letting you mess it up again. You re not an endodontic practice, pts are supposed to return.

Pts dont get referred to prostho for a 3 unit bridge with not other issues. They come for occlusal, excessive caries or perio problems. And that last one is where we get over 50% of our referrals from, perio or OS. Wanna know how successful you are, when did one of these surgical specialties last refer you a pt...no need to answer its in years right.

I am the specialist in esthetic dentistry, not you, and with my OS and perio colleagues we are the specialists in implants again not something you can claim. If you dont want to take the ACP definition look at your CE courses, every GP worth his salt is after nuggets from prosthodontists such as Frank Spear, Tarnow or Chiche.

Theres a stats that a gp DOES 7 FILLINGS FOR ONE CROWN but a prostho does 1 filling for every 7 crowns. ADA stats show 5% of a GPs time is prostho. The majority is hygiene and new pt exams.

Get back in that low end implant mill you converted from a drill and fill practice midway through your career old man. Its too late for you, but dont ruin it for DDS students thinking of OS, Prosth etc saying you can do all your own surgeries, full mouths etc. Btw I wouldnt want to see a composite you ve attempted never mind the malarky i can imagine you re pulling seeing as you can do surgery ( nice orthognathics there rat), implants and full mouths with just a weekend course.
 
I laugh at that. 70% more for a crown. If you charge $2000 for a crown and I charge $1000 but I do about 30 a day and you do about 10 who makes more? My office is one where we do more reconstructive work in a month than most in a few years. After about five years of practice and 500 hours of CE I do beleive most any general dentists can be at the same level as a prosthodontist. Don't try to tell me that 5 years in a sheltered school evnvironment makes one better. LOL

I smell BS and Im going to call you on it. 30 crowns a day = 30 prepared and another 30 cemented = 60 a day. over an 8 hour working day you ve got almost 8 crowns being prepped, impressioned and provisionalised or tried in, adjusted and delivered every hour.

Put another way there are 261 working days a year give or take. Lets say after vacations, holiday etc you take 9 weeks off.
So we ve got 200 days x 30 crowns = 6000 crowns a year. At $1000 a crown thats $6 million a year just on crowns.

Now lets not forget, we re dealing with Drs Branemark, Sclar, Pikos all rolled into one little guy here and you do 600 implants a year. over 200 days thats 3 a day. Mmmm really? in that 30 crown schedule of yours. Thats also 3 recalls, suture removal, second stages. Recall all those sinus lifts you do? When the hell do you see new pts to plan them? And then you said you spend more time on hygiene. You re a busy guy.

Seems if I say hi in the street to you Im at risk of 20 crowns, implants and a sinus lift.


I have done more pros than most pros specialists

Makes you feel better, is this a small peepee thing?Whatever gets you through the day. Ive also played more tennis than Federer so expect to see me at Flishing Meadows this September.



I have a patient pool of almost 20,000 patients.

The average is 2000, are all your numbers off by 10 today?


We get a ton of patients refered to us from periodontists, and fron OS.
Yeah they have to refer the sinus lifts and implants to you for your expertise right?


there is no such thing as an esthetic specialty. There are general dentists out there that specialits flock to each year to learn from. Look at CEREC and you can see that. Look to LVI and you will see that. the Aesthetic dental association is full of general dentists teaching pros people.

Rat I would state thats not true and you know it? They're almost all Prostho, perio or omfs. check the upcoming speakers list of AAED.

A good dentist no matter the specialty is really checking hygiene at each visit.


Hmm I thought you were grafting hips referred from OS cos they cant do what you can.




Also how many general dentists do you know that do over 200 implants a year? How many specialists are doing that? I can tell you names of general dentists doing over 600 a year.

Sure old timer and 6000 crowns apparently.

By the way, I refuse to do implants on everyone and I like to refer some out because I am tired and made enough money and don't want the stress. AS a general dentist I do have that luxury.

[U]Or that thin ridge, nerve, foramina worry you?[/U]

As to composites get real. Bonded dentistry is old technology. This is not hard and most dentists do this well. we are in a new age of ceramics and minimum invasive dentistry now. If you are not doing minimum invasive dentistry you are way behid the times and are harming your patients.
[/QUOTE]

But a composite is one of the most technique sensitive things we can do, like the old gold foil. Its ok if your chugging out ill fitting Cerecs for everyone (80um gap).

You bring this smack down on yourself, if you re gonna invent numbers keep them realistic. No one is doing 6000 crowns, all his own surgery and running a gp practice at the same time. Remember this mammoth "20, 000" city of a practice of yours had pts needing regular work......a pros practice normally has 400 patients so doesnt have this recall issue you would.

If it gets you to sleep at night instead of knowing younger guys made more of their career than you I understand that, but dont try and say you re the same as us, better than OMFS.....it just looks jealous.
 
Wow, you guys are so ridiculously lame. I guess it was dumb to expect things to change outside of dental school.

Does anyone else think that an infatuation with dick measuring implies an unhealthy obsession with dicks in general?
 
desert rat said:
I should have expected this turf war thing. Penis??? someone is colorful in their language.

I refuse to get into a pissing match here. Good luck with your practice and trying to get referals from general dentists with that attitude. If I knew who you were i would love to share with your community your ideas. LOL

All i know is all i know. I am not lying about my practice numbers and I am trying not to brag. I will say, in my area we do not have a pros specialist and that has forced most dentists to do better.

This thread is about how much do prosthadontis make. I am sorry if my posting has caused the deviation from the origional question.

My point is that a pros specialist is limited in practice and earnings. Most of them are in teaching or militry positions. there is little in their field practicing in private practice, and where they do practice tends to be in big cities. Many choose to work as a general dentist so that they have a broader patient base and depend less on referals. You can have any specialty training and work as a general dentist, just like a general dentist can do any specialty.

As a general dentist with your own practice that does alot of implants, crown and bridge and ortho you can earn $500,000 + net a year easy if you are in a good location. So if money is what you are seeking you need to rethink why you want to be a specialist. If however, you want to study the specialty and use the title and teach or only do as a prosthadontist than do what you love.

There is one type of pros that is unique and I have total respect for them and know I can't do their skill and that is the maxillfacial ones. I don't know how to make noses and ears for people. That extra training is awsome and could be rewarding.

If anyone wants to learn more about my practice numbers or income or anything else personal feel free to message me. I don't enjoy the rants and accusations and slander by some people. Life is short.
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I'm not trying to enter the argument, but I actually laughed out loud when you said you aren't here to brag and don't enjoy the accusations. Your whole purpose for posting, it appears, is to make claims about how great you are. If you really are producing those numbers, which I don't believe, that is great for you. Why do you need dental students' approval?

What bothers me most, however, are your comments about specialists in general. In your comments that I have read today, you continually claim to be more skilled than specialists in every field. It is nice for you that you have done some CE, but sitting in a six hour CE course at your local Best Western does not equal three plus years of advanced training. This has nothing to do with a turf war. You are free to do whatever procedures you want.

I'm sure you may do a nice root canal, FPD, or what not, but to claim that yours are better than those done by specialists with years of training and exponentially more experience is both ludicrous and simply insulting. Don't claim you are not interested in rants and accusations when you started them. Oh, and by the way, the term you are looking for is libel, not slander, when the internet is involved. You also don't seem to understand how the law works because people calling you out for spewing BS on an anonymous website is not a cause for a lawsuit.
 
Dukie said:
I'm not trying to enter the argument, but I actually laughed out loud when you said you aren't here to brag and don't enjoy the accusations. Your whole purpose for posting, it appears, is to make claims about how great you are. If you really are producing those numbers, which I don't believe, that is great for you. Why do you need dental students' approval?

What bothers me most, however, are your comments about specialists in general. In your comments that I have read today, you continually claim to be more skilled than specialists in every field. It is nice for you that you have done some CE, but sitting in a six hour CE course at your local Best Western does not equal three plus years of advanced training. This has nothing to do with a turf war. You are free to do whatever procedures you want.

I'm sure you may do a nice root canal, FPD, or what not, but to claim that yours are better than those done by specialists with years of training and exponentially more experience is both ludicrous and simply insulting. Don't claim you are not interested in rants and accusations when you started them. Oh, and by the way, the term you are looking for is libel, not slander, when the internet is involved. You also don't seem to understand how the law works because people calling you out for spewing BS on an anonymous website is not a cause for a lawsuit.
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Spot on Dukie. What we are saying Dr Rat is that we have no issue with what scope of dentistry you want to practice, heck I even let GPs who are interested observe in my office, just dont say you re as good as us. Ive read today how:
1. You re a master at tip edge orthodontics (see thread on GP ortho)
2. Do 600 implants a year
3. Perform sinus lifts in 15 minutes (see future of specialties)
4. Prep and deliver 6000 crowns per annum
5. And are better than a prosthodontist the crown and bridge specialist.
6. Have a practice grossing at least $6.9 million dollars just on crowns and implants. From your stated numbers of $1000 x 600 crowns = $6 million and $1500 x 600 implants = $900,000. This is without the sinus lifts, root canals, tip edge orthodontics and general upkeep of patients in your 20,000 patient practice.
7. Apparently you re also a lawyer, but who gets confused with definintions.

So spare us your expertise on endodontics, block grafting, face lifts and breast augmentations, we know you re probably better than Dr 90210. This is a website primarily for dental students, looking for answers and maybe a bit of real world insight, motivation. Its not really the done thing for a generalist at the end of his career to use this as a proxy to feel better about his limitations because of a decision he took at 25.
 
How can you know so much about prosthodontics when you yourself admitted that you come from an area where there aren't any? In that case you don't really have any more insight than the OP, you're just making sideline guesses and assumptions.
 
Call me biased if you will!
But Kudos My dear friend Calidental!
You are the one talking sense around here!

(My quote of calidental was misrepresented-in case anyone noticed before
slashing off!)
 
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The level of self-righteous, blantant arrogance in this post is down right alarming. If gordon christensen who I'm sure could blow the pants off of any prosthodontist on here can talk to fellow collegues in an objective non-judgmental manor including GPs I would think you could do the same.

As for Prosthodontist Man, you might as well sign up for the military now so you have a place to sit your sorry a$$. Maybe you can pick on new grads teaching in some residency or something. You're in for a world of hurt when you hit the real world of private practice. Running around claiming to be a specialist in esthetic dentistry and god's gift to dentistry. To not even be out of your residency, you don't even have a leg to stand on to be even having this discussion. Wait til you get out and realize that everyone isn't going to pay you 50K just to have you grace them with your presence... oh, and provide them with the esthetic dentistry that only you can provide. I know prosthodontists that work as GPs even doing endo because they discovered that it was just easier business-wise as the referals don't just gush in like some on here want to believe. A prostho is a tough go especially when you factor in the added costs for the extra training and those who do it should for the mental reward of doing dentistry at the highest level not for the financial reward as you may find yourself deeply disappointed. The forbes magazine article being cited here is pretty much worthless. You cannot compare incomes that they list. In general, oral surgeons and ortho do much better than they're showing. Often, much of the income of owner dentist(yes, this includes specialists even though some would like to believe they're of a higher profession) is sheltered in tax deferred retirements or the like. Much of their info is most likely from associates who's income is easier to assertain and consequently lower. Prostho has the highest overhead of all specialties and I'd bet my life that endodontists income is higher as their overhead is MUCH lower... practically half that of prostho in many cases. I could go on with this thread but I'm sure it just trigger more of the same rebuttal bashing ego-driven BS written by some who have yet to work a day in the real world.

For anyone specializing or even considering it, those who make the most of their extra training(ie-reap the financial rewards) in an area of expertise do so by educating others including patients AND referring dentists. Some specialists get this concept, deliver exceptional care, and do VERY well while other idiots spend their day belittling others and wondering why it's so hard to get patients. By some of the comments made, it's clear which side of the fence some of these posters will be on when they get their license to be god's gift to dentistry.
 
Dear PietroDDS,

Thanks for the warnings!
Thanks for the advice!
Thanks very much for the insight as to how lame
and lowly we prosthodontists are!

Wish you well!
 
You're welcome. Best of luck. Practice for a year in the real world and you'll get what I'm saying. First rule for any new dentist, especially a specialist is to leave your ego in the ivory tower you got your degree from. It will only get in your way of success in the real world.

I actually hold prosthodontists in very high esteem because they usually practice at a very high level of care that most dentists do not nor have the patient population that can afford to practice at that level. There's only so many people in the world that can afford 30K treatment plans. If there were more I might consider doing the specialty as well. You'll get out and realize in a year or two that the majority of your CE after your training will be spent on courses that teach you how to lure in high end patients and getting them to finance their mouth over their new car rather than keeping up with changes in technology. And you'll find that you'll be competing with all the LVI and other 'institute' trained dentists that don't want to treat patients that just need one or two teeth fixed as well. That compounded with the fact that you get very few referals from GPs other than the PIAs they don't want. You have all the debt of the other specialties but without the pipeline of referals that the other specialties have at their luxury. I respect prostho though because many of the advances in restorative dentistry that we GPs benefit from are the result of prosthodontists such as gordon christensen or frank spear, etc.

On a side note, We have three young prosthos under age 40 here in my community and I know that it's a struggle to live the life that even their fellow GPs enjoy as the competition is fierce despite all the advanced training and skill. We have an older prostho here that does very well. He's in his late 40s and practiced as a GP in a high end practice for 6 years before going back for the extra degree. Also, he markets himself well and is a member at both country clubs in town despite not playing golf. When you get out you'll soon realize that it's much more about your marketing than your skill level but you have to experience private practice first before you get this concept. Many highly skilled dentists get Ped off because they fail to grasp the necessity/importance of being a likeable, friendly self-promoting dentist over actually having the skill set to practice at a high level. The average person regardless of income level doesn't care that you understand the benefit of cementing a final restoration with a resin-modified glass ionomer over a carboxylate. You're going to see your fair share of crappy dentistry pass through your office in the future and when you wonder how dentists and specialists could deliver at that level you'll hopefully come to realize that your personality is 10x's more important than your skill set. In defense of the dentist(s), sometimes the level of care is dictating by the patient's ability to cooperate with treatment so don't judge another just by what you see on a film. If you have the skills AND the personality than you'll be set but if you're lacking in one area you're better off lacking in the skills than the personality. It took me awhile to come to terms with this. I still do the best possible dentistry I can every day but I realize that connecting with patients and letting them know that you care is more important than the distal margin on #2.

Patients don't care how much you know til they know how much you care.
 
I rarely chime in here but I do have to agree with pietrodds. Being a board certified prosthodontist myself, I find it of the utmost importance to educate and never berate. There are quite a few GPs in my area who do work and have a knowledge base that is excellent! I regularly attend study clubs with specialists and GPs and am always picking up pearls of wisdom from everyone regardless of whether they chose to pursue a specialty or not.


pietrodds said:
You're welcome. Best of luck. Practice for a year in the real world and you'll get what I'm saying. First rule for any new dentist, especially a specialist is to leave your ego in the ivory tower you got your degree from. It will only get in your way of success in the real world.

I actually hold prosthodontists in very high esteem because they usually practice at a very high level of care that most dentists do not nor have the patient population that can afford to practice at that level. There's only so many people in the world that can afford 30K treatment plans. If there were more I might consider doing the specialty as well. You'll get out and realize in a year or two that the majority of your CE after your training will be spent on courses that teach you how to lure in high end patients and getting them to finance their mouth over their new car rather than keeping up with changes in technology. And you'll find that you'll be competing with all the LVI and other 'institute' trained dentists that don't want to treat patients that just need one or two teeth fixed as well. That compounded with the fact that you get very few referals from GPs other than the PIAs they don't want. You have all the debt of the other specialties but without the pipeline of referals that the other specialties have at their luxury. I respect prostho though because many of the advances in restorative dentistry that we GPs benefit from are the result of prosthodontists such as gordon christensen or frank spear, etc.

On a side note, We have three young prosthos under age 40 here in my community and I know that it's a struggle to live the life that even their fellow GPs enjoy as the competition is fierce despite all the advanced training and skill. We have an older prostho here that does very well. He's in his late 40s and practiced as a GP in a high end practice for 6 years before going back for the extra degree. Also, he markets himself well and is a member at both country clubs in town despite not playing golf. When you get out you'll soon realize that it's much more about your marketing than your skill level but you have to experience private practice first before you get this concept. Many highly skilled dentists get Ped off because they fail to grasp the necessity/importance of being a likeable, friendly self-promoting dentist over actually having the skill set to practice at a high level. The average person regardless of income level doesn't care that you understand the benefit of cementing a final restoration with a resin-modified glass ionomer over a carboxylate. You're going to see your fair share of crappy dentistry pass through your office in the future and when you wonder how dentists and specialists could deliver at that level you'll hopefully come to realize that your personality is 10x's more important than your skill set. In defense of the dentist(s), sometimes the level of care is dictating by the patient's ability to cooperate with treatment so don't judge another just by what you see on a film. If you have the skills AND the personality than you'll be set but if you're lacking in one area you're better off lacking in the skills than the personality. It took me awhile to come to terms with this. I still do the best possible dentistry I can every day but I realize that connecting with patients and letting them know that you care is more important than the distal margin on #2.

Patients don't care how much you know til they know how much you care.
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Dudelove, thanks for having my back. Of course, I mean this in the most plutonic way possible!!!

Seriously, have you considered another screenname besides 'Dudelove'? Sounds like something out of the adult film industry. How about using something dental related or even 'Philadelphia' -the city of brotherly love. Man, it's just that Dudelove can be misinterpreted pretty easily if you know what I mean... or maybe you just want to make a statement about your personal life? 😀 To each his own... anyways, thanks.
 
Pierro's point would be taken (with a shovel of salt) if it were not for his hypocracy when he says............
pietrodds said:
The level of self-righteous, blantant arrogance in this post is down right alarming.
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pietrodds said:
And then launches straight into a ad hominum attack on fellow poster Prosthodontist.............

As for Prosthodontist Man, you might as well sign up for the military now so you have a place to sit your sorry a$$. Maybe you can pick on new grads teaching in some residency or something. You're in for a world of hurt when you hit the real world of private practice.

Our 3 years residency investement in terms of loss of income and tuition is repaid within the first 3-5 years I believe the Nash paper says. Now as I dont know you I will respect you as one of those dentists who doesnt just say literature is always BS...always a sure fire indicator that the person only completed four years of dental education.

You just dont get it. Especially with your point on referrals. We dont get or go after GP referrals, do you think I want to see your partials pts?No by now over 50% of my referrals are from surgical specialists, OS and perio. Ive even had some that gently talk to the GP that it would be in their best interests to slide the pt over to the specialist. But again this is rarer as in the end of the day, the surgeon will damage his referral base. No, most come from successful specialists who have pts coming to them without GP referral esp and can be informed of the added benefits of a prosthodontist. The other 50% come from other pts, the best kind of referral as they re coming with a positive experience from their friends that youre the guy to see for cosmetics, implants, reconstructions etc.
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Unfortunately Prosthoman removed his post from which he told Desert Rat 'to crawl back under the rock he came from' among other derogatory comments. This is why I say what I did. He's never seen a single case of his and yet he's bashing him for being a crappy dentist who is not a 'specialist in esthetic dentistry.' I agree with you that many specialists should refer pts away from GPs lacking the training to complete more advanced cases but do not for fear of biting the hand that feeds them.

My biggest gripe is that on this forum we have docs/primadonas that have never practiced a day in the real world flaming those who have been there and done that. Even after completing a residency, it takes a few years to really fine tune the hand skills necessary to do dentistry fast/efficient while maintain a high level of quality. Dental students have zero understanding of market segmentation in most cases. As a prosthodontist, you're selling a ferrari. It's hard for a student to understand the limitations of patients when you're selling ferrari-type dentistry. I ask you is it wrong for a dentist to offer a patient a honda accord? Many specialists come across patients who are getting used car 1979 pinto work done and getting charged for a honda accord. If I were a specialist I'd have a hell of a hard time not telling them to seek care elsewhere. That's is why I'm glad I'm not a specialist.

In regards to the Nash study, when was that done? I'd be curious if it took into account the skyrocketing cost of tuition in the last 5 years as well as the fact that interest rates on federal loans jumped from 2.5% to almost 7% recently. Also, about 4 years ago virtually all prostho programs lost their federal funding that medical residents get so now there's very little to pay them a stipend and they get charged tuition. The majority of loan interest is not tax deductable as well. When you factor in 3 years of income of a new dentist at a modest 300K, add that to the extra 40-50K of debt for a prostho tuition/expenses, and factor in compounding interest on the whole debt I find it difficult to believe that you can make up the ~450K deficit in 3-5 years. This is just my opinion though. For the sake of those who elected to pursue prostho, I hope that I am mistaken. They should be compensated according to their extra training but I feel it's very hard to find the right opportunity for a young prostho to cash in/utilize their training to the fullest. The few younger prosthos I know I don't think would find the Nash study reliable but I'm basing this off of the experience of 3 young prosthos not a large cross sectional study which I'm assuming the Nash study is.

Have a great day.
 
I haven't seen anybody on this thread mention this but Dr. Beaumer, the pros director at my school, said that the avg income of prosthodontists are padded by the small number of maxillofacial prosthodontists. So the avg prosthodontics actually don't make that much.
 
KobeInnocent said:
I haven't seen anybody on this thread mention this but Dr. Beaumer, the pros director at my school, said that the avg income of prosthodontists are padded by the small number of maxillofacial prosthodontists. So the avg prosthodontics actually don't make that much.
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I wouldn't imagine maxillofacial prosthodontists are really making that much more then there dental only counterparts.
 
KobeInnocent said:
I haven't seen anybody on this thread mention this but Dr. Beaumer, the pros director at my school, said that the avg income of prosthodontists are padded by the small number of maxillofacial prosthodontists. So the avg prosthodontics actually don't make that much.
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Hes a good guy but I think he may have been joking or motivating his max face students. He is the major max face prostho guy in the country. You dont make money off people with oro-facial cancer. The pts afflicted with this type of cancer are predominantly smokers or drinkers or both with their syngergistic effect, and from the poorer aspects of our society. This is really a sub specialty you do out of interest and personal feel good not material reward.
 
Hello all,

As a practicing maxillofacial prosthodontist, let me chime in this. Head and neck cancer is a serious disease and these patients suffer both cosmetically and funtionally. The cost of restoring these patients through prosthetic reconstruction is very high. You should look at the fee schedule and see how much a typical maxillofacial appliance can be charged to the insurance (or to a patient). You will be suprised of how much these treatments cost. So yes, you will make a fortune as a maxillofacial prosthodontist if you are lucky enough to do it full time. Most MPs work in a hosptial setting and they are on fixed salary. I had a pros professor who got all the referrals from the nearby children hospital for cleft palate appliances and when I saw how much he was making, I almost fell to the floor! You can make lots of money on max-face treatments but you need to have a steady flow of patients. DP
 
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