Is an orthodontics residency worth it?

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If so many general and pediatric dentists are doing Invisalign and other orthodontic treatments, is the time and money spent for an orthodontics residency worth it?

If you are truly passionate about it, do it. But watch out for some ortho programs, they will take you to the cleaners; they charge $400-500k.


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Please do some research as there have been multiple threads on this. Of course GPs and Pedos are doing some of the easier ortho treatments. Just like GPs are doing easy endos, implants, perio txs, pedo, pros, extractions, etc. etc. The difference is that years ago .... orthodontists had a virtual monopoly on ALL ortho tx.
The other issue is that based on past orthodontists revenue potentials .... there was the unfortunate proliferation of these expensive, private ortho mills. My residency was 4 residents which was about average. Now there are residencies with over 10 residents.
So like everything ..... it's all about graduating from DS and residency with the least amount of debt and then finding a non-saturated area to practice in.
 
So like everything ..... it's all about graduating from DS and residency with the least amount of debt and then finding a non-saturated area to practice in.
Planning a career in dentistry is like solving a Rubik’s Cube now. Except it will become more difficult to solve in the future.


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I don't know about professional satisfaction, but financially I don't think it's worth it to go into 400k+ in total student loan debt to be an orthodontist nowadays (or any specialty for that matter). Financially, buying a general practice with decent cashflow and growth potential sounds better.
 
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^ Financially agreed. But if you love ortho you should do it.
 
Please do some research as there have been multiple threads on this. Of course GPs and Pedos are doing some of the easier ortho treatments. Just like GPs are doing easy endos, implants, perio txs, pedo, pros, extractions, etc. etc. The difference is that years ago .... orthodontists had a virtual monopoly on ALL ortho tx.
The other issue is that based on past orthodontists revenue potentials .... there was the unfortunate proliferation of these expensive, private ortho mills. My residency was 4 residents which was about average. Now there are residencies with over 10 residents.
So like everything ..... it's all about graduating from DS and residency with the least amount of debt and then finding a non-saturated area to practice in.
Can I ask where you went to Ortho Residency? I believe I saw in a previous thread that you did a hospital based program?
 
As a GP, I have been doing bracket and wire Ortho for over 8 years....it was a really big part of my practice. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't want to do an Ortho residency even if they offered it for free.

Thing is....patient perception. They are the ones paying. No one is paying for 5K comprehensive ortho cases....they dont have the credit nor the patience to do a 2+ yr treatment. At least in heavily populated areas, if you go to Bumfuk, Idaho then forget everything I just said.
 
As a GP, I have been doing bracket and wire Ortho for over 8 years....it was a really big part of my practice. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't want to do an Ortho residency even if they offered it for free.

Thing is....patient perception. They are the ones paying. No one is paying for 5K comprehensive ortho cases....they dont have the credit nor the patience to do a 2+ yr treatment. At least in heavily populated areas, if you go to Bumfuk, Idaho then forget everything I just said.
What do you mean "patient perception"?
 
As a GP, I have been doing bracket and wire Ortho for over 8 years....it was a really big part of my practice. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't want to do an Ortho residency even if they offered it for free.

Thing is....patient perception. They are the ones paying. No one is paying for 5K comprehensive ortho cases....they dont have the credit nor the patience to do a 2+ yr treatment. At least in heavily populated areas, if you go to Bumfuk, Idaho then forget everything I just said.
You are right, not a lot of people can afford to pay $5k (or 200+ a month for 24 month) for ortho tx. Many of my patients, who are living paycheck to paycheck, can only afford cheaper treatments like $200 down and $110-150 monthly payments. Try to keep things simple and the overhead low. You don’t need a CBCT, 3000+ sf office, $20 self-ligating brackets, overpaid $30-35/hour office manager etc in order to produce great clinical results. In ortho, good tx plan is what dictates the final tx outcome. It’s the painter and not the paintbrush.
 
You are right, not a lot of people can afford to pay $5k (or 200+ a month for 24 month) for ortho tx. Many of my patients, who are living paycheck to paycheck, can only afford cheaper treatments like $200 down and $110-150 monthly payments. Try to keep things simple and the overhead low. You don’t need a CBCT, 3000+ sf office, $20 self-ligating brackets, overpaid $30-35/hour office manager etc in order to produce great clinical results. In ortho, good tx plan is what dictates the final tx outcome. It’s the painter and not the paintbrush.

Love what you posted
 
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