is it worth doing specialty?

[SNOZBERRIES]

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I know that where I currently practice (as a GP) the nearest Pediatric dentist is 62 miles away. The next closest is 90+ miles away. We don't see any children unless on an emergency basis. Although I never "directly" refer patients to any one particular Pediatric dentist, I know that nearly every kid <10 goes to one of these two people. It is rare for a dentist here to see kids. I know that the one an hour away is currently on a 4 month waiting list and the two practices 90 miles away are on a three month waiting list.

Just some things to think about. I would think that if a pediatric dentist opened next week, they would have full books as soon as the doors opened.

 

[rals]

I know that where I currently practice (as a GP) the nearest Pediatric dentist is 62 miles away. The next closest is 90+ miles away. We don't see any children unless on an emergency basis. Although I never "directly" refer patients to any one particular Pediatric dentist, I know that nearly every kid <10 goes to one of these two people. It is rare for a dentist here to see kids. I know that the one an hour away is currently on a 4 month waiting list and the two practices 90 miles away are on a three month waiting list.

Just some things to think about. I would think that if a pediatric dentist opened next week, they would have full books as soon as the doors opened.

where is this? the place I assist at now has 5 pediatric offices withing a 5 mile radius. bad for business.

 

[1992Corolla]

Every oral surgeon I know makes like 8 million a month, no referrals, no advertising. I read it on a thread on SDN about a year ago.









































































😀

 

[charlestweed]

There's a 4-6 month waiting list in many parts of the country to see a pediatric dentist.

Or, alternatively, he could enter a practice as an associate. That's an idea you seem to recommend. That's not a bad choice either for him. Most of the ads I've seen are giving salaries starting at $200-250k for a first-year graduate in his situation. Not a bad place to start, if you ask me.

Wow, all of you, pedodontists, are so lucky.

For my orthodontic practice, I have been getting a lot of patients from ads, insurances, walk-ins and word of mouth. However, my business still depends heavily on GPs' referrals in order to stay healthy. 50% of all new patients come from GPs' referrals. Every year, around Christmas time, I have to spend thousands of dollars on gifts (lunch, movie tickets, concert tickets, See candies, etc.) for my referring GPs and their office managers. My wife's periodontal office relies on GPs' referrals100%. So, Is it worth doing specialty? Heck yeah!!

 

[ItsGavinC]

Wow, all of you, pedodontists, are so lucky.

Lucky is in the eye of the beholder. It's simply the dental climate right now, and these things seem to go in waves. The fact is that there are very few dentists that can adequately treat children, but on top of that there are few dentists that treat children. Many general dentists, if they do treat children, won't see children under the age of 3. That's a lot of patients that GPs can't (or won't) see. It is what it is.

 

[jstaples]

I am a general dentist who sees kids. I routinely see kids from 2-3 hours away, because there just aren't many (any)pedos around in rural areas. I even get referrals from other general dentists who know that I enjoy seeing children.

It makes me sick to think of all the people doing pedo just for the money, but right now pedo is the golden ticket.

 

[aravind buddula]

Doing residency is worthwhile.I am doing my perio residency and i feel its worth doing.