Is it worth it if I only want to do ortho?

[cupcake21]

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Hi! I'm new on here so I apologize if a similar thread already exists.
I've gotten into a great dental school in my state, but I'm not sure if it's the best decision for me to go -- i've shadowed general dentists and I don't really have any interest in being one, but I've always wanted to be an orthodontist. However, I've heard that the field of ortho is not doing well and is expected to suffer as more general dentists are starting to offer Invisalign and other procedures. I've talked to some dental students at interviews and they say it's normal for some of their classmates to hate general dentistry and only wanna specialize, but I don't know if it's smart to go into dental school only wanting to be an orthodontist?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[predentalstudent132]

Speculation is speculation and just that. With that being said, it’s not 100% that you will get into an ortho program immediately upon graduating and may need to do extra work and spend time doing that to get in. If you really really hate dentistry just keep in mind that if you do not get into an ortho program immediately upon graduating that that’s a year you’re stuck working as a dentist to pay off your loans... unless you don’t have loans

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

I mean, you could always do Ortho exclusively as a GP. You probably won't be popular with actual orthodontists, and I assume you'd make less, but if that's what you want to do..

 

[setdoc7]

Ortho is one of the more difficult specialties to get into, and the majority of them are school based, which means more tuition. I agree that dental students are a self selected group of high achievers, but the competition in dental school is fierce compared to college. Going in with the mindset of specializing is okay, but bear in mind that dental school is four long years of general dentistry, and if you are bored or do not like it, the years will pass by slowly. Going directly into an orthodontic training program from D4 may require a top 10% or better GPA, no small feat. Since ortho is not all about pre adolescents with anterior crowding, I do not see it going anywhere anytime soon.
I have had many residents over the years who have gone on to ortho. They were all at the top of their class. I have had an equal amount who wanted to do ortho, but never got in. Their grades were not as good.

 

[Medin2017]

Hi! I'm new on here so I apologize if a similar thread already exists.
I've gotten into a great dental school in my state, but I'm not sure if it's the best decision for me to go -- i've shadowed general dentists and I don't really have any interest in being one, but I've always wanted to be an orthodontist. However, I've heard that the field of ortho is not doing well and is expected to suffer as more general dentists are starting to offer Invisalign and other procedures. I've talked to some dental students at interviews and they say it's normal for some of their classmates to hate general dentistry and only wanna specialize, but I don't know if it's smart to go into dental school only wanting to be an orthodontist?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

If you don't like general dentistry, your next four years will be miserable. I was deadset on omfs when I got in, but recently am being more open to other specialties or general dentistry. I'm glad I still enjoy general dentistry things or else I'd be bored throughout dental school.

Keep an open mind or you will pigeonhole yourself and may miss out on something you may have been quite passionate about.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

What happens if you rank in the bottom quarter of the class and the rest of your application is lackluster? With your dreams of specializing dashed, then what?

It seems everyone goes to dental school with aspirations of becoming an oral surgeon or orthodontist, but then the first semester grades come out and the herd begins to thin. If you can’t see yourself as a GP, should life not turn out as you’d like, I’d definitely think twice.

Big Hoss

 

[2TH MVR]

Yeah its worth it. You can't be an ortho without being a dentist first. When I see new patients for an ortho exam .... the first thing I do is a general hard and soft tissue exam. Fmx (PAs and BWs), ceph, pano, models, etc are taken and a general assessment is done 1st BEFORE an ortho evaluation. Therefore the General Dentist in me decides if the patient is dental healthy enough for orthodontic treatment.

You can't skip over all the necessary general dentistry knowledge to do ortho.

You want to be an orthodontist? Go to dental school and embrace the knowledge necessary to be a well trained GP .... and then pursue ortho if that is your desire. Can't do one without the other.

 

[doc toothache]

After ds/residency you could well decide you like neither.

 

[deleted740991]

L O L

It's not worth it. I would not go into dentistry if you don't like GD, are 100% set on orthodontics, and wouldn't enjoy doing something other than orthodontia in your practice.

Dreams translate to goals which translate to work ethic which translate to performance, but that doesn't mean you always get what you want or even earned. I know plenty of dental students in my class who are open about wanting to do orthodontics and work incredibly hard with that in mind, but not one of them would be dissatisfied or unhappy in their life if they became a general dentist instead.

Orthodontics is incredibly brutal to get into, right up there with the likes of oral surgery. Typically, you must score top 5% in class rank, score high on the ADAT (by your years, it'll have established competitive percentiles, applicants scoring exceptional), have well-written LORs from orthodontists who believe in you from externing with them over many years, and finally, succeed in the few interviews you'll land to fit in with their faculty and staff... for 2-3 students per class per program, out of 50-100 applicants who apply (maybe more?). No easy feat by any means, and not worth the journey/money if general dentistry isn't something you'd enjoy being as an alternative.

The same thing with medicine. If you're going MD strictly to become a top-end surgeon in plastics or neuro and won't be happy being a GP or basic specialist, you shouldn't be going to medical school. There are simply way too many other careers in life that are less stressful, less time-consuming, and less financially straining than your years in dental school for you to short-sight on less being "just" a general dentist in your eyes and being unhappy. Don't do it. Save that dental school seat for someone who actually wants to be a dentist.

 

[ncide]

Ortho is the most competitive specialty to get into, more competitive than oral and facial surgery, and your line of thinking is akin to saying you just want to get into medicine for the sole goal of matching into dermatology and not wanting any other career option.

Does that sound smart? No.

 

[Rand627]

You also really have no idea what you're going to like until you do it.