Yes another one of these. (ramblings of a disheartened dentist, Corona edition)
I am a GD a year out of School and lost my job due to the pandemic a couple weeks ago. As I sit here watching TV and eating all the junk food in my house, I've been worrying (as many are) about finding another job, providing for my family, and paying off my debts. Even before SHTF I've started having regret for choosing dentistry, now I can't help but feel sick I did (pun). I wish I would have paid more attention to the "nay sayers" about this field. My goal with this post is not to "thin the competition" as there are way to many dentist to make a difference, but instead I want to highlight all the major challenges to being a dentist (besides debt and saturation) so you don't find yourself in my shoes 4 years down the road feeling pretty stupid you didn't see all the red flags. So without further ado, my opinion of the greatest to least challenges to dentistry. (I do not have research and stats, just observations and talking with other dentists). Drumroll please:
1) Debt. No surprise here, school cost are insane and downright criminal. My opinion is schools have abused the basically blank checks given by federal loans, because nothing more than greed. I know schools are expensive to run, but the rise in COL during the 2000s is highly suspicious. Basically know how much you will owe every month after you graduate and compare that your expected monthly income minus expenses (COL, taxes, debt, insurances, etc). If your smart enough to get into Dschool, your smart enough to understand the numbers. I don't buy all these people claiming now days they didn't realize what they were signing into, debt wise.
2) Saturation. Short and simple, there are too many dentist. IDK about the whole rural thing, but I didn't spend 8 eff'n years and $100 thousands in debt to live in some crappy town of 5000 people because desirable places are so cut throat. Realize places you want to live in are going to be a grind. If your from a small town, you have an advantage here. Schools keep opening up, classes keep expanding, throw in some foreign dentists just to be safe and bam. Supersaturation.
2.5) Ethics. I've seen some questionable tx, as have my classmates, because the pressure to make money is there. I was not willing to do tx I wouldn't do on my own family and I knew that limited my income. I worked for a private practice who had a few offices and associates. Most, if not all, of the things were not super bad, for ex. doing occlusal fillings on medicaid pts that probably didn't need to be done. And I thought my boss and coworkers were pretty honest so I can't imagine what's going on in some offices.
3) Insurance. They suck. Benefits haven't increases in decades and reimbursements are always being decreased. Only being a year out I haven't had too much experience, but I have experienced insurance deciding to not paid on work done for some stupid reason, and there isn't much you can do about it because they are such a big part of providing pts.
4) Corporations. You know the reputation. They tend to overwork and pressure for shady treatment. This model will make dentist the new optometrist and pharmacist. Nothing wrong with those jobs, I also don't think the debt is as bad tho.
5) Corona. New kid on the block. I imagine our economy will be slow for a while meaning less people will be spending at the dentist. In addition, I can see new regulations and requirements for PPE and care to protect the pt, AKA more $$$ to run an office. This one worries me the most in the short term in finding a decent job.
6) Socialized Dental. We all know medicare for all will eventually pass in our lifetime. I imagine we'll get rolled into it. If you look at europe where they have this style of healthcare, dentist don't make bank at all, its like getting a bachelors degree.
7) Dental therapist. Just another profession to take a slice out of dentistry. They will only do the basic stuff, you know, the same bread and butter procedures that most dentist rely on. More and more states are starting to pass them. I don't see them just staying in poor rural areas, they will eventually demand to work anywhere....desirable places.
8) Overhead. Everything is getting more expensive...with less dental reimbursements. CE, materials, payroll, rent, equipment, everything is super expensive and only increases, while on the other hand dentist need to rely on free whitening and coupons to get people in the door. smh.
9) physical. This job can wreck your body, specifically your neck and back, wrist too. There have been some days I come home exhausted with a sore neck and back. I know there are much more physical jobs, but don't think dentistry is a cake walk either. And now with corona, dentist are always going to be be at a higher risk for infections, its part of the game.
10) Respect. Not a challenge per se. But it get old when people treat dentist with no respect. I can not tell you how many times a parent doesn't look up from their phone while i'm examining their kid, or even the pt listening to headphones or some app while I walk in and basically I have to act cool while this jerk is taking their sweet time putting it away.
11) Stuck. One real crappy thing is once you graduate, you are locked in. Unless you had family, military, scholarship pay for school you will have a lot of debt to pay off so you can't leave the profession. I can't imagine starting over in school. Dentist don't have a lot of different career options, its basically clinical, academic, work for insurance, consult if your good. etc. with clinical paying the best and the rest dropping off real fast.
Some positives.
There is a good feeling in helping someone look or feel better. The paycheck is decent but not crazy good. Hours aren't bad. There is a little pride in obtaining the Dr. Status. Its mostly interesting work and involves art and workmanship. Of course there will be people that make bank, just like there is in every profession. But that bell curve still has 50% making less than average, and in the future that average is just going to keep decreasing.
In the end, all that really matters to me is that my gorgeous wife and beautiful daughter are healthy and happy, all my concerns/bitching would go out the window if anything were to happen to them. But if you are considering or barely starting a career in dentistry, take a min to think about the challenges. Because they are very much real and if your choosing dental for the money and lifestyle there is a high risk you will be let down.
Happy quarantining everyone!
I am a GD a year out of School and lost my job due to the pandemic a couple weeks ago. As I sit here watching TV and eating all the junk food in my house, I've been worrying (as many are) about finding another job, providing for my family, and paying off my debts. Even before SHTF I've started having regret for choosing dentistry, now I can't help but feel sick I did (pun). I wish I would have paid more attention to the "nay sayers" about this field. My goal with this post is not to "thin the competition" as there are way to many dentist to make a difference, but instead I want to highlight all the major challenges to being a dentist (besides debt and saturation) so you don't find yourself in my shoes 4 years down the road feeling pretty stupid you didn't see all the red flags. So without further ado, my opinion of the greatest to least challenges to dentistry. (I do not have research and stats, just observations and talking with other dentists). Drumroll please:
1) Debt. No surprise here, school cost are insane and downright criminal. My opinion is schools have abused the basically blank checks given by federal loans, because nothing more than greed. I know schools are expensive to run, but the rise in COL during the 2000s is highly suspicious. Basically know how much you will owe every month after you graduate and compare that your expected monthly income minus expenses (COL, taxes, debt, insurances, etc). If your smart enough to get into Dschool, your smart enough to understand the numbers. I don't buy all these people claiming now days they didn't realize what they were signing into, debt wise.
2) Saturation. Short and simple, there are too many dentist. IDK about the whole rural thing, but I didn't spend 8 eff'n years and $100 thousands in debt to live in some crappy town of 5000 people because desirable places are so cut throat. Realize places you want to live in are going to be a grind. If your from a small town, you have an advantage here. Schools keep opening up, classes keep expanding, throw in some foreign dentists just to be safe and bam. Supersaturation.
2.5) Ethics. I've seen some questionable tx, as have my classmates, because the pressure to make money is there. I was not willing to do tx I wouldn't do on my own family and I knew that limited my income. I worked for a private practice who had a few offices and associates. Most, if not all, of the things were not super bad, for ex. doing occlusal fillings on medicaid pts that probably didn't need to be done. And I thought my boss and coworkers were pretty honest so I can't imagine what's going on in some offices.
3) Insurance. They suck. Benefits haven't increases in decades and reimbursements are always being decreased. Only being a year out I haven't had too much experience, but I have experienced insurance deciding to not paid on work done for some stupid reason, and there isn't much you can do about it because they are such a big part of providing pts.
4) Corporations. You know the reputation. They tend to overwork and pressure for shady treatment. This model will make dentist the new optometrist and pharmacist. Nothing wrong with those jobs, I also don't think the debt is as bad tho.
5) Corona. New kid on the block. I imagine our economy will be slow for a while meaning less people will be spending at the dentist. In addition, I can see new regulations and requirements for PPE and care to protect the pt, AKA more $$$ to run an office. This one worries me the most in the short term in finding a decent job.
6) Socialized Dental. We all know medicare for all will eventually pass in our lifetime. I imagine we'll get rolled into it. If you look at europe where they have this style of healthcare, dentist don't make bank at all, its like getting a bachelors degree.
7) Dental therapist. Just another profession to take a slice out of dentistry. They will only do the basic stuff, you know, the same bread and butter procedures that most dentist rely on. More and more states are starting to pass them. I don't see them just staying in poor rural areas, they will eventually demand to work anywhere....desirable places.
8) Overhead. Everything is getting more expensive...with less dental reimbursements. CE, materials, payroll, rent, equipment, everything is super expensive and only increases, while on the other hand dentist need to rely on free whitening and coupons to get people in the door. smh.
9) physical. This job can wreck your body, specifically your neck and back, wrist too. There have been some days I come home exhausted with a sore neck and back. I know there are much more physical jobs, but don't think dentistry is a cake walk either. And now with corona, dentist are always going to be be at a higher risk for infections, its part of the game.
10) Respect. Not a challenge per se. But it get old when people treat dentist with no respect. I can not tell you how many times a parent doesn't look up from their phone while i'm examining their kid, or even the pt listening to headphones or some app while I walk in and basically I have to act cool while this jerk is taking their sweet time putting it away.
11) Stuck. One real crappy thing is once you graduate, you are locked in. Unless you had family, military, scholarship pay for school you will have a lot of debt to pay off so you can't leave the profession. I can't imagine starting over in school. Dentist don't have a lot of different career options, its basically clinical, academic, work for insurance, consult if your good. etc. with clinical paying the best and the rest dropping off real fast.
Some positives.
There is a good feeling in helping someone look or feel better. The paycheck is decent but not crazy good. Hours aren't bad. There is a little pride in obtaining the Dr. Status. Its mostly interesting work and involves art and workmanship. Of course there will be people that make bank, just like there is in every profession. But that bell curve still has 50% making less than average, and in the future that average is just going to keep decreasing.
In the end, all that really matters to me is that my gorgeous wife and beautiful daughter are healthy and happy, all my concerns/bitching would go out the window if anything were to happen to them. But if you are considering or barely starting a career in dentistry, take a min to think about the challenges. Because they are very much real and if your choosing dental for the money and lifestyle there is a high risk you will be let down.
Happy quarantining everyone!
