most lucrative specialty

[bisulfite]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

What is the most high-paying dentist specialty? Periodontics?

 

[biocmp]

you make me smile with this question

 

[54807]

What is the most high-paying dentist specialty? Periodontics?

you could try a google search just for kicks. perhaps a salary website. or even search previous SDN posts.

And no, perio is not most lucrative but no matter what you'll make enough money to live well. They all pay well in my opinion...

 

[LIer2010]

On average, Oral Surgery.

 

[ddsjymaeng]

or ....the best paying job is
combination of some specialty if u can

go to seminars and study by yourslef...

 

[DAS]

Oral and maxillofacial surgery according most sources, well over $160,000 on average.

 

[toothfairy85]

This is definitely an exception to the trend, but one of my friend's sisters-in-law is a periodontist and she makes about $700,000/yr.

 

[StudentDentist]

I'll say that the highest earning dentists would also have an MBA from UPenn or the likes of them.

that and...A students teach. C students make millions.

 

[dddsmack]

There is a thread in the dental students forum, I would give a link but I am lazy.

 

[You]

This is definitely an exception to the trend, but one of my friend's sisters-in-law is a periodontist and she makes about $700,000/yr.

What's her mal-practice insurance expense?

 

[laelialudisia]

I'll say that the highest earning dentists would also have an MBA from UPenn or the likes of them.

that and...A students teach. C students make millions.

then why do i keep hearing that you need to be in the top 10% of your class to have a shot at specializing 😕

from what i have read and heard from other dentists, specialists make around 30% more than GP's.

 

[StudentDentist]

then why do i keep hearing that you need to be in the top 10% of your class to have a shot at specializing 😕

from what i have read and heard from other dentists, specialists make around 30% more than GP's.

who said anything about specializing?

 

[armorshell]

I'll say that the highest earning dentists would also have an MBA from UPenn or the likes of them.

that and...A students teach. C students make millions.

Except an MBA curriculum mostly deals with large scale economics and big business, something almost worthless for a dentist to know.

 

[StudentDentist]

Except an MBA curriculum mostly deals with large scale economics and big business, something almost worthless for a dentist to know.

I was only inferring to the clever ways to sell your skills.

 

[jackbauer!]

then why do i keep hearing that you need to be in the top 10% of your class to have a shot at specializing 😕

from what i have read and heard from other dentists, specialists make around 30% more than GP's.

the ADA says the avg GP makes about $180k, while the avg specialist makes approx. $300k. (2003 stats)

 

[laelialudisia]

who said anything about specializing?

sorry, you didn't 😉

 

[Ething]

the ADA says the avg GP makes about $180k, while the avg specialist makes approx. $300k. (2003 stats)

And this is only what dentists are reporting. Salary.com btw is waaaay off about almost everything in healthcare. Do not look at Salary.com for a dentists salary. It is significantly higher.

 

[apaul]

that and...A students teach. C students make millions.

i think that is more applicable to law school than dental school

 

[reapply2007]

By far the most lucrative specialty is in the manufacture and distribution of controlled substances such as cocaine and designer drugs. Return on investment has multiples in the tens of thousands and quickly repaid. There is a small amount of risk involved. If you want to be a dentist I sugest you do it because you like the work.

 

[pine88]

By far the most lucrative specialty is in the manufacture and distribution of controlled substances such as cocaine and designer drugs. Return on investment has multiples in the tens of thousands and quickly repaid. There is a small amount of risk involved. If you want to be a dentist I sugest you do it because you like the work.

Can't I do both? Just think of all the dental work my little ice-heads would need.

 

[runstorm]

When someone asks a question about how much money a dentist makes why is there always someone that comes in and says "If you want to be a dentist do it because you want to, not because of the money." Maybe someone actually wants to know how much they make without it being their number 1 priority. just my 2 cents.

 

[2quik]

When someone asks a question about how much money a dentist makes why is there always someone that comes in and says "If you want to be a dentist do it because you want to, not because of the money." Maybe someone actually wants to know how much they make without it being their number 1 priority. just my 2 cents.

you make a good point. all i know is, dentists make well over the 100k mark.

 

[pine88]

you make a good point. all i know is, dentists make well over the 100k mark.

2quik do you know how hawaii dentists do compared to mainland? All the dentists I shadowed here said they get compensated only 70% of what mainland dentists get. Don't know about overall salary though.

 

[2quik]

2quik do you know how hawaii dentists do compared to mainland? All the dentists I shadowed here said they get compensated only 70% of what mainland dentists get. Don't know about overall salary though.

Im sorry, I wouldnt be able to give you an average. I do know of a couple (general) dentists making well over 250k/year. then there are those specialists in the ala moana buildings w/ their porsches😛 ..

 

[reapply2007]

According to the department of labor

Dentists, General total # in the US - 86,270 earn $60.24/hr median $64.27/hr mean $133,680 mean annual with a 1.4% standard deviation.

States with the highest concentration of dentists per capita:

State_____#_____Hourly mean wage__Annual mean wage
Utah______1,470__$65.64___________$136,530
Michigan___4,570__$67.91___________$141,240
Idaho______620____$56.35___________$117,220
Minnesota__2,610__$68.50___________$142,470

Top paying States for dentists

State_______#______Hourly mean wage_____Annual mean wage
Maine_______470_____$87.91______________$182,840
Connecticut___1,130___$80.08______________$166,570
North Carolina__2,020__$79.06______________$164,440
New Hampshire__350___$75.57______________$157,180
Ohio___________2,920_$74.34______________$154,630

If you want to see information for a specific state, here is the link
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm

 

[pine88]

According to the department of labor

Dentists, General total # in the US - 86,270 earn $60.24/hr median $64.27/hr mean $133,680 mean annual with a 1.4% standard deviation.

States with the highest concentration of dentists per capita:

State_____#_____Hourly mean wage__Annual mean wage
Utah______1,470__$65.64___________$136,530
Michigan___4,570__$67.91___________$141,240
Idaho______620____$56.35___________$117,220
Minnesota__2,610__$68.50___________$142,470

Top paying States for dentists

State_______#______Hourly mean wage_____Annual mean wage
Maine_______470_____$87.91______________$182,840
Connecticut___1,130___$80.08______________$166,570
North Carolina__2,020__$79.06______________$164,440
New Hampshire__350___$75.57______________$157,180
Ohio___________2,920_$74.34______________$154,630

If you want to see information for a specific state, here is the link
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm

Wait, that's kind of funny - weren't you just dissing on the OP for asking? 😛

Wow, the only people that make more in my state are internists and pediatricians. I'm pleasantly surprised...

 

[bisulfite]

I've heard if you graduate from the MD/DMD program at places like Case, you can be making 200K + your first year out. Is this true?

 

[reapply2007]

What do you do with MD/DMD - Oral Surg? Is it a DMD plus a huge residency afterwords? 200K sounds like quite a bit of cash for the first year out of a program.

 

[54807]

I've heard if you graduate from the MD/DMD program at places like Case, you can be making 200K + your first year out. Is this true?

Nothing you say makes sense. Do you make this stuff up? If someone is telling you these things you need to find some new advice givers.

http://dental.case.edu/dmdmd/features.htm

You will see that the program is about to start in 2007...therefore no one can tell you what you'll be making. They claim it's new/only program so you have no idea what you'll be doing. I would imagine it's oriented towards hospital dentistry. It wouldn't make much sense to by filling cavities with an MD education. I bet you'll be doing more complex cases involving total body problems. It's a neat concept though, who knows where this will take dentistry....if anywhere.

Plus, I doubt you're licensed....can't do anything without your license which requires a residency.

 

[bisulfite]

Nothing you say makes sense. Do you make this stuff up? If someone is telling you these things you need to find some new advice givers.

http://dental.case.edu/dmdmd/features.htm

You will see that the program is about to start in 2007...therefore no one can tell you what you'll be making. They claim it's new/only program so you have no idea what you'll be doing. I would imagine it's oriented towards hospital dentistry. It wouldn't make much sense to by filling cavities with an MD education. I bet you'll be doing more complex cases involving total body problems. It's a neat concept though, who knows where this will take dentistry....if anywhere.

Plus, I doubt you're licensed....can't do anything without your license which requires a residency.

Hey, no need to get angry. I admit I know very little about medicine, med school etc, I'm just trying to figure things out, ok?

 

[ddsoon]

Stats I have seen look like this:


Average GP Dentist: 140's to 170's

Average Specialist: 250's to 330's

Of course with OMFS being the highest.

However, there are GP's who make in the millions and specialists who make much less. It all depends on the person the the amount of time they put into their practice.

 

[drhobie7]

Endo blows em all outta the water. Start practicing your filing now!

 

[54807]

Endo blows em all outta the water. Start practicing your filing now!

Yeah, I've seen the patient fees....ouch. What type of overhead does endo have? It doesn't seem like the assistant is highly qualified. Doesn't take many people to run the office.

The temp. filling can't be too much either...

So, maybe 30%?? Anyone have any idea?

Although, I've seen those dynamic xray machines they use not to find the root tips (i'm assuming) or maybe to monitor the progress down the canal...those can't be cheap

Leads me to another question...does anyone have any good resources to the financial aspects of private practice? I'm talking more in depth. Not just how much do I take home in a year. Like fee structures, insurance information, tax brackets, ownership types, expenses, employee benefits, etc. Does that make sense?

I've been reading general small business books about all the behind the scenes stuff but I was hoping to find something healthcare related, and hopefully dental.

 

[premed85]

thats gross income right?

 

[PorkChop2008]

However, there are GP's who make in the millions and specialists who make much less. It all depends on the person the the amount of time they put into their practice.

This part of the post hits the nail on the head. I know roughly 10 dentists very well and each one of them makes over 400K/year NET.

GP's have a higher percentage of overhead associated with running their practices, that's why they take home less. Pedo, ortho and endo all have relatively lower overheads and the dentist takes home a larger portion of the pie. Also, this is if you own your own practice....I have no clue what you make if you work for someone else.

A GP can make close to a million net/year in today's market, however there are a mulitude of variables that come into play. Do you want to work nights, weekends, holidays etc. Do you want to run 6 chairs at once and let the quality of your work suffer while you have a never ending stream of emergencies? Or do you want to slow down and see one patient at a time and do real quality work and build a solid practice? There's no right or wrong answer, just different strokes for different folks.

 

[bruinpredent]

gotta love resurrection of year old threads 😛

 

[lateedmd]

You could be a more successful GD and make more than an oral surgeon. But the OMFS that I worked for made over 800k a year and said the orthodonts upstairs easily cleared them. They can see 12 patients at a time with their assistants and have very little insurance costs. If all you want is money, go there.

 

[sonylarkhi]

You could be a more successful GD and make more than an oral surgeon. But the OMFS that I worked for made over 800k a year and said the orthodonts upstairs easily cleared them. They can see 12 patients at a time with their assistants and have very little insurance costs. If all you want is money, go there.

Agreed....Orthodontists make a killing....they have the best lifestyle as well...Don't get me wrong...OMS make a lot too, but they normally work longer hours and pay more of a physical toll for what they do...I guess that's why ortho is the toughest specialty to get into....

 

[Meatwad]

I guess that's why ortho is the toughest specialty to get into....

Is it really? Especially in regards to endo? I've read varying opinions. I don't think there is a clear-cut hierarchy as far as difficulty.

 

[sonylarkhi]

Is it really? Especially in regards to endo? I've read varying opinions. I don't think there is a clear-cut hierarchy as far as difficulty.

I'm going based on my husband's graduating class and those that preceded him at NYU.....although endo is getting way up there....I know both programs are taking less and less students right out of dental school and are insisting on a GPR or some work experience...

 

[jbeaner]

Agreed....Orthodontists make a killing....they have the best lifestyle as well...Don't get me wrong...OMS make a lot too, but they normally work longer hours and pay more of a physical toll for what they do...I guess that's why ortho is the toughest specialty to get into....

After d school, how many additional years does it take to become an OMS?

 

[sonylarkhi]

After d school, how many additional years does it take to become an OMS?

There are two types of programs for OMS ....1. One is an additional six years after dental school which includes two years of Medical school and four years of OMS residency and getting an MD..... 2. The other is a four year residency after dental school and you don't get an MD.....

 

[jbeaner]

There are two types of programs for OMS ....1. One is an additional six years after dental school which includes two years of Medical school and four years of OMS residency and getting an MD..... 2. The other is a four year residency after dental school and you don't get an MD.....

Besides the MD distinction, are they essentially the same degree?

 

[sarah_bellum]

Besides the MD distinction, they're exactly the same degree.

 

[sonylarkhi]

Besides the MD distinction, are they essentially the same degree?

Yeah...basically....I know though that the MD's can do certain surgeries that non-MD's can't....such as harvest bone grafts from areas such as the hip....but in general they're both the same

 

[armorshell]

Yeah...basically....I know though that the MD's can do certain surgeries that non-MD's can't....such as harvest bone grafts from areas such as the hip....but in general they're both the same

Absolutely incorrect. Scope for M.D. and certificate guys is exactly the same.

 

[sonylarkhi]

Absolutely incorrect. Scope for M.D. and certificate guys is exactly the same.

Oh ok...very nicely put...but thanks nonetheless...

 

[lateedmd]

I worked for some surgeons, one had his MD and the other 2 didn't and they all made the same, all can harvest bone, and the MD one said it was a waste of time unless he ever decided to go plastics. hope it helps. His wife said it was a dumb decision to go the extra 2 years.

 

[H0pe]

cut all the salary's in half to account for taxes 😉