Noob questionS for PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

[Cofo]

I am sure I will get some sort of comment like "You are not even in dental school yet, get off of this forum!", but I have already researched this and I am curious if I could have some answers from my fellow SDN friends.

1. What is the difference between a general dentist and a pediatric dentist? (my guess is that it is basically that pedo's limit their patients to being children.)

2. What is the age group of kid's that Pedo's are allowed to have as patients?

3. Do pediatric dentists REALLY have a lot of patients, and can/is business ACTUALLY good?

4. How well can pediatric dentists do, money wise? Honestly, money is not the most important issue to me, but considering the extra 2 years of pedo residency....

5. Do/Can pediatric dentists make more than general dentists?

6. Do a lot of parents send there children to pedo's instead of general dentists? IS THE PATIENT LOAD MORE OR LESS THAN GENERAL DENTISTS?

Please answer as many of these as you can. I used to want to be a pediatrician, until I found out about pediatric dentistry. Thank you! Oh, and I'll go ahead and say it for you..."Cofo...what are you doing? Get off of this thread, you are nothing but a predent!"

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[gryffindor]

1) Go shadow a pediatric dentist. That should answer all of your questions.
2) Go read www.aapd.org
3) Get into dental school first.

 

[thewatchtower]

pedo ......before/after/or during the "couples" ortho residency?

you guys sure are going to make a s*** load of money!!!




seriously though, use this pre-dental time to shadow as many dentists and specialists as possible......this will really help you figure out what to pursue.

 

[Cofo]

haha, no, no, no. The example I was using about the husband and wife ortho team- that is all it was - an example, because when I was on SDN, my girlfriend came over and saw that I was on SDN, and she wanted me to ask that question, so I did not really have a choice. Sorry for being confusing. Actually, I do not know what I want to do yet. I know that I am going to be a dentist, but I am just curious what a couple of specialists are and how they work. I repeat, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO YET. That is why I am on here.

 

[Cofo]

Oh and seriously, I don't care about the money too much. I would be happy if I all I made was $125,000.00. If I am going to be obligated to work somewhere, I am going to make sure that I will be my own boss, and work the hours that I want to work, (and boss around MY hygeinists) and most importantly...have FUN at my job. You would have to be crazy if you are only doing dentistry for the money!

 

[dentalman]

First, please tell me that is not a picture of you in your avatar. If it was halloween ... it is way too good / or bad. If it was the eighties....

 

[dentalman]

I'm not sure why I am answering this. Did your girlfriend make you ask this question too?

1. What is the difference between a general dentist and a pediatric dentist? (my guess is that it is basically that pedo's limit their patients to being children.) Yes. They also may see adults with special needs (cerebral palsy, autism, developmentally delayed) that general dentists may not be trained to treat.

2. What is the age group of kid's that Pedo's are allowed to have as patients? It is age-defined. Different dentists will "graduate" their patients at different ages. The oldest I've heard is 18, but many refer at a younger age (12-16).

3. Do pediatric dentists REALLY have a lot of patients, and can/is business ACTUALLY good?
This of course, depends on the location and the saturation of dentists. In general, pediatric denistry business is good.

4. How well can pediatric dentists do, money wise? Honestly, money is not the most important issue to me, but considering the extra 2 years of pedo residency....
Look at the FAQ for averages of practice owners for the different specialties.

5. Do/Can pediatric dentists make more than general dentists?
Yes, and general dentists can/do make more money than pediatric dentists. It depends on the individual situation. A general dentist doing a high volume of expensive cosmetic cases will make a lot more money.

6. Do a lot of parents send there children to pedo's instead of general dentists? IS THE PATIENT LOAD MORE OR LESS THAN GENERAL DENTISTS?
The patient load is more than a general dentist, because the procedures are generally not as complex. It is more about behavior management. (Giving a 4 year old local anesthesia takes a special touch)

 

[capisce?]

(Giving a 4 year old local anesthesia takes a special touch)

I'd be careful, you can go to jail for that if you get caught.

 

[dentalman]

I'd be careful, you can go to jail for that if you get caught.

It also takes better wording! Ha ha.

 

[Cofo]

First, please tell me that is not a picture of you in your avatar. If it was halloween ... it is way too good / or bad. If it was the eighties....

HAHA! Surprisingly, you are only the 2nd person who has asked me. The answer is no. No, that is not me. I was googling pictures or "nerds", and that is how I got the 5th Ghostbuster. I will never be as handsome and suave as the guy in my avatar.

 

[GatorDMD]

First, please tell me that is not a picture of you in your avatar. If it was halloween ... it is way too good / or bad. If it was the eighties....