Pediatric Dentistry salary vs general

[galaxyandstars]

I know a general dentist in SoCal (LA specifically) is discouraged because there's a dental office practically every corner of the street (and thus they have less salary compared to out of state), but.. why do pediatric dentists still make in the 250k range in the LA area, for example (MORE than a primary care physician in the area)? What makes the speciality so lucrative? Not trying to put the speciality down, I'm actually interested, but I was a bit shocked to see how much ped dentists make...

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[jdinners92]

Most dentists dislike working with kids. It takes a very patient/special person to do dental procedures on kids. Kids move around, they don't like going to the dentist, theyre upset/anxious. Physically they have smaller mouths, so its more difficult. Also plus braces kind of make a lot of money.

 

[THS]

Most dentists dislike working with kids. It takes a very patient/special person to do dental procedures on kids.

Not to mention the parents nowadays. When I was a kid, my parents would drop me off at the pediatric dentist and come back to pick me up in an hour. Don't get me wrong, I was a good kid. Now, a kid left alone would wreck a waiting room, and if the parents decide to stay, they will be watch over your shoulder and criticize at everything you do, thinking they know what's best for their kids' teeth.

 

[M1K3AA]

Parents [good ones anyways] will pay for their kids, even if money is tight, they tend to neglect care for themselves so their kids will be taken care of. This is why ortho can be quite lucrative in the right area during the right economy. Furthermore, there is less risk of causing permanent damage since the tooth will exfoliate anyways. And as mentioned before, it takes a special kind of person to deal with kids - I'll forgo the extra money for my sanity.

 

[feeling-dizzy]

I know a general dentist in SoCal (LA specifically) is discouraged because there's a dental office practically every corner of the street (and thus they have less salary compared to out of state), but.. why do pediatric dentists still make in the 250k range in the LA area, for example (MORE than a primary care physician in the area)? What makes the speciality so lucrative? Not trying to put the speciality down, I'm actually interested, but I was a bit shocked to see how much ped dentists make...

Pediatric dentists are specialist, thus are compensated at higher rate. I worked with an oral surgeon before, and his fee are 50% higher than mine for the same surgical extraction because it is charged under specialist rate. And like other ppl said, parents would pay for their kid treatment no matter what, plus there is less pedodontist than general dentists; so you will not worry about the lack of clients/patients (yes, even in LA area)

 

[Upperbyte]

They also work in the OR on certain cases. A morning could make you thousands. This is usually done 1-2x a month.

 

[Aamiya]

Pediatric Dentists are the type of dentists who is specialized in children from birth to state of puberty. I think general dentist is getting paid high when compared to the pediatric dentist.

 

[galaxyandstars]

Pediatric Dentists are the type of dentists who is specialized in children from birth to state of puberty. I think general dentist is getting paid high when compared to the pediatric dentist.

Really, from where'd you hear? a google search tells you pediatric dentist make $220k, general in the $100k range (in the LA area). OUTSIDE of cali, the gap is more significant...

 

[7 Iron]

Pediatric Dentists are the type of dentists who is specialized in children from birth to state of puberty. I think general dentist is getting paid high when compared to the pediatric dentist.

No, most pediatric dentists make a ton, because they get a lot of referrals. Some GPs don't want to treat ANY kids, so the pediatric dentists have lots of patients. Also, the patients they do treat often have significant decay, often on every tooth. Sometimes these kids need to be placed under general anesthesia in order to manage their behavior, and the OR doesn't come cheap.

 

[Aamiya]

Agreed! Sorry for this negative feedback.

 

[DoWork91]

Can pediatric dentists do any ortho?

 

[swindoll]

The general dentist that I shadow once said that although he hates working on kids, spoiled ones in particular, he can't complain too much because the parents rarely refuse going through with the proposed treatment for their kids. They are willing to pay the full price, and on time.

 

[Silent Cool]

Can pediatric dentists do any ortho?

Yes. Ortho is part of their training, but it's simple, easy ortho.

 

[DoWork91]

Yes. Ortho is part of their training, but it's simple, easy ortho.

Wow I had no idea! Peds seems awesome then!!

 

[donnarbinkley]

Since pediatric dentists are specialist, obviously their salary will be higher.

2 weeks ago I visited a kids dentist at scarborough and what I felt is that dealing with children, especially in the case of tooth extraction or any other kind of dental treatment is really difficult. Usually children never tolerates pain and they become panic whenever the dentist attempts to start treatment. So I think pediatric dentists really deserves higher compensation than any other general dentists.

 

[jeffk805dent]

I'll have to ask around but ped dentists do make good money in LA (even when considering the cost of living in LA), I'm guessing 220k considering there are more ped dentists here than say Bakersfield.

I highly recommend you shadow extensively with a pediatric dentist before applying for a residency, there's a reason why a lot of GPs (even the super kind ones that Jesus would love to have to hang out with) refer kids to pedo dentists. And the crazy part is, the kid may not be the most difficult person to deal with in the kids' family.