me, personally, I would do ortho. I have met 1 person in my 4 years of dentistry who had anxiety over attending their orthodontist appointment and psychologically working on terrified kids all day causing them pain ( I have met zero pediatric dentists or general dentists who treat kids who have not given a child a negative dental experience) sounds rough. You will need to have tough skin to be a pedo and exceptionally good at handling anxious patients/flooding/ be on stage and appear happy and peppy all day, everyday. I know many people who did pedo first and ran for the hills and became an orthodontist after the fact. to my knowledge the vast majority of these dual specialists practice ortho exclusively and don't look back. that should be enough to tell you what the majority of people who have done both think of the two professions. It takes a very unique person to become a pediatric dentist and I thank god everyday they exist. I, myself, would not do their job for any amount of money. that said most pediatric dentists I know make a lot of money and probably more than your average ortho. there's a study that after you make $80k a year or so and have things in your life you need more money does not make you substantially happier. don't do one over the other for money.