Salary Question

[BU2012]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm probably going to pursue a GP dental public health route, so I'm definitely not in the field for the money. However, I was wondering if some people had some input on the question of specialist vs. GP salaries (since that is a recurring question and, it would seem, many want to specialize simply for the monetary incentive).

Do specialists earn more money based on their credentials, or b/c of the procedures they perform? Likewise, how do other factors like less saturation/competition, overhead, etc. play into it? In other words, do OMS make more b/c of the procedures they perform and the rates they are able to charge based on the procedures themselves, or the fact that b/c historically this is what an OMS charges for this, all other OMS charge comparable fees, and thus he/she can "get away with it"?

The only reason I ask is if money is a primary consideration for some people, but money is more tied to the procedure than the additional training, then wouldn't it be better to be a GP and do CE in certain fields (implants, ortho, endo, etc) than to pursue more schooling and limit oneself to a particular specialty?

I haven't really researched the issue b/c money (other than paying off my debt) is pretty much the last thing that concerns me about a career in dental medicine. And unlike physicians, where increased training yields exponentially greater responsibility (e.g. perio vs. spinal surgery), the pay disparity doesn't seem to really add up in dentistry. It would be nice to know, however, what the root explanation is for salary disparity.

 

[yellowishbluish]

mostly procedures

but it's your credentials/education that earn you those procedures

omfs folks cut giant tumors off of your face

good luck getting giant face tumor referrals if you're a general

 

[BU2012]

Yeah, I think OMS is definitely the specialty outlier. The question is more geared towards endo/perio/ortho vs. GP, as many of these procedures GP's are capable of handling, especially with CE and increases in technology.

 

[KAIN DDS]

I'm probably going to pursue a GP dental public health route, so I'm definitely not in the field for the money. However, I was wondering if some people had some input on the question of specialist vs. GP salaries (since that is a recurring question and, it would seem, many want to specialize simply for the monetary incentive).

Do specialists earn more money based on their credentials, or b/c of the procedures they perform? Likewise, how do other factors like less saturation/competition, overhead, etc. play into it? In other words, do OMS make more b/c of the procedures they perform and the rates they are able to charge based on the procedures themselves, or the fact that b/c historically this is what an OMS charges for this, all other OMS charge comparable fees, and thus he/she can "get away with it"?

The only reason I ask is if money is a primary consideration for some people, but money is more tied to the procedure than the additional training, then wouldn't it be better to be a GP and do CE in certain fields (implants, ortho, endo, etc) than to pursue more schooling and limit oneself to a particular specialty?

I haven't really researched the issue b/c money (other than paying off my debt) is pretty much the last thing that concerns me about a career in dental medicine. And unlike physicians, where increased training yields exponentially greater responsibility (e.g. perio vs. spinal surgery), the pay disparity doesn't seem to really add up in dentistry. It would be nice to know, however, what the root explanation is for salary disparity.

Do a lot more research yr along way from home toto!