Stigma against dentistry

[Aphid]

Hey everyone! So glad I found this forum.

I've been recently accepted into dental school and have noticed that many people start to treat me differently once I've told them about my plans for the future. The first thing they say to me is " oh, you didn't get into medicine?" or "why would you choose to look at teeth all day?". This really annoys me since I've had no intentions of applying to medicine! If I wanted to, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem seeing that I have a 4.0GPA and a bunch of extra circs. I love dentistry because it gives me the chance to work with my hand without spending an extra 5-7 years in gen surgery residency. It doesn't help that in Canada, the first two years of Dental school is done at medical school. So I'll be in class with 200 Med students who have huge egos. One of them actually called us "greedy med rejects" and told us that we shouldn't call ourselves "doctors" because we didn't attend med school. Some of them even go as far as describing our profession as "glorified mechanics". How do you guys deal with this, always being the butt of the joke for your medicine counterparts?

Also, alot of family friends wonder why I chose dentistry since my GPA is pretty high. Alot of them think dentistry is a community college degree!They always ask me why I don't just go into medicine instead and make 2-3 times the salary. The told me that dentists have a really hard time looking for patients and are struggling while all doctors make at least 400k a year, with some (optho) hitting the EIGHT digit mark. Also, when the economy is bad, dentists really suffer and some are forced out of business. I don't have any family members in dentistry, and didn't have the nerve to ask the dentist I shadowed about his income. Is this true? The payscale website quotes an average of 90,000 a year as far as I know. I'm not greedy, but I want to make sure I will be able to pay off my 250,000 loan once I graduate. I just don't see how that's possible with a 90,000 salary. I wonder if I should just decline my acceptance and apply to med next year.....

Also, the general public usually has a VERY bad view of dentists, often referring to them as greedy sadists. If you search online, all of the forums concerning dentists have been about people complaining how their dentist "robbed" them and did terrible work. Is it hard for you guys to put up with this everyday? How do people treat you in your practice?

Thanks guys for your advice!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Decan]

Haha...I've also heard "4 years 32 teeth, right?" For me, the first step is to not care. It seems like you're putting a lot of emphasis of what others think and say. If it makes you feel any better a lot of the MDs I've talked to say that I made a better decision by choosing dentistry. I remember going to my new physician for a checkup and when she found out I was a dental student she said something along the lines of "that's really cool...my neighbor is an orthodontist and she works 4 days a week and makes as much as I do, and I think to myself why did I go to med school?" With dentistry you get to be your own boss, live a comfortable life, but most importantly you get to do what you enjoy. As for the salary, I've been shadowing my general dentist for years so he is really open about his numbers...even with the economy the way it is his practice is doing just as well as it did before the downturn. He makes six digits a year and is thinking about opening up another practice.

Dentistry is a great profession. Don't second guess yourself...you made a great choice and don't let others get to you.

 

[NonTradHopeful]

Haha...I've also heard "4 years 32 teeth, right?" For me, the first step is to not care. It seems like you're putting a lot of emphasis of what others think and say. If it makes you feel any better a lot of the MDs I've talked to say that I made a better decision by choosing dentistry. I remember going to my new physician for a checkup and when she found out I was a dental student she said something along the lines of "that's really cool...my neighbor is an orthodontist and she works 4 days a week and makes as much as I do, and I think to myself why did I go to med school?" With dentistry you get to be your own boss, live a comfortable life, but most importantly you get to do what you enjoy. As for the salary, I've been shadowing my general dentist for years so he is really open about his numbers...even with the economy the way it is his practice is doing just as well as it did before the downturn. He makes six digits a year and is thinking about opening up another practice.

Dentistry is a great profession. Don't second guess yourself...you made a great choice and don't let others get to you.

VERY TRUE. I was at my Dermatologist the other day (which is the most cushy of all MD specialties), and even HE said it was a wiser choice for me to go into Dentistry.

Here's what you'll notice: The med students who are still in school still have that optimistic ego-driven impression of medicine. If you talk to a seasoned MD (who has actually experienced real-world practice of medicine), he'll tell you that dentistry is the way to go. These med students are in for a humbling experience once they really see what it's like to practice in the real world.

Just wait another 10 years. When you're working 4 days a week and own your own practice, and they're working 60 hours a week (plus some weekends on call), then we'll see who's laughing at whom.

As for the OP's salary question. $90,000 - $120,000 is a legitimate starting salary to expect. However, practice owners make an average of $200,000 per year...give or take. The reason the online surveys (like salary.com) show a lower amount is because they base their numbers off of statistics that are reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics...and those numbers only include residents ($45,000 per year), academic dentists ($80,000 - $120,000 per year), and associate dentists ($90,000 - $120,000 per year). It DOES NOT include practice owner salaries. Since about 90% of dentists eventually go into private practice, it's safe to say that these online salary survey numbers are not an accurate depiction of earning potential for dentists. For a more accurate idea, see the ADA practice owner salary survey.

 

[believer88]

don't give a shi*. it's your life and your choice. a dentist IS a doctor. he/she is licensed to prescribe medicines. any health care provider is a doctor. next time just tell them ' as 'doctors' you should accept the fact that each person is different and unique in their own way. value everyone for their individuality. it's what makes the world go round'.

not everyone makes the same choices in life. is it that hard to understand? :S

 

[panino]

I think it comes from people's ignorance and bad PR (sorry - it's true). I think we need to address both as a profession.

I had questions like:

"Why did you go into something so...specific? Why not something like...cardiology or OB/GYN?" By specificI think they meant, not med school. To that I said, so are cardiology and OBGYN.

"Ew. I can't imagine looking at people's mouths all day" To that I said, well at least I'm not a urologist or a OBGYN. (And what happened to, you know, helping people at difficult times? Do you really think that's all nice and pretty? Do you think you are never going to see blood and pus and god knows what?)

And because I'm a girl, I have the added pleasure of hearing

"You mean hygienist? Or are you a dentist-dentist?" (No disrespect to the RDHs out there.)

I've also had accusations of me being a sell out etc.

Be glad in knowing that it's all coming from people who don't know any better. It's not and shouldn't be a struggle between dentistry and medicine - I read that the reason for the distinction is just a historical one. Some people are in for a rude awakening when they realize they are not the egotistical world saving saints that they thought they are. Just be humble but stand firm on what you believe in.

With that said, I think we need a better public image.

p.s. Many Canadian schools don't have joint med-dent class in the preclinical years.

 

[ejendz24]

Haha...I was actually at the opthamologist the other day and he was impressed by my choice to go into dental. He said it looked like a great profession to him, and even though he tried to get his kid to go the dental route, he was currently applying to medical school.

 

[12345a]

the lay person is an idiot, they will not be nearly as educated, informed, or well off by the time that you get out of dental school...let them stay in the dark about dentistry (many physicians have told me that it's the best kept secret in the health care community) and take solace in the fact that you're doing what you want.

 

[dl9006]

.

love the pic

 

[Babnik]

I think its more of the younger people that don't realize what dentists do. I had friends that think that a dentist is the same thing as a dental hygienist and cleans teeth; this stems from not experiencing serious dental procedures.

Older people who had more contact with dental procedures understand that a dentist is a doctor.

A lot of patients of the dentist i shadowed think that dent school is the same as med school and don't make much distinction between dentist and doctor.

When someone is slicing your gums you better hope they're a doctor!

 

[jay47]

I think its more of the younger people that don't realize what dentists do. I had friends that think that a dentist is the same thing as a dental hygienist and cleans teeth; this stems from not experiencing serious dental procedures.

Older people who had more contact with dental procedures understand that a dentist is a doctor.

A lot of patients of the dentist i shadowed think that dent school is the same as med school and don't make much distinction between dentist and doctor.

When someone is slicing your gums you better hope they're a doctor!

Lol, true that. Went to a mission trip doing free dental work, and the patient was like, "So a dentist is like a doctor? They have to go to school like a doctor?" [with obvious reference to "doctor" meaning "physician"]


OP: Just let them make fun of you now, but you'll be the one with the last laugh, oh, and Fridays off.

 

[aphistis]

I had a high-school dropout as a new patient today, literally trying to argue with me about the etiology of periodontal disease.

"Oh really? Everyone in your whole family has gum disease, you say? And you think that means it must be inherited? I bet everyone in your family smokes like chimneys too, but here's the interesting thing: they don't smoke because smoking is hereditary. They smoke because they're all ******ed. See where I'm going here?"

Moral of the story? Like others have said, don't choose a career to please other people. Choose a career to please yourself. Dentistry is great.

 

[basupran]

Agree with all of the above posters- who cares? Do what makes you happy and things will fall in place. I have many friends who are dentists and they don't face the stigma you speak of. You need to find a new family/set of friends. Good luck in dental school and congrats!

 

[NonTradHopeful]

I had a high-school dropout as a new patient today, literally trying to argue with me about the etiology of periodontal disease.

"Oh really? Everyone in your whole family has gum disease, you say? And you think that means it must be inherited? I bet everyone in your family smokes like chimneys too, but here's the interesting thing: they don't smoke because smoking is hereditary. They smoke because they're all ******ed. See where I'm going here?"

Moral of the story? Like others have said, don't choose a career to please other people. Choose a career to please yourself. Dentistry is great.

 

[mike3kgt]

...even go as far as describing our profession as "glorified mechanics".

Also, the general public usually has a VERY bad view of dentists, often referring to them as greedy sadists. If you search online, all of the forums concerning dentists have been about people complaining how their dentist "robbed" them and did terrible work. Is it hard for you guys to put up with this everyday? How do people treat you in your practice?

Thanks guys for your advice!

I freggin' love being a glorified tooth-mechanic. I love being able to walk out the door at 4pm with minimal fuss or patient problems when I get home. I love my tooth-mechanic salary, how if I screw up on a tooth I just re-do it (can't do that many times with hearts or lungs etc), and I love that I can sleep in Saturdays and Sundays and not have to worry about "being on call". Not many physicians can say the same thing.

Many people do view dentists as crooks or "robbers"... it's something to deal with and unfortunately is fairly common in some practice areas. Find a nice place to practice and you will have a rewarding career, a quiet and high-income lifestyle.

I love cutting and decided 1 week before school between med/den school. I had reservations at first, but as I have been in practice for 2.5 years since school, I have never, not once, looked back and said I should've done the other route.

Good luck to you.

 

[razorback2009]

Punch their front row of teeth out, then ask them where they will go to get their mouth fixed .

Dentists are definitely doctors... in fact, in a way, they are actually (Mouth) "specialists"

You wouldn't go see a podiatrist for a hurt shoulder would you?...

 

[Slack3r]

Dentists are definitely doctors...

But if someone has a heart attack, you should still call 911.

 

[Hum]

But if someone has a heart attack, you should still call 911.

Hangover FTW

I had a high-school dropout as a new patient today, literally trying to argue with me about the etiology of periodontal disease.

"Oh really? Everyone in your whole family has gum disease, you say? And you think that means it must be inherited? I bet everyone in your family smokes like chimneys too, but here's the interesting thing: they don't smoke because smoking is hereditary. They smoke because they're all ******ed. See where I'm going here?"

Moral of the story? Like others have said, don't choose a career to please other people. Choose a career to please yourself. Dentistry is great.

Just hearing this is awesome and is something you don't hear much from the medicine side. I shadowed some Interventional Radiologists my mother works with, (who have a pretty sweet gig) and they gave me the "so...you really want to do this huh?" and their kids aren't going the medicine route.

However, my dad co-owns a dental lab, and all the dentists he does work for are happy and satisfied, and all their kids are either currently in dental school or are pre-dental. Just that alone sort of speaks for itself.

 

[DuckTeeth]

What people think of me is none of my business.

 

[pixidust]

my boss sometimes makes over a mil (he's been practicing for a long time), but lately the practice has been a bit slow due to the economy so it's back to a 6 digit salary.

 

[OralEngineer]

I can't tell you how often I get the following:
1) why would anyone want to be a dentist??
2) I hate dentists - all of them.

Like all the other posters here, I don't care, but I honestly didn't realize how strong the general population's feelings are toward dentistry until now. I'm going to do everything I can to get us on the positive side of things.

(BTW, did anyone ever tell you you should switch out those metal fillings?)

 

[Babnik]

I can't tell you how often I get the following:
1) why would anyone want to be a dentist??
2) I hate dentists - all of them.

Im guessing that the attitudes toward dentists are different in different areas of the country. I have a couple of friends that are dentists and a dentist in the family. And except for difficult unhappy patients, i have never heard them say that they were told such a thing, in fact dentistry is a very respected profession here.

 

[aphistis]

I can't tell you how often I get the following:
1) why would anyone want to be a dentist??
2) I hate dentists - all of them.

Like all the other posters here, I don't care, but I honestly didn't realize how strong the general population's feelings are toward dentistry until now. I'm going to do everything I can to get us on the positive side of things.

(BTW, did anyone ever tell you you should switch out those metal fillings?)

Yeah, I get that a lot too, usually in response to my "hello" when we first meet. Different people have different ways of handling it. My favorite is to reply with something like "That's OK, I haven't been holding my breath waiting for you to show up either."

Yes, it's impolite. The interesting thing, though, is that if you say it with a little bit of a smile, it does a great job of making the patient realize just how rude their initial greeting was, and how it probably wasn't the best way to start forging a positive relationship with me. Nobody gets angry with me, and you'd be surprised both by the number of apologies it prompts, and by how much insight the ensuing conversation generally provides into how the patient should be managed behaviorally.

Nobody respects a pushover. Certainly don't be rude about it, but if you let yourself be walked over from the beginning, you'll find yourself fighting an uphill battle when it comes to gaining patients' trust in your diagnosis and treatment planning.

 

[12345a]

^^i

this post



(jeez...didn't think it was going to be that big)

 

[12345a]

(jeez...didn't think it was going to be that big)

that's what she said!

 

[coin25]

- excluding my family, I did not get a single congratulation on my dental school admission. They only said : "oh wow, so you want to be a dentist?!"

- Whoever hates, is just jealous baby! Think about it........we are expensive and we drill their teeth. I understand their point.

I love us.

Proud DDS

 

[jvanewportnews]

Yeah, I get that a lot too, usually in response to my "hello" when we first meet. Different people have different ways of handling it. My favorite is to reply with something like "That's OK, I haven't been holding my breath waiting for you to show up either."

Yes, it's impolite. The interesting thing, though, is that if you say it with a little bit of a smile, it does a great job of making the patient realize just how rude their initial greeting was, and how it probably wasn't the best way to start forging a positive relationship with me. Nobody gets angry with me, and you'd be surprised both by the number of apologies it prompts, and by how much insight the ensuing conversation generally provides into how the patient should be managed behaviorally.

Nobody respects a pushover. Certainly don't be rude about it, but if you let yourself be walked over from the beginning, you'll find yourself fighting an uphill battle when it comes to gaining patients' trust in your diagnosis and treatment planning.

That's excellent advice I'll remember that.

Hey, 12345a, you're ruining the thread!

 

[davefan]

Hmmm... I love what I do, I'm not on call, work 4 days a week, didn't have to do a 4 year residency,make a decent living and most of all I'm happy. So yeah, dentistry to me beat the heck out of med school. Sure, like most people in dental school I'm sure I could have gotten into med school too. Honestly, I think dental school is as difficult if not more difficult to get into. It's all what you want to do and what you make of it. I know it's cliche, but at the end of the day it's what makes you happy.

 

[wildrice]

Every time some one says to me "hey you should have applied to Med school", or "why dont you want to be a doctor" i simply ask them why they're not a doctor and the conversation quickly ends.

simply put, dentistry is a great career on many levels. furthermore, if anyone thinks that self definition is based on career they are a pretty shallow individual.

 

[dentalWorks]

Hey everyone! So glad I found this forum.

I've been recently accepted into dental school and have noticed that many people start to treat me differently once I've told them about my plans for the future. The first thing they say to me is " oh, you didn't get into medicine?" or "why would you choose to look at teeth all day?". This really annoys me since I've had no intentions of applying to medicine! If I wanted to, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem seeing that I have a 4.0GPA and a bunch of extra circs. I love dentistry because it gives me the chance to work with my hand without spending an extra 5-7 years in gen surgery residency. It doesn't help that in Canada, the first two years of Dental school is done at medical school. So I'll be in class with 200 Med students who have huge egos. One of them actually called us "greedy med rejects" and told us that we shouldn't call ourselves "doctors" because we didn't attend med school. Some of them even go as far as describing our profession as "glorified mechanics". How do you guys deal with this, always being the butt of the joke for your medicine counterparts?

Also, alot of family friends wonder why I chose dentistry since my GPA is pretty high. Alot of them think dentistry is a community college degree!They always ask me why I don't just go into medicine instead and make 2-3 times the salary. The told me that dentists have a really hard time looking for patients and are struggling while all doctors make at least 400k a year, with some (optho) hitting the EIGHT digit mark. Also, when the economy is bad, dentists really suffer and some are forced out of business. I don't have any family members in dentistry, and didn't have the nerve to ask the dentist I shadowed about his income. Is this true? The payscale website quotes an average of 90,000 a year as far as I know. I'm not greedy, but I want to make sure I will be able to pay off my 250,000 loan once I graduate. I just don't see how that's possible with a 90,000 salary. I wonder if I should just decline my acceptance and apply to med next year.....

Also, the general public usually has a VERY bad view of dentists, often referring to them as greedy sadists. If you search online, all of the forums concerning dentists have been about people complaining how their dentist "robbed" them and did terrible work. Is it hard for you guys to put up with this everyday? How do people treat you in your practice?

Thanks guys for your advice!

I dunno, I've heard these few things in the past before and I haven't even been accepted to dental school yet. My way of responding is always "yep".... so when they suggest that I wasn't smart enough for med school, I always laugh with them and say "yep", that tends to shut them up pretty quickly..... I kinda like having people think that dentistry is below medicine, it gives me a chance to rub something in their face in the future after I get my dental degree and start BLING-BLING'n

I know its a little immature of me to think this way, but come on, its how you gotta deal with ignorant folks

a few of my pre-med friends, when I told them I was switching from pre-med to pre-dent, the first thing they said was "ewww, why *unapproved tone*". You can't change the way people view medicine, it is what it is, as long as YOU ARE happy with your decision what difference does it make if others don't approve.... Your gonna be a dentist one day, working less than 40 hours a week, making some serious cash flow, and a huge possibility to own your own bussiness and be your own boss.....I say these are some amazing points about this field and trust me, people WILL ENVY your life style

 

[panino]

Yeah, I get that a lot too, usually in response to my "hello" when we first meet. Different people have different ways of handling it. My favorite is to reply with something like "That's OK, I haven't been holding my breath waiting for you to show up either."

I like that. I don't think I have the guts to say it to patients yet, but I'll try it out on people outside of school.

 

[12345a]

Hey, 12345a, you're ruining the thread!

it's a public forum....settle down buddy


@ the dentists/DStudents: do your families/significant others care or ever ask about why dentistry? why not medicine?

 

[The Poet Sings]

I dunno, I've heard these few things in the past before and I haven't even been accepted to dental school yet. My way of responding is always "yep".... so when they suggest that I wasn't smart enough for med school, I always laugh with them and say "yep", that tends to shut them up pretty quickly..... I kinda like having people think that dentistry is below medicine, it gives me a chance to rub something in their face in the future after I get my dental degree and start BLING-BLING'n

I know its a little immature of me to think this way, but come on, its how you gotta deal with ignorant folks

a few of my pre-med friends, when I told them I was switching from pre-med to pre-dent, the first thing they said was "ewww, why *unapproved tone*". You can't change the way people view medicine, it is what it is, as long as YOU ARE happy with your decision what difference does it make if others don't approve.... Your gonna be a dentist one day, working less than 40 hours a week, making some serious cash flow, and a huge possibility to own your own bussiness and be your own boss.....I say these are some amazing points about this field and trust me, people WILL ENVY your life style

are you really going to put in the effort to rub it in their faces in x years when you earn your bling?

and i may be in the minority, but i love getting my teeth cleaned, getting cavities filled, and the time i got my wisdom teeth out was a blast! i find it all so relaxing, actually, being in that super reclining chair. are any procedures actually painful, and would be the reason why people don't like going to the dentist? because i was always quite numb (and never with pain afterward).

 

[Innulja]

I just let them say what ever they want. I don't go on explaining to anybody how good of a lifestyle dentistry can offer compared to many other health care professions. Let's just keep our DDS secret

 

[280040]

Let's just keep our DDS secret

Yes. I am about to finish dschool and dentistry is awesome. No bling bling from me. I'll drive my chevy into work and my wife will drop my kids off at the public school in her Honda civic.

Couldn't be happier. It really is a secret.

 

[DrReese]

Poet i agree. I actually like being in the chair. Haven't really had a bad experience and it IS kinda relaxing. I know most people don't take this view. As for the the subject of the thread, I am currently working for a life science company in technical support and when my collegues found out that I was accepted into dental school, the congratulations did not stop. The majority of the group are Ph.Ds in various fields and I feel respected. You have to keep in mind that the general public who may be less educated don't know the schooling that a dentist has to go thru. I thought it was especially funny when I went to get my taxes done and I was talking to the lady about how I wanted to be a dentist and she was trying to tell me I should go to trade school for that. I guess cause some say I look young and maybe cause i had on sneakers and a tee-shirt she thought I'd make a good dental assistant. Either way it doesn't matter! What I know about this profession so far from working as an assistant and shadowing, its a good fit for me. Don't get into denstistry if you don't feel this way. People will always have some perception about some thing. Let our success be out little secret...or maybe not if you're BLING BLINGIN'!

 

[SUSANA123]

jhgjkhgjkhgjkhg

 

[btpayne13]

Best. Thread. Ever.

 

[target]

Hi ,

I shadowed a dentist at USA,a general dentist , i was really astonished the way his patients appreciate his work , all age groups asking him and not compromising to see the other dentist .
He has really built his practice with listening ears, warmth, humor, compassion ,besides a state of the art dental clinic ,


BULLIES NEVER WIN, WHATEVER YOU DO TRY TO LOVE AND DO IT
RELAX AND take ur time analyse the pros and cons of dentist and a general surgeon and hat you really want to be
goodluck
target

 

[Onix]

I remember posting a similar msg earlier where I was venting about why is it that people think dentists have the highest suicide rate. I was furious, dentistry is the best profession in the whole world everybody.
I love this field, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Thanks,
From another proud D.D.S

 

[solstice]

I was in-between dentistry and medicine throughout undergrad. I told my Dad, who is a physician, on my 21st birthday that I decided that I'd apply to dental school. He responded with, "I know it's your birthday and I should be giving you gifts, but you have given me the biggest present of my life." Him and all of his other physician friends feel that medicine is a sinking ship, and dentistry is a superior field. When I got ignorant responses from my friends like "I thought you were smart, why dentistry?" it bothered me a little. Then I actually got into dental school, and started doing procedures and realized what a fun and challenging field I chose, and now I could care less what the ******s out there think.

You should have told them that's why you are going to be a Dentist

 

[angelnyc89]

My Orthodontist works 6 days a week and has 4 practices! He only works from 10-4. I can tell you he's really happy. He most likey brings in millions and enjoys what he does.
To the people who "hate" on dentistry, it mostly of ignorance and jealousy. I know pre-med students and their like med school is harder and blah blah blah. & I just smile and say ds is just has hard but I know I will be happy and enjoy my life while I am still young! (Nothing against MDs tho!)

 

[anishannayya]

Not one of these posts again.

:troll: