Too much money??

[frozen_canadian]

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hey all,

just a visitor here from the vet forum ( I know i should be studying too). Anyway I'm kind of shocked at the money you guys are throwing around - I had no idea dentists made that much. So I just wanted to know if you think they're worth it? I mean, I'm spending the same if not more time in postsecondary education as the dental people, in a very hard program. When I get out i'll be lucky to start at $50,000, likely working upwards of 60 hours a week. Don't get me wrong, I love the program and I love what i'm doing. I will also be satisfied pulling in that kind of money for a few years while I get established. However I've heard dentists starting at $150,000 for a 40 hour week. So which is it? Are we underpaid or are you overpaid? Just curious.
Best of luck guys.

 

[Midoc]

I've heard the moon is made of cheese but that doesn't make it true. Comparing a maybe realistic, maybe lowballed salary to a maybe made up, maybe 1 in 1000 salary is just silly.

 

[ItsGavinC]

. However I've heard dentists starting at $150,000 for a 40 hour week. So which is it? Are we underpaid or are you overpaid? Just curious.
Best of luck guys.

Dentists starting at $150k for a 40-hour workweek aren't the norm. It's not impossible, but it isn't the norm. Most will be in the 90-115k range. After a couple of years, $150k on a 30 hour workweek is probably more the norm.

Your question is comparing apples to oranges, though. Our services are different, and society places different values on those services. Quite honestly, I think many dentists are underpaid. Do I think my services are (or will be) worth that much money? Absolutely and without a doubt.

 

[Sprgrover]

Dentists starting at $150k for a 40-hour workweek aren't the norm. It's not impossible, but it isn't the norm. Most will be in the 90-115k range. After a couple of years, $150k on a 30 hour workweek is probably more the norm.

Your question is comparing apples to oranges, though. Our services are different, and society places different values on those services. Quite honestly, I think many dentists are underpaid. Do I think my services are (or will be) worth that much money? Absolutely and without a doubt.

👍

 

[frozen_canadian]

$150,000 after after a couple of years working 30 hours a week = underpaid? Yeah, ok....

 

[drhobie7]

If vets start at $50K, you're underpaid. And who can live off of $150K nowadays? That barely covers my porsche, boat, mortgage, and bar tab.

 

[toofache32]

If vets start at $50K, you're underpaid. And who can live off of $150K nowadays? That barely covers my porsche, boat, mortgage, and bar tab.

I agree. Then again, I treat my 2 dogs better than my wife....and she agrees. But dogs are better because they don't mind if you pet other dogs. 😱

 

[12YearOldKid]

hey all,

just a visitor here from the vet forum ( I know i should be studying too). Anyway I'm kind of shocked at the money you guys are throwing around - I had no idea dentists made that much. So I just wanted to know if you think they're worth it? I mean, I'm spending the same if not more time in postsecondary education as the dental people, in a very hard program. When I get out i'll be lucky to start at $50,000, likely working upwards of 60 hours a week. Don't get me wrong, I love the program and I love what i'm doing. I will also be satisfied pulling in that kind of money for a few years while I get established. However I've heard dentists starting at $150,000 for a 40 hour week. So which is it? Are we underpaid or are you overpaid? Just curious.
Best of luck guys.

The extent and difficulty of your education has nothing to do with whether you are over or underpaid.

People are worth what they can convince other people to pay. Vets don't make as much as other docs because --- I know this is going to offend your sensibilities --- people don't value animals as much as they value people. People will pay $50,000 for grandma's hip but ask that same person to pay $50,000 for Fido's hip and he'll laugh in your face. I'm guessing that a vet probably gets $3-5,000 for a hip replacement. (am I close?) It's not like the surgery is any easier because its a dog and not a human, but for the vet it's a couple grand or nothing.

Dentists don't make as much as plastic surgeons and orthopods because people value other body parts more than their teeth. I would be willing to bet that orthopedic surgeons don't hear "can't you just cut it off doc?" more than once every few years. But for dentists "just pull it, doc" is a weekly to daily occurrence.

 

[ItsGavinC]

$150,000 after after a couple of years working 30 hours a week = underpaid? Yeah, ok....

You seem to have no basis for your remarks. You can't simply look at the workweek and the income and determine if somebody is underpaid or overpaid. It's the value of their skills and the services they provide.

You CAN look at that information and say that they make a lot of money, or don't make much money (although those are obviously subjective thoughts). But that's not at all what you were asking.

Like I already mentioned, and as the other poster has stated, it's about the value that society places on your services. That's where income comes into play. When you're asking whether or not a dentist is overpaid or underpaid, or when you're asking me specifically, that's when MY value placed on my services comes into play.

You asked, I answered. Just because it doesn't agree with your worldview doesn't make it wrong. It simply makes us different, which is great.

 

[Unemployed]

I agree. Then again, I treat my 2 dogs better than my wife....and she agrees. But dogs are better because they don't mind if you pet other dogs. 😱

HAHA

 

[12YearOldKid]

Also, you can't forget that you are Canadian and most of us are Americans.

Americans are inherently worth more than their tundra-dwelling counterparts. It's just a fact of nature.

And don't come back with that whiny Canuck "we're americans, too." it's just as annoying as the slighted spine crackers insisting that "chiropractors are doctors, too". We are graciously allowing you to use the unwanted portion of our continent; don't be ungrateful.

😉

 

[Mustt Mustt]

hey all,

just a visitor here from the vet forum ( I know i should be studying too). Anyway I'm kind of shocked at the money you guys are throwing around - I had no idea dentists made that much. So I just wanted to know if you think they're worth it? I mean, I'm spending the same if not more time in postsecondary education as the dental people, in a very hard program. When I get out i'll be lucky to start at $50,000, likely working upwards of 60 hours a week. Don't get me wrong, I love the program and I love what i'm doing. I will also be satisfied pulling in that kind of money for a few years while I get established. However I've heard dentists starting at $150,000 for a 40 hour week. So which is it? Are we underpaid or are you overpaid? Just curious.
Best of luck guys.

I heard baseball players make 250 Million Dollars. Do you think they are really worth that much for playing some silly game. Do you think I should be worth more becasue I spend more time going to school than those base ball players. Do you think Britney Spears is worth the amount of money she has. Do you think she is over paid. Guess what, it doesn't matter what I or you think. what matters is what your patients/customers think of how much you are worth and should get paid.

Stop worrying about what other professionals make and making up just stupid posts. Worry about how much you are worth. Don't caompare your self with other proffesionals. Just remember how much you are worth. My mechanic charged me 489$ to fix something in my car after working 3 hours on it. Labor was close to 300$. That's cloase to 100$ an hour. Do you think they are worth that much, afterall they don't have a college degree. I didn't know they made that much money. I should have been a Mechanic so I could make that kind of money.

 

[frozen_canadian]

Also, you can't forget that you are Canadian and most of us are Americans.

Americans are inherently worth more than their tundra-dwelling counterparts. It's just a fact of nature.

And don't come back with that whiny Canuck "we're americans, too." it's just as annoying as the slighted spine crackers insisting that "chiropractors are doctors, too". We are graciously allowing you to use the unwanted portion of our continent; don't be ungrateful.

😉

Geez you guys are defensive. It was just a question out of curiosity. As far as the above comment, well LOL, I don't know what to say. 🙄 There is no was I would ever live in the states, as would 99% of my canadian counterparts. Everyone knows we live in the best country in the world hands down. Maybe if more than 5% of you had passports and actually saw what else was out there you'd realize that. Do I hear insular? Do I?
Anyway I realize I'm going get flamed for that comment - its all in jest. Have fun pulling teeth guys.
Dan

 

[aphistis]

An hour and fifteen minutes from thread started to thread closed...that's impressive.