Why are doctors more respected than dentists?

[diene]

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I can't sleep and I need something to rant about aside from the DAT. I have noticed that whenever I say I want to be a dentist, the first thing a lot of people ask is "wow, do you really want to look into peoples' mouths all day long?" something along those lines or they state the fact that they hate dentists for whatever reason. I clearly don't ask for their opinion or approval, but they provide it anyways. When someone mentions that they want to be a doctor, it's more of a "oh wow" and no one questions asked about anything. I bet even if you say a Urologist (not to put them down in any way because they do great things), no one will question why they want to look peoples' bladders all day long.

I love teeth and I WANT to be a dentist..no doubt about that! I just want to see if you guys have experienced this and what your thoughts/opinions are about this =)

 

[Hidden]

Oh who hasn't experienced that is my question. I usually get asked, "did you know that dentists have the highest rate of suicide?!" and my response is "ACTUALLY, did you know that food batch makers have a higher rate you ignorant fool!"

In actuality, I believe the public as a general has the conception of dentists being evil and pulling out all their teeth just for money and fun, when in reality it's because they haven't flossed ever and brush their teeth once a week. "Oh and all dentists do is "inflict pain" so I hate visiting dental offices."

On the other hand, "I twisted my ankle and already in a bunch of pain heading to a doctor's office. The doctor is suppose to make me feel all better right away with drugs and magic!" I'm telling you, it's some random person back in the early days of movies and television that decided "hey let's make this movie/episode about dentists, I hate them for giving me a root canal!"

 

[Troyvdg]

Oh who hasn't experienced that is my question. I usually get asked, "did you know that dentists have the highest rate of suicide?!" and my response is "ACTUALLY, did you know that food batch makers have a higher rate you ignorant fool!"

In actuality, I believe the public as a general has the conception of dentists being evil and pulling out all their teeth just for money and fun, when in reality it's because they haven't flossed ever and brush their teeth once a week. "Oh and all dentists do is "inflict pain" so I hate visiting dental offices."

On the other hand, "I twisted my ankle and already in a bunch of pain heading to a doctor's office. The doctor is suppose to make me feel all better right away with drugs and magic!" I'm telling you, it's some random person back in the early days of movies and television that decided "hey let's make this movie/episode about dentists, I hate them for giving me a root canal!"

wait, what?....we can't pull out teeth for fun?

i think i need a career change then

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

I'm telling you, it's some random person back in the early days of movies and television that decided "hey let's make this movie/episode about dentists, I hate them for giving me a root canal!"

For the longest time, my only exposure to dentistry was this movie..

Had nightmares as a kid.

[YOUTUBE]gThYbmxQgnE[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Double Bonded]

Why are doctors more respected than dentists?

Because doctors save lives. Dentists do not.


I personally am not crazy about teeth but I want to be realistic. I want a stable career where I can go to and come home at the same time every day. The pay of a physician and the pay of a dentist are similar enough that you can look at other components of each career.

I shadowed many physicians as a pre-med and I saw that what they did was really cool. But a consistent theme among the physicians was...they weren't happy. All of them were sleep deprived because call apparently is really lucrative, most were looking toward retirement, and they were all working 50+ hours.
All the dentists I shadowed on the other hand were happy, didn't work Fridays, loved interacting with their patients, and got to choose who they surrounded themselves with.

So I began to ask myself...why would I want to go into a career where I essentially work harder for the same amount of pay?


PS Being insecure about dentistry as a career choice compared to medicine is super annoying for some reason. 😀
If some pre-dents, dental students, and dentists would stop acting like pre-meds, medical students, and physicians are the "enemy" then the jokes about dentistry would be pretty meaningless.

 

[reely989]

Because doctors save lives. Dentists do not.


I personally am not crazy about teeth but I want to be realistic. I want a stable career where I can go to and come home at the same time every day. The pay of a physician and the pay of a dentist are similar enough that you can look at other components of each career.

I shadowed many physicians as a pre-med and I saw that what they did was really cool. But a consistent theme among the physicians was...they weren't happy. All of them were sleep deprived because call apparently is really lucrative, most were looking toward retirement, and they were all working 50+ hours.
All the dentists I shadowed on the other hand were happy, didn't work Fridays, loved interacting with their patients, and got to choose who they surrounded themselves with.

So I began to ask myself...why would I want to go into a career where I essentially work harder for the same amount of pay?


PS Being insecure about dentistry as a career choice compared to medicine is super annoying for some reason. 😀
If some pre-dents, dental students, and dentists would stop acting like pre-meds, medical students, and physicians are the "enemy" then the jokes about dentistry would be pretty meaningless.

This sums it up perfectly. If it bothers you that much, switch to pre-med. Doctors earn more respect than dentists. I'm not saying dentists don't provide an important service, but there is a huge difference. Doctors not only save lives, but they generally sacrifice much more of their time and ability to have a "normal" life. Which is exactly why I decided to pursue dentistry instead.

As far as looking into people's mouths, it honestly is pretty disgusting to think about for a lot of people. This in addition to the dentist office being a despised place for a lot of people leads to some misconceptions about the career. I mean, can you honestly say you love going to the dentist? Especially for the longer procedures that eat into your day.

As mentioned above, I'm in no way in love with teeth, but dentistry provides an excellent career that is challenging, and flexible.

And besides, is it really that big a deal? If you can get into a dental school, chances are you could have gotten into a medical school.

 

[BerrF12]

Because doctors save lives. Dentists do not.


I personally am not crazy about teeth but I want to be realistic. I want a stable career where I can go to and come home at the same time every day. The pay of a physician and the pay of a dentist are similar enough that you can look at other components of each career.

I shadowed many physicians as a pre-med and I saw that what they did was really cool. But a consistent theme among the physicians was...they weren't happy. All of them were sleep deprived because call apparently is really lucrative, most were looking toward retirement, and they were all working 50+ hours.
All the dentists I shadowed on the other hand were happy, didn't work Fridays, loved interacting with their patients, and got to choose who they surrounded themselves with.

So I began to ask myself...why would I want to go into a career where I essentially work harder for the same amount of pay?


PS Being insecure about dentistry as a career choice compared to medicine is super annoying for some reason. 😀
If some pre-dents, dental students, and dentists would stop acting like pre-meds, medical students, and physicians are the "enemy" then the jokes about dentistry would be pretty meaningless.

This is upsetting because there are people who are so dedicated and passionate about dentistry and those aren't always the ones getting into school. Yet we will all be surrounded by people who chose the career because it was "practical" and did a great job of bull****ting their "passion" on applications, interviews, etc.

 

[chippy]

Yeah we have to look in peoples mouths all day, but every doctor and every med student at some point will have to do a rectal exam. I'd say we got the good end of the deal.

Also, we may not save lives, but as dentists we don't have the potential to kill anyone either.

 

[Plaque Buster3]

This is upsetting because there are people who are so dedicated and passionate about dentistry and those aren't always the ones getting into school. Yet we will all be surrounded by people who chose the career because it was "practical" and did a great job of bull****ting their "passion" on applications, interviews, etc.

Well said, if you are just seeking an occupation for its life style. Then you should consider a change of career. Anyways, have you ever thought to yourself why the dentists you shadowed are so happy, maybe because they have actually shown an appreciation and passion for dentistry. Do yourself a favor and choose a career, mainly on what you'll be doing all day in that job. Not whether you'll come home to your family early or make a very high salary, or drive a porsche. If you don't have a serious 'love' for the arts of dental manual dexterity, then you are making a massive detrimental decision, when you start dental school.

 

[wired202808]

Well said, if you are just seeking an occupation for its life style. Then you should consider a change of career. Anyways, have you ever thought to yourself why the dentists you shadowed are so happy, maybe because they have actually shown an appreciation and passion for dentistry. Do yourself a favor and choose a career, mainly on what you'll be doing all day in that job. Not whether you'll come home to your family early or make a very high salary, or drive a porsche. If you don't have a serious 'love' for the arts of dental manual dexterity, then you are making a massive detrimental decision, when you start dental school.

no offense i dont see any passion in looking in someones mouth all day. thats not passion, thats called a job. I think the passion comes from making people feel better and know that you've contributed a positive service to someones live. you took away their pain and made them feel good again. but lets be realistic you didnt quite get thrilled out of your pants when you saw how messed up their mouth is. and if you were such a artsy fartsy manual dexterity lover you would have gone into sculpting

 

[Plaque Buster3]

no offense i dont see any passion in looking in someones mouth all day. thats not passion, thats called a job. I think the passion comes from making people feel better and know that you've contributed a positive service to someones live. you took away their pain and made them feel good again. but lets be realistic you didnt quite get thrilled out of your pants when you saw how messed up their mouth is. and if you were such a artsy fartsy manual dexterity lover you would have gone into sculpting

I also agree with you, but you can also become a physician and physically help people out. Bottom line is, if you want to go into dentistry you have a passion for helping people through their oral problems by using art and science. And whats the problem with sculpting man lol, you gotta know how to sculpt up crowns in wax in ds. How are you supposed to establish yourself as a clinician, if you can't give your patients great work. 👍

 

[wired202808]

I also agree with you, but you can also become a physician and physically help people out. Bottom line is, if you want to go into dentistry you have a passion for helping people through their oral problems by using art and science. And whats the problem with sculpting man lol, you gotta know how to sculpt up crowns in wax in ds. How are you supposed to establish yourself as a clinician, if you can't give your patients great work. 👍

agree on your post, but your missing the point. I think most dentists enjoy their environment and the benefits derived from being a dentist. Im sure there is work satisfaction from the actual procedures, but most people would not go into dentistry if it paid $50K a year. Thats the true test for passion; meanwhile most sculptors and artists live a broke life because they do enjoy their work that much. So in dentistry I think its a combination between the art and science, environment, and the overall paycheck.

 

[Plaque Buster3]

agree on your post, but your missing the point. I think most dentists enjoy their environment and the benefits derived from being a dentist. Im sure there is work satisfaction from the actual procedures, but most people would not go into dentistry if it paid $50K a year. Thats the true test for passion; meanwhile most sculptors and artists live a broke life because they do enjoy their work that much. So in dentistry I think its a combination between the art and science, environment, and the overall paycheck.

Hey I wouldn't go into dentistry if it paid 50K, lmao who would go through all that schooling for anything less than 100k. But my point is $$$ shouldn't be your only incentive into going into the profession. And I can guarantee, that if someone tells an admission counselor that they want to pursue dentistry only for the lifestyle...no way in HELL will they accept them.

 

[Double Bonded]

This is upsetting because there are people who are so dedicated and passionate about dentistry and those aren't always the ones getting into school. Yet we will all be surrounded by people who chose the career because it was "practical" and did a great job of bull****ting their "passion" on applications, interviews, etc.

I apologize if my post upset you, it wasn't my intent.

I never said that I'm not dedicated to dentistry, just that it offers a more reasonable lifestyle than medicine and that my main motivation to peruse this career is to have a career. I hope to find dentistry extremely interesting and rewarding but because no one on this thread has ever actually been a dentist before, it would be bad to speculate what does and doesn't make a good dentist.

And I don't think that the truly dedicated and passionate people are denied admission to dental school. If their dedication and motivation has translated into good grades and DAT scores, they should have no problem getting into dental school and perusing their career.

 

[BerrF12]

I apologize if my post upset you, it wasn't my intent.

I never said that I'm not dedicated to dentistry, just that it offers a more reasonable lifestyle than medicine and that my main motivation to peruse this career is to have a career. I hope to find dentistry extremely interesting and rewarding but because no one on this thread has ever actually been a dentist before, it would be bad to speculate what does and doesn't make a good dentist.

And I don't think that the truly dedicated and passionate people are denied admission to dental school. If their dedication and motivation has translated into good grades and DAT scores, they should have no problem getting into dental school and perusing their career.

I understand your reasonings and I respect that we all have our own reasons for deciding on dental school. Let's hope we all get in!

And I can't deny that I haven't joked with my pre-med friends about why dentistry is better--only after they tried to make it seem like medicine was better of course! 😛

 

[wired202808]

Hey I wouldn't go into dentistry if it paid 50K, lmao who would go through all that schooling for anything less than 100k. But my point is $$$ shouldn't be your only incentive into going into the profession. And I can guarantee, that if someone tells an admission counselor that they want to pursue dentistry only for the lifestyle...no way in HELL will they accept them.

again ur stating the obvious facts that I agree with. all im saying is that passion doesn't come w/o a slice of the salary pie... it never does... so im not a fan of idealist who make says its 90% passion and 10% salary... when its usually 50/50 or skewed more in favor of salary.

 

[spoog74]

I understand your reasonings and I respect that we all have our own reasons for deciding on dental school. Let's hope we all get in!

And I can't deny that I haven't joked with my pre-med friends about why dentistry is better--only after they tried to make it seem like medicine was better of course! 😛

it really amazes me that including my self, there are tons of people out there who have this true passion for dentistry. This puts me at ease just a bit, from what i have seen recently.

 

[reely989]

it really amazes me that including my self, there are tons of people out there who have this true passion for dentistry. This puts me at ease just a bit, from what i have seen recently.

I see the word passion being thrown around a lot in this thread. I wish someone would give me their interpretation of this. I doubt many people go into dentistry because they love teeth to a passionate extent.

Personally, I love the opportunity to help people, I love the fact that I will receive a very solid scientific education, I love the hands on nature of the profession, and I love the flexible lifestyle. I don't want to do dentistry because I think teeth are the most fascinating object on the planet.

 

[Plaque Buster3]

again ur stating the obvious facts that I agree with. all im saying is that passion doesn't come w/o a slice of the salary pie... it never does... so im not a fan of idealist who make says its 90% passion and 10% salary... when its usually 50/50 or skewed more in favor of salary.

wired, do you plan on specializing?

 

[wired202808]

wired, do you plan on specializing?

not sure yet. all i know is that I like dentistry as a profession, but I doubt ill ever be as passionate about it as Jacquess Cousteau was about the oceans. 😀

 

[wired202808]

I see the word passion being thrown around a lot in this thread. I wish someone would give me their interpretation of this. I doubt many people go into dentistry because they love teeth to a passionate extent.

Personally, I love the opportunity to help people, I love the fact that I will receive a very solid scientific education, I love the hands on nature of the profession, and I love the flexible lifestyle. I don't want to do dentistry because I think teeth are the most fascinating object on the planet.

+1 to a genuine response

 

[Bereno]

+1 to a genuine response

couldn't agree more

 

[chippy]

I can't say for myself (yet), but I do think that people can be passionate about teeth and dentistry. My parents are both dentists and I can legitimately tell you that my dad LOVES rippin out teeth. He comes home and tells me all about it, he's so excited. And not just rippin teeth, he'll be so in love with a bridge he just put in or an ortho case with such perfect results that he can't keep it inside. The guy LOVES teeth and LOVES what he's doing. That's passion.

 

[yappy]

Aye, dont worry about why other people are going into dentistry.

If they're a crappy dentist no one will want to see them and they'll go away.

Doctors are more respected because of the systemic healing they do (in general). The public understands and respects that bad organ health leads to systemic problems and then death. I dont think they see this connection with dentistry.

 

[UBCStudent128]

In all honesty, medicine would be more of a passion to me than dentistry, in terms of helping others out and saving lives,etc. However they are both primary health care physicians and I get to help general populous either way, and dentist seem to have much better lifestyle.

I also hate it when people say "you should find a different career if money was your primary inspiration, go into banking"

You shouldn't go into a career purely because of financial aspect of it but it surely should be on top of your list IMO. It doesn't mean I'll be less of a dentist than someone who is passionate and loves looking at teeth 24/7.

I'm a pre-dent because of it's lifestyle, and that surely includes its stable high income and autonomy. Satisfaction of helping someone out is obviously there too...

 

[The Explorer]

I see the word passion being thrown around a lot in this thread. I wish someone would give me their interpretation of this. I doubt many people go into dentistry because they love teeth to a passionate extent.

Personally, I love the opportunity to help people, I love the fact that I will receive a very solid scientific education, I love the hands on nature of the profession, and I love the flexible lifestyle. I don't want to do dentistry because I think teeth are the most fascinating object on the planet.

I like to think that I'm "passionate" about dentistry. But saying someone who would go into it because they really do love teeth to such an extent is just absurd. Its like saying, doctors went to med school because they are passionate about bodies. The profession appealed to them and likewise, it appealed to us, right?

Anyways, its that fact that dentistry has an artistic component to it (I plan to be an orthodontist, btw). I can make something that is not visually appealing, like crooked teeth, into something that is. There is a physical product that I can see at the end of the procedures.

I have never targeted med school, I always knew I was going to go into dentistry. Being able to use my hands daily in a surgical aspect is also something I look forward to. A physician's daily task seem to pale in comparison, imo.

Beautiful teeth is something everyone can see when you smile; bad breath is something people around you tend to notice. I'm passionate in trying to bring the importance of proper oral care in my patients in the future.

 

[noles]

This is upsetting because there are people who are so dedicated and passionate about dentistry and those aren't always the ones getting into school. Yet we will all be surrounded by people who chose the career because it was "practical" and did a great job of bull****ting their "passion" on applications, interviews, etc.

umad?

 

[reely989]

I can't say for myself (yet), but I do think that people can be passionate about teeth and dentistry. My parents are both dentists and I can legitimately tell you that my dad LOVES rippin out teeth. He comes home and tells me all about it, he's so excited. And not just rippin teeth, he'll be so in love with a bridge he just put in or an ortho case with such perfect results that he can't keep it inside. The guy LOVES teeth and LOVES what he's doing. That's passion.

That's great, and I'm not discounting anyone who does. I hope that I have that attitude about the profession once I become a dentist. But right now, as pre-dents, it is a very hard sell in my mind to pre-maturely claim to be "passionate" about the profession (not you specifically, but generally). It's a great profession, we've all shadowed it and seen what it's about, and there are obviously a number of reasons we have all pursued the career, but until we start seeing patients and working on teeth, I don't think we can be "passionate" about it. It is similar to being "passionate" about playing guitar without ever having played the instrument.

 

[beeho]

One of the major reasons to our profession being less respected is due to the media. Answer this: how many tv shows are based on physicians? Now how many are based on the dental profession?

A lot of the perception is based on the ignorance of those who are not in the profession. So I have long ago given up this insecurity of DDS/DMD vs Dr. Unless you start a major ad campaign then you're going to see it throughout your career. Better get used to it.

Speaking of ignorance: there are misunderstandings among some predents in this thread, though, it's understandable.

1) Dentist are doctors. I dare you to say dentists are not so during an admissions interview. Then please tell me of their reaction. 🙂

The correct comparison is a dentist vs a physician.

2) "Also, we may not save lives, but as dentists we don't have the potential to kill anyone either."

Actually, yes, you can save lives as a dentist. For example, we're trained to provide exams to detect and screen for oral cancers. If you find the cancer soon enough, then you've saved your patient. If you miss the cancer, then you've killed your patient.

More commonly we improve the lives of our patients whether it be through treating esthetics, pain, disease or any of those in combination. Also, not everything a physician does is about life and death. Rather, other services are to improve the lives of their patients.

Furthermore, dentists do have the potential to harm and even kill patients. Inhaling foreign objects, misdiagnosis, allergic reactions, over anesthetizing, and causing endocarditis are all examples.

 

[wired202808]

That's great, and I'm not discounting anyone who does. I hope that I have that attitude about the profession once I become a dentist. But right now, as pre-dents, it is a very hard sell in my mind to pre-maturely claim to be "passionate" about the profession (not you specifically, but generally). It's a great profession, we've all shadowed it and seen what it's about, and there are obviously a number of reasons we have all pursued the career, but until we start seeing patients and working on teeth, I don't think we can be "passionate" about it. It is similar to being "passionate" about playing guitar without ever having played the instrument.

Agreed! passion is awesome! but it will never pay the bills nor would it funnel tons and tons of applications into dentistry if the starting salary was 50K

 

[dentalWorks]

I can't sleep and I need something to rant about aside from the DAT. I have noticed that whenever I say I want to be a dentist, the first thing a lot of people ask is "wow, do you really want to look into peoples' mouths all day long?" something along those lines or they state the fact that they hate dentists for whatever reason. I clearly don't ask for their opinion or approval, but they provide it anyways. When someone mentions that they want to be a doctor, it's more of a "oh wow" and no one questions asked about anything. I bet even if you say a Urologist (not to put them down in any way because they do great things), no one will question why they want to look peoples' bladders all day long.

I love teeth and I WANT to be a dentist..no doubt about that! I just want to see if you guys have experienced this and what your thoughts/opinions are about this =)

I wouldn't ask "more respected".... because....both are respected professions.

The title should be changed to "Why is being a Physician more prestigious than a dentist"..... There is no correct answer for this.... "prestige" is one's perception. Some people find it prestige to be able to call urself a "doctor", claim they went to medical school, and followed it by a long 5+ year of residency and now they do surgeries to save lives. I dunno about you, but that DOES sound more prestigious than a root-canal treatment lol.

For me, prestige = # of years in education + amount of work hours per week
For primary care:
As a dentist, 4 years of dental school then I work 40 (or less) hrs per week and make a comfortable living
As a physical, I need 4 years of Med school + 3-4 residency, then I have to work more than 40 hrs per week (be on call), and yes still make a comfortable living.

I dunno about you, but for primary care, I'd go with dentistry anytime. I would love to one day brag about how I work 4 days a week, about 35 hrs, and still maintain about 150k year income while being my own boss.

 

[journeybegins]

Every health profession has its pros and cons.

I think some people have misconceptions about dentists. I sure did before I knew anything about dentistry or before I knew that I wanted a dentist so badly.

I've found that one of the more effective ways that I've dealt with people's response when I tell them about why I want to pursue dental school is to educate them a bit about what the field has to offer and why it would be a good fit for me. Some people can't get over first impressions of dentists. But if you enlighten them, it could help out a bit =)

 

[herkulease]

One of the major reasons to our profession being less respected is due to the media. Answer this: how many tv shows are based on physicians? Now how many are based on the dental profession?

A lot of the perception is based on the ignorance of those who are not in the profession. So I have long ago given up this insecurity of DDS/DMD vs Dr. Unless you start a major ad campaign then you're going to see it throughout your career. Better get used to it.

Speaking of ignorance: there are misunderstandings among some predents in this thread, though, it's understandable.

1) Dentist are doctors. I dare you to say dentists are not so during an admissions interview. Then please tell me of their reaction. 🙂

The correct comparison is a dentist vs a physician.

2) "Also, we may not save lives, but as dentists we don't have the potential to kill anyone either."

Actually, yes, you can save lives as a dentist. For example, we're trained to provide exams to detect and screen for oral cancers. If you find the cancer soon enough, then you've saved your patient. If you miss the cancer, then you've killed your patient.

More commonly we improve the lives of our patients whether it be through treating esthetics, pain, disease or any of those in combination. Also, not everything a physician does is about life and death. Rather, other services are to improve the lives of their patients.

Furthermore, dentists do have the potential to harm and even kill patients. Inhaling foreign objects, misdiagnosis, allergic reactions, over anesthetizing, and causing endocarditis are all examples.

Uhh the media at least entertainment media doesn't really care for careers of characters. they care for being able to produce stories to make money. Ignoring other factors that goes into a successful show. Doctor shows are easier to write as the job allows them to come up with more material. this happens with other professions too. Police shows are more prevalent than firefighter shows for example.

Take the show House. Can you honestly make it about dentistry? How many nutty cases can you up with for a dentist show? You're gonna run out of material and the show is going to be heavily revolving around their personal lives and it really just some random show who's character happens to be a dentist. In that case there are dozen of characters who are dentist. Jennifer Aniston will be playing dentist in the movie horrible bosses. ricky gervais played a dentist that saw dead people a few years back. there was a movie titled the secret lives of dentist. there's even the show glen martin, dds. its completely centered around the title character.

Yes, dentist are doctors. But for the majority of the population when they say/think doctor they refer medical doctor/physician. Not dentist, psychiatrist, etc. I bet even you do it. Do you say you're going to go see the doctor when you're sick or do you say I'm going to go see the physician? Blame elementary/grade school for this.

Anyhow for the OP, my advice to you to let people's misconceptions go in one ear and out the other. There's no need to get all worked up.

If you want you can even have fun with it. Suicide talk? Agree with them. Who wants to go slow and painful. Quick and splat is where its at.

I do it all the time when I get nutty bible thumping people who don't give up and keep bothering me.

 

[rockclock]

why all the insecurity over "not being a doctor" anyway...? lawyers technically have a doctorate (Juris Doctorate)--no one calls them "doctors". pharmacists technically have a doctorate (Doctorate of Pharmacy)--no one calls them "doctors"... I could go on but you get the point.

I've yet to meet a lawyer (granted I don't know many but a few of my friends parents are lawyers and we have one in the family) that bi+ches about not being called "doctor"...I fail to see how it matters in any way. If you're insecure and inadequate, no degree or title or position is going to fix that for you. Be comfortable in your own skin and in how you make a living (and if you're not, learn to be)...all this other crap doesn't even matter. Going around with an inferiority complex is no way to live life.

 

[CougarDental]

In all honesty, medicine would be more of a passion to me than dentistry, in terms of helping others out and saving lives,etc. However they are both primary health care physicians and I get to help general populous either way, and dentist seem to have much better lifestyle.

I also hate it when people say "you should find a different career if money was your primary inspiration, go into banking"

You shouldn't go into a career purely because of financial aspect of it but it surely should be on top of your list IMO. It doesn't mean I'll be less of a dentist than someone who is passionate and loves looking at teeth 24/7.

I'm a pre-dent because of it's lifestyle, and that surely includes its stable high income and autonomy. Satisfaction of helping someone out is obviously there too...

Don't get me wrong, I want to make over 130K a year and have the fulfillment of helping people. With that said, anyone who is going into dentistry for the money is absolutely insane. Going to school for an extra four years only to go $200,000+ in debt, then buying a practice, and paying it off for the next 10 years doesn't sound like the best money-making scheme to me.

 

[wired202808]

Don't get me wrong, I want to make over 130K a year and have the fulfillment of helping people. With that said, anyone who is going into dentistry for the money is absolutely insane. Going to school for an extra four years only to go $200,000+ in debt, then buying a practice, and paying it off for the next 10 years doesn't sound like the best money-making scheme to me.

its not a scheme, its called an investment. you can make more as an accountant or an IT person... but those jobs are boring as hell and have 0 room for any flexibility. It just depends on the personality. I'd rather make 100K while setting my own hours vs. working for the man and dealing with the usual corporate garbage that I had to endure for 6 years.

 

[KrimsonKitsu]

I think it all comes down to the perception vs. reality. Doctors have always been portrayed as noble men and women who go above and beyond to solve the case (thank you Dr. House ><) where as dentists are portrayed either as sadists or as med-school dropouts. After a year of doctors I can tell you that most doctors just try the first thing that comes to mind and if that doesn't work they throw a bunch of meds at you. It was my dentist who took the time and really explain exactly what he was going to do and the options available to me in a way that made sense. He is the reason I want to be a dentist, I want to be able to help people in a real and tangible way.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

I think it all comes down to the perception vs. reality. Doctors have always been portrayed as noble men and women who go above and beyond to solve the case (thank you Dr. House ><) where as dentists are portrayed either as sadists or as med-school dropouts. After a year of doctors I can tell you that most doctors just try the first thing that comes to mind and if that doesn't work they throw a bunch of meds at you. It was my dentist who took the time and really explain exactly what he was going to do and the options available to me in a way that made sense. He is the reason I want to be a dentist, I want to be able to help people in a real and tangible way.

Long ago... dentists were called barber surgeons...
Not only did they cut hair with their instruments (or perhaps it would be more accurate to call them tools), they also used those very same tools to cure toothaches...

Miraculous isn't it?

 

[beeho]

Uhh the media at least entertainment media doesn't really care for careers of characters. they care for being able to produce stories to make money. Ignoring other factors that goes into a successful show. Doctor shows are easier to write as the job allows them to come up with more material. this happens with other professions too. Police shows are more prevalent than firefighter shows for example.

Take the show House. Can you honestly make it about dentistry? How many nutty cases can you up with for a dentist show? You're gonna run out of material and the show is going to be heavily revolving around their personal lives and it really just some random show who's character happens to be a dentist. In that case there are dozen of characters who are dentist. Jennifer Aniston will be playing dentist in the movie horrible bosses. ricky gervais played a dentist that saw dead people a few years back. there was a movie titled the secret lives of dentist. there's even the show glen martin, dds. its completely centered around the title character.

I understand and agree your reasons for the higher frequency of shows based on physicians. However, it is because the public is more exposed to these dramatic programs they have a higher opinion of physicians, regardless of the reasons why there are more shows based on physicians than dentists. They're usually seen as (overly?) heroic and dramatic characters. Wouldn't these factors affect a person's opinion on a profession?

I'll even argue that dentists are often portrayed negatively. Often this is done in a comedic setting. These things, which I believe, can belittle our profession in the public eye.

Here are examples:

Jennifer Aniston plays a dentist who is unethical and extorts her own dental assistant in the comedy film Horrible Bosses. Ricky Gervais is a "misanthropic" dentist in the comedy-drama film Ghost Town. On Seinfield, there is an episode where Jerry interacts with his dentist and is later accused to being an "anti-dentite." In the Hangover series, Stu is the weak and indecisive pushover of the group who is called over to his friends in the famous "paging Dr. F*gg*t!" scene.

Secret Lives of Dentists- here's the trailer to Secret Lives of Dentists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnju0uPVJPM&feature=related

Quotes from that trailer:

"People hate you, and you're a dentist" and "We hate you."

Of course, there are exceptions. Don Cheadle is seen as the good guy in Reign Over Me. On the other side, Scrubs is a comedy tv show based on several physicians, which I love to watch.

Yes, dentist are doctors. But for the majority of the population when they say/think doctor they refer medical doctor/physician. Not dentist, psychiatrist, etc. I bet even you do it. Do you say you're going to go see the doctor when you're sick or do you say I'm going to go see the physician? Blame elementary/grade school for this.

Would you go into a dental admission interview and compare the two professions by referring them as "dentist vs doctor?" Obviously, by doing so implies that dentists are not doctors. Therefore, you have insulted your interviewer and hurt yourself in the process. I only pointed that out before to prevent a deserving predent student from making a mistake.

And no, when I'm sick I will usually specify where I'm going/doing. Last time I visited the hospital, I went to optometry for an issue with my eye. Two weeks ago, I took my brother to the emergency department for an eye emergency.

My mom told me last weekend that my brother was skipping dinner to shadow a "doctor." Since saying doctor is not specific, I asked what kind of doctor. She didn't know, and I was left to guess.

I know that a average person who says doctor is probably referring to a physician, but don't bet that I'm the same. I don't want you to lose money. If you had placed the bet when I was a newbie predent some 4 years ago, then you may have won.

 

[LetsGo2DSchool]

Bottom line is: who cares?

Physicians will always receive more respect since medicine is more chic than dentistry. Always was and always will be.

As long as one lives in a million dollar house on the beach with a nice toy (Ferrari) and a trophy wife, does it really matter who garners more respect.

Like they say, would you rather be a boss in a company earning $100K or an employee who works under the boss earning $250K? I'll be the less respected employee any day of the week.

 

[Bobby Fischer]

Since every dentist I know and have shadowed has been referred to as doctor by patients, staff, etc, dentists as doctors can prescribe any medication, and in case you didn't notice, titles DDS and DMD have Doctor of ____ in their titles...

😎...I am left wondering about the level of ignorance of the OP in the first place. That is, the title of the thread itself reflects a ******ed understanding of either MDs and/or DDS/DMDs. Dentists are doctors.

I guess there is a possibility that as I have only interacted with MDs and DDS/DMDs in my state that perhaps the custom of formally and informally referring to dentists as doctors and vice versa is limited. But I'd be surprised if Doctors of Dental Surgery and Doctors of Dental Medicine in every other state didn't capitalize on the hard earned title.

 

[321931]

This is upsetting because there are people who are so dedicated and passionate about dentistry and those aren't always the ones getting into school. Yet we will all be surrounded by people who chose the career because it was "practical" and did a great job of bull****ting their "passion" on applications, interviews, etc.

A lot of people choose their professions based on practicality, money, and the ability to "cope" with the profession.

Just because I love running, doesn't mean I'm going to drop out of school to work at the local runner shop while training to be the next Boston Marathon winner.

I have to be realistic, and while I love Medicine, I realize that the workload/hours/training/insurance/people isn't for me. I would rather read about it in a magazine, or watch Grey's Anatomy to get my fix. Same with Running, I would rather qualify for the Boston Marathon rather then win it.

Dentistry offered a venue into science (granted it isn't the most interesting as Medicine), the ability to help people (same as Medicine but not as much), and the ability to have a stable career/workload.

 

[Plaque Buster3]

Since every dentist I know and have shadowed has been referred to as doctor by patients, staff, etc, dentists as doctors can prescribe any medication, and in case you didn't notice, titles DDS and DMD have Doctor of ____ in their titles...

😎...I am left wondering about the level of ignorance of the OP in the first place. That is, the title of the thread itself reflects a ******ed understanding of either MDs and/or DDS/DMDs. Dentists are doctors.

I guess there is a possibility that as I have only interacted with MDs and DDS/DMDs in my state that perhaps the custom of formally and informally referring to dentists as doctors and vice versa is limited. But I'd be surprised if Doctors of Dental Surgery and Doctors of Dental Medicine in every other state didn't capitalize on the hard earned title.

sweet and simple

 

[sweetdaises2000]

Since every dentist I know and have shadowed has been referred to as doctor by patients, staff, etc, dentists as doctors can prescribe any medication, and in case you didn't notice, titles DDS and DMD have Doctor of ____ in their titles...

😎...I am left wondering about the level of ignorance of the OP in the first place. That is, the title of the thread itself reflects a ******ed understanding of either MDs and/or DDS/DMDs. Dentists are doctors.

I guess there is a possibility that as I have only interacted with MDs and DDS/DMDs in my state that perhaps the custom of formally and informally referring to dentists as doctors and vice versa is limited. But I'd be surprised if Doctors of Dental Surgery and Doctors of Dental Medicine in every other state didn't capitalize on the hard earned title.

Ditto. Everyone I have met uses the term "Dentist" and "Doctor" interchangeably within a clinical setting. I think its necessary to respect the level of knowledge dentists and physicians bring to the table of health care. No physician can replace a well-trained dentist since we are the leaders in oral health, and no dentist can replace a well-trained physician. There needs to be equal respect for both of these healing arts. Believe it or not, one of my questions during one of my interviews was related to this idea. I was asked by a dean who interviewed me-"how do you feel about people who think dentists are not doctors?" Of course, I went on to describe the distinct relationship between dental and medical care. For those who are not aware, there is a lot of literature on PubMed relating periodontal disease as the 6th complication of diabetes.
Bottom Line- Dentists and Physicians are both critical to the health care sector, and the expertise of both cannot be replaced. Therefore, we are all doctors in our own right.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Ditto. Everyone I have met uses the term "Dentist" and "Doctor" interchangeably within a clinical setting. I think its necessary to respect the level of knowledge dentists and physicians bring to the table of health care. No physician can replace a well-trained dentist since we are the leaders in oral health, and no dentist can replace a well-trained physician. There needs to be equal respect for both of these healing arts. Believe it or not, one of my questions during one of my interviews was related to this idea. I was asked by a dean who interviewed me-"how do you feel about people who think dentists are not doctors?" Of course, I went on to describe the distinct relationship between dental and medical care. For those who are not aware, there is a lot of literature on PubMed relating periodontal disease as the 6th complication of diabetes.
Bottom Line- Dentists and Physicians are both critical to the health care sector, and the expertise of both cannot be replaced. Therefore, we are all doctors in our own right.

I don't think the link was ever really that hard to make, perhaps only ignorance and denial may!
Diabetes = high blood sugar
Bacteria 😍 sugar

Now imagine all of that delicious blood supply flowing through your gum area... bacteria orgasm


All cars are automobiles but not all automobiles are cars.
All dentists are doctors but not all doctors are dentists.

 

[sweetdaises2000]

I don't think the link was ever really that hard to make, perhaps only ignorance and denial may!
Diabetes = high blood sugar
Bacteria 😍 sugar

Now imagine all of that delicious blood supply flowing through your gum area... bacteria orgasm


All cars are automobiles but not all automobiles are cars.
All dentists are doctors but not all doctors are dentists.

Lol!! You are soo right Jooaky! But you know, us dentists/physicians need the scientific method, double blind research studies, etc.. to prove every single correlation. But yes, its very much common sense🙂

 

[dentalWorks]

You guys.... Yes in the clinic, the dentist/doctor should be called by "Dr. Name", its customary and respectful to do so.

However, on the outside, you should NEVER refer to yourself as a "doctor".... society has coined that term to a physician (aka MEDICAL doctor) and trying to pass yourself as a doctor is demeaning to dentistry. Be proud of being a dentist.

If your hanging out with your buddies and someone asks "what do you do for a living"... do you answer doctor or dentist?

Besides there is another thing we are missing. Physicians are more trained than dentists. Just look at how much work they do after medical school (residency wise), and you'll quickly realize why some of them don't respect our "doctor" title.... because we are not trained as long or as hard as them.

 

[sweetdaises2000]

You guys.... Yes in the clinic, the dentist/doctor should be called by "Dr. Name", its customary and respectful to do so.

However, on the outside, you should NEVER refer to yourself as a "doctor".... society has coined that term to a physician (aka MEDICAL doctor) and trying to pass yourself as a doctor is demeaning to dentistry. Be proud of being a dentist.

If your hanging out with your buddies and someone asks "what do you do for a living"... do you answer doctor or dentist?

Besides there is another thing we are missing. Physicians are more trained than dentists. Just look at how much work they do after medical school (residency wise), and you'll quickly realize why some of them don't respect our "doctor" title.... because we are not trained as long or as hard as them.

I agree that one should definetely refer to themselves as a dentist, when conversing with the general public, but I see nothing wrong with using the term "Dr" for dentists. Also, depending on the level of dentistry-is one a specialist, etc, I would be kind of wary of saying one is more trained than the other. I think we are both trained immensely in our respective fields. They may be in school longer, but multiple people on this forum have commented that our first 2 yrs are much more difficult, in terms of volume.
Not trying to start an arguement here DentalWorks, in fact I think you should be a moderator on this forum lol. I just don't want people getting the idea that dental is "easier." Our training is shorter, but as far as daily practice, we each have our own set of challenges in terms of treatment and patient care.

 

[321931]

I agree that one should definetely refer to themselves as a dentist, when conversing with the general public, but I see nothing wrong with using the term "Dr" for dentists. Also, depending on the level of dentistry-is one a specialist, etc, I would be kind of wary of saying one is more trained than the other. I think we are both trained immensely in our respective fields. They may be in school longer, but multiple people on this forum have commented that our first 2 yrs are much more difficult, in terms of volume.
Not trying to start an arguement here DentalWorks, in fact I think you should be a moderator on this forum lol. I just don't want people getting the idea that dental is "easier." Our training is shorter, but as far as daily practice, we each have our own set of challenges in terms of treatment and patient care.

While I respect your opinion, just be ready to get ridiculed by your fellow Medical Doctor colleagues, and be called a tool by the general populace. I, for one, will be Dr. Rainee in the clinic, but outside, I'll be Rainee the Dentist.

People can argue all day about Dentistry difficulty being equivilent to M.D. (personally I think MD is harder); however, I'm arguing from a sociology point of view. M.D. has and always will be associated with the "Doctor" title.

Lawyers, pharmacists, and dentists that introduce themselves as a Doctor...are digging their own graves.

 

[rockclock]

While I respect your opinion, just be ready to get ridiculed by your fellow Medical Doctor colleagues, and be called a tool by the general populace. I, for one, will be Dr. Rainee in the clinic, but outside, I'll be Rainee the Dentist.

People can argue all day about Dentistry difficulty being equivilent to M.D. (personally I think MD is harder); however, I'm arguing from a sociology point of view. M.D. has and always will be associated with the "Doctor" title.

Lawyers, pharmacists, and dentists that introduce themselves as a Doctor...are digging their own graves.

dead on. actually, outside I'll just be rockclock. who the eff introduces themselves using their profession...what is this medieval times? if someone asks what I do for a living, I'll say I'm a dentist. done deal.

seriously if you have deep-seated insecurity issues, talk to a therapist. btw, the general populace that's going to be calling you a tool will include the rest of your dental colleagues who are actually comfortable with their profession for what it is.

now let this thread die in peace.