why did it change?

[dentalapp]

http://www.users.qwest.net/~wwahec/manual/dentist.htm

I'm not saying that this is too big of a problem, but the salary statistics indicated by the link above doesn't seem to paint a rosy picture in repayment of educational debt.

Not too long ago, I heard that the average was 120k. I don't know why it is now lower.

 

[C2H5OH]

1) "Often dentists work four days per week (!!!!!) and usually insure themselves and their staff members with medical and dental health insurance."

2) "A Dentist II with two years experience working for the State (!!!) of Washington earns $6,311 to $7,318 per month. "

3) Be above average !

 

[UBTom]

to Dentalapp:

Those seem to be the average statistics for the state of Washington only. If you are a New Yorker who is planning to take only the NERBs, why the heck do you need to worry about the statistics in Washington State for anyway?

 

[groundhog]

The web page itself is 2 years old which likely means that the stats are even older. It looks like one of those abandoned pages that remain on the web, but never get updated anymore.

Dentists who are employees of the State of Washington usually work in the prison system. The pay is below average, but job security is good. Stress was also low until the recent onslaught of HIV, , Hep C, and TB.

 

[dentalapp]

If you look under 'salary and benefits, ' it says that the national average is 80k - 100k, with specialists making 110k.

I know that the data was valid only two years ago, but wasn't that when ADA claimed that general dentists averaged over 150k ( with ADA now saying that they average 100k, indicating a downward trend)? So if that same page was updated now, I think the average would be considered even lower.

It doesn't....sound that good.

 

[UBTom]

Nah. Like I said before, how much you make as a dentist is ultimately up to you.

Sure, you can relax and work 4 days a week and take home 80K a year like that stats page says. But if you are willing to put in the time to learn some marketable skills after graduation at a residency, and work a bit more hours than average, there is no reason you can't make more than "average."

Most of my classmates here at UB are ferociously competitive-- They all aim to have their chair filled 100% of the time in our clinic periods. Most of them will be earning above average when they graduate, that's for sure. There are a few who will not be making much when they graduate, but that's because they have Health Profession Scholarship obligations (like serving as a dentist in the U.S. Army for 5 years). And if you want statistics, check out the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers here: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2000/oes_29He.htm

According to those, dentists make on average $112,820. That's #5 behind surgeons, internists, ob-gyns and anesthesiologists.

I'm not worried at all about my prospects.. (assuming that the next two years go as planned)

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by dentalapp
( with ADA now saying that they average 100k, indicating a downward trend)
It doesn't....sound that good.

I'd like to see the link to the ADA saying that dentists average 100k.

The prospects right now are near perfect for beginning dentists. The amount of cash inflow is going to be directly related to your amount of work outflow, however the proportions for work outflow to cash inflow are higher than ever.

 

[portlander]

There are so many different variables affecting how much income any given dentist will make in a year. I currently work as a front office person at a downtown Portland dental office. From this seat in the dental office, I am learning so much about scheduling the most profitable line-up of patients as well as a ton about insurance and geting patients to pay in full.

It is really interesting to me how differnt dental practices operate. Some have office managers (such as the one I work for), and others the dentist actually takes care of some of the business aspects (like the practice I volunteered at in Walla Walla). When you become a practicing doctor, you will have to figure out what your time is worth, and how many employees you are willing to pay to keep up your practice.

I know that dentists need to pay the bills too, and send their kids to college, but have any of you ever felt like some are treatment pushers???

Sometimes I fear the cost of major dental work is way too much for lower income families to incorperate into their budgets, and the problems never get fixed. And most dentists (at least in my area) are not part of the allied health programs, and there are FEW public health clinics. I read the other day that 50% of children under 12 have never been to the dentist in Oregon. What do you guys think about that? What do you think can be done to change it?

 

[FunkDocta]

All of what is being said is true...it is all about how hard you are willing to work...for instance, I shadowed a dentist that kept his clinic open 6 days/week with a full schedule of patients. The factors that seem to play are:

1) How many patients per day you can see...if you are fast and efficient like this dentist I know (he uses state-of-the-art tools that cut his worktime down alot)...he has time to fill his schedule with at least 3-4 extra patients per day

2) How many days/week you are willing to work, or hours per day you are willing to stay open.

That dentist makes about $170,000+ because of these factors. It's pretty simple....more patients=more money

 

[FunkDocta]

Hey portlander, you make a good point....

I also feel that some dentists are treatment pushers as well, and that really hurts for those that really need simple treatment. On the other hand, alot of dentists are being truthful, so it is hard to tell...the only thing I can think of to help the problem is to try YOUR hardest to be honest, and maybe others will do the same.

 

[dentalapp]

Originally posted by portlander
T I read the other day that 50% of children under 12 have never been to the dentist in Oregon. What do you guys think about that? What do you think can be done to change it?

Guess what?

Here's my experience:
I live in NYC, and my parents and sister never went, not even once, to a dentist for the past ten years or more.

I was the only one in the family to ever receive any type of dental treatment ( a while ago). I believe the treatment was around like a 100 bucks or so, but we didn't want to spend it on any dentist.

We didn't know of anyone who went to dentist so, unable to get referrals, we looked into the phone book and all the ten quiet dental clinics near our apartment.

My parents booked me for an appointment at one of the clinics at the time of their choice and we were the only patients there. Afterwards, since I no longer I had any problems, we never cared to visit him or any other dentist ever again.

See how difficult it was ( is) for dentists to get us for an appointment? In practicality, I believe that they must try hard to win patients. It is hard to make money in dentistry, just like in anything else, and I don't know how some people here could claim that they make so much with ease.

By the way, it wasn't that we're poor. We have the money to go to dentists alright, but we just didn't care and saw no need to rush.

 

[UBTom]

to dentalapp:

Your situation does not exactly describe how dental practices work these days. Perhaps your family has good oral hygiene, and having lived in NYC with its fluoridated H2O supply you probably never had anything beyond an incipient caries or two. But believe it or not, there ARE people out there who do not know any better and neglect their teeth until it starts to hurt, and at that point treatment is NOT elective! And I will give you exactly one guess as to what kind of procedures earn dentists the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time.

Of course no profession is easy and dentistry is no exception. But as long as one is willing to work at it, it is definitely not more difficult than any other profession to earn money as a dentist.