Is Dentistry a Good Career Choice?

I am asked if dentistry is a good career choice often. Most college aged students can do a quick Google search about dentistry that will lead them to U.S. News or some other generic outlet that writes about dentistry, says why it’s good, and how to become a dentist. That’s fine, it may even be a good place to start, but if you’re considering dentistry as a potential career path, you need to hear from dentists. I wish more of us wrote about our experiences, but we don’t.

As I write this, I have been practicing dentistry for more then eight years. It’s my belief that the profession is an attractive option within healthcare that is worth a close look. In short, dentistry offers a lucrative and fulfilling career path that combines science, technology, patient interaction, and entrepreneurship. In this article, I will lay out a few reasons why dentistry can make for a rewarding profession, and I’ll write a follow up post about why dentistry may not be the right choice for you.

Compensation:

Dentistry is one of the highest-paying fields you can enter with a professional doctorate degree, so one of the biggest draws of dentistry is the ability to earn a comfortable living. You don’t have to be shy about a desire to make a good living just because you’re trying to become a doctor. If doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and optometrists were not highly compensated, most of our healthcare professions would be left talentless which would be terrible for society.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for dentists in the United States is around $163,000. Experienced dentists who own their own practices or work in partnership can easily earn over $200,000 per year with many general dentists earning more than $300,000 per annum.

Flexible Schedule and Work-Life Balance:

While dentists work hard during their clinic hours, their schedule tends to offer considerable flexibility. Most dentists work around 24-32 clinical hours per week. Few of us are open during the evening or weekends because dentists have the ability to control their schedules in a way that allows for a healthy work-life balance.

Direct Patient Care:

Dentistry is a hands-on healthcare career where you can build long-term relationships with patients. For those looking for a career providing opportunities to directly help others, dentistry allows you to play a vital role in your patients’ and your community’s overall health and wellbeing. Dentists improve patients’ quality of life by relieving oral pain, performing preventative care, improving appearance and increasing self-confidence.

Job Security and Stability:

Very few dentists are unemployed. And those who are unemployed, are likely unemployed by choice or for good reason. The fact is that even in the most competitive job markets, dentists are able to find employment opportunities.

Entrepreneurship:

Dentists still own their own practices, which means that most of us are small business owners. Small business ownership comes with benefits and challenges, but overall, the option to own your own practice is an opportunity to take complete control of your career. This opportunity is something that the profession should not take for granted. It’s true that the percentage of practicing dentists who own their own office has declined over the last twenty years, but the opportunity to own your own business and control your success is still readily available.