The Orthdontist's Salary

Submitted by Meg Wilson on April 6, 2009 - 07:33.

Do orthodontists make more money than plastic surgeons? Here's an interesting tidbit we found on a student doctor forum.

My wife is an orthodontist, and this is what I know:

- private practice average income = $420k, based on a survey by the American Association of Orthodontists
- average # days worked: 4
- average # hours worked per week: 32
- average malpractice insurance : <$5,000 per year
- average patient age: 8-16 (no crying babies and no sick old people)
- never on call (well, actually they are on call 24/7 but get about 2 calls per month, and these calls are never true emergencies)
- extremely low stress
- only 2-3 years of residency after dental school, no fellowships required or even available
- majority of orthodontists do not accept insurance

When you take into account the salary compared to the number of hours worked, orthodontists make way more than any other field in healthcare. When you take into account the lack of stress, lack of call, lack of administrative crap from insurance, along with the hours and salary, it might be the best job in healthcare. Of course, I think they don't feel as much glory or satisfaction as surgeons, but perhaps I am just rationalizing... =)

Another person wrote in;

Just keep in mind that orthodontics and for that matter all of the dental specialties are EXTREMELY competitive to get into. If you aren't top 3-4 in your class then better get used to the idea of being a general dentist. IMHO it would be foolish to set out to be an orthodontist without a very inherent interest in dentistry. Chances are good you'd end up as a general dentist. As previously stated, don't make a career decision based strictly on money. You've gotta go with your heart.

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Orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry
Submitted by Vaugahn Dentist (not verified) on May 18, 2009 - 13:56.

Shiny. Glowing. Resplendent. For either professional or private reasons most people would give anything to have such teeth. Expressions such as teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry, or laser bleaching have already started to get into the daily vocabulary and become routine activities. Consequently, a dentist appointment, which used to make most people shiver, can now turn into a craved cosmetic dentistry appointment meant to turn teeth into a thing of beauty.

Dentist Vaughan

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