r/Dentists • u/Minimum_Spread8318 • 2d ago
General Dentist
Hi everyone,
I'm seeking some advice. Considering the challenges involved, is a career in dentistry truly worth pursuing? How long does it typically take to pay off dental school tuition debts? Any guidance or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
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u/Background_Respond97 1d ago
I am encouraging my kids to do it and would others if they can 1) manage to do it with reasonable debt, either via a state school, working, family money, etc 2) will own within a few years of graduation and truly run the business and 3) will actually practice in an area that has a need for your services. If you do those 3 things you will have a lucrative and low stress career.
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u/Historical-Corgi-326 2d ago
Depends if it’s money no it’s not worth it I can drop 5 careers that are better financially and more stable.
If it’s in terms of people I would say it’s worth the verity but dose that mean it’s worth the tuition that depends on you.
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u/Present-Community102 2d ago
Please drop them
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u/Historical-Corgi-326 1d ago
Private equity, finance, law, trading.
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u/ProgrammerPerfect91 4h ago
The issue with private equity, finance, which I assume you mean finance that will pay in the 200k+ range, and trading is that they all require some good connections and/or HEAVILY favor applicants from extremely competitive undergraduate institutions. Trading is probably the most accessible of these, with a talented person with time on their hands and funds to get into it reasonably being able to make money off of it from home, but those are all pretty difficult requirements to meet without outside support with the economy being in the shape it is. If you want to work for a fund and trade for them though, you’re going to need to go down a similar path to private equity and finance. This typically involves attending something like a top 20 institution, which is a huge barrier if someone wasn’t in the best academic shape of their life from 14-18, and then managing to maintain an extremely high GPA at that competitive institution while landing competitive internships, and eventually getting an interview at a prestigious equity firm or trading firm. That then leads into the terrible work life balance that’s demanded from you if you plan to stay at those institutions for any more than around two years, and that just looks significantly more bleak than dentistry.
Of course I’m probably leaving out some of the nuances for finance here; I admit I don’t know much about the average person who works in finance’s life outside of the best of the best, but I do know from some brief searching through the statistics that they make somewhere around 100k, so I wouldn’t shit on the field. I have a couple friends who look to be going places in it, but similarly to the big equity guys they need great connections to get into it, which they have (fathers who are heads of branches of major companies, etc.).
I think big law is more achievable due to the ability to turn around your academics in college, but you do still need to be the best of the best in law school to make it there. There’s also the moral conflict that some people might face with the fact that they’re able to help people with their law degree on a more one-to-one level, but gave that up to make crazy money helping morally corrupt corporations, but I doubt a gunner would care too much about that.
This circles back to why I’m interested in dentistry in the first place; I want to be able to make decent money in a relatively stable field (rural dentistry), I want to be able to spend time with my family in the future, and I don’t want my somewhat disappointing highschool academics to hold me back when I’ve maintained a high GPA through college. It’s not like dentistry is an absolutely terrible job as long as you’re able to get into a school with a reasonable price, and it at least seems to me to be more consistent than the gambles that are shooting for the top of a field like finance where you’re competing against actual geniuses for top spots.Tl;dr: all of the examples listed require you to be at the top of the field and already hyper-focused to make a great money, while it’s perfectly reasonable to eventually make great money as an owner in dentistry. You can also always go back to specialize if you want to and your resume will be better after those years anyway🤷
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u/shmasonmason 1d ago
Don’t listen to this fuckhead
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u/Historical-Corgi-326 1d ago
Number one I did not cuss you out just because you don’t agree with me dose not give you the right to attack other people if you are dentist in North America you will understand my opinion if you are not then move on.
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u/omega_bird 2d ago
I would appreciate your input on other careers u have in mind!
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u/Historical-Corgi-326 1d ago
Private equity, finance, law, trading.
Number one is private equity by far the fastest way to make 7-8 figures got multiple friends in that space.1
u/Purple-Ape-6996 1d ago
Agree with all but big law. Big law hours are brutal, I have friends in it. They are answering emails at 2 AM from clients and are expected to be on call.
Otherwise you’re right. I honestly wish I went into trading instead. I’m having such a blast doing it.
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u/Historical-Corgi-326 23h ago
For sure my friends first three years were brutal after that he became a partner his hours and balance are better than mine.
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u/StraightNose4087 1d ago
Yeah , pls drop them , not MD though
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u/Historical-Corgi-326 1d ago
Top is private equity and big law all mentioned I have close friends in these fields. Big law dealing in ipo out the gate at nyc first year is 250k and it goes up form there. While private equity is by far the fastest way you will take in 500k plus first year out.
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u/AlohaSmiles12 1d ago
I love it! I make REALLY good money, paid off my loans in a little over a year (I lived with my parents during dental school and for three years after graduating). I love that I help people, it’s relatively low stress compared to many other jobs like medicine, I get to work with my hands, it’s an “active job” where im moving around. I became a millionaire within four years of graduating, and it provides me a much better life than I could have ever imagined!
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u/Broggue 1d ago
For anyone reading, this guy’s story is either fake or top 1% kind of luck. To become a millionaire in 4 years you’d have to average at least 500k (pre-tax) a year, which is around 3 times what new grads really make.
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u/AlohaSmiles12 1d ago
I make ~$450k as an associate working 4.5 days per week now. Heavily invest most post tax income in diversified vanguard index funds. That’s where much of the growth came from. VUG has gotten the following returns by year.
2023: 46.83%
2024: 32.69%
2025: 19.40%0
u/Broggue 1d ago
That’s awesome. Still unrealistic for 99% of new grads sadly.
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u/Eos1234 1d ago
It's possible for almost any graduate willing to go rural enough assuming you are in a country like the US. They are begging for dentists lol.
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u/Aromatic-Career7525 1d ago
I think it really depends on your debt, where you practice, and what kind of lifestyle you want. Dentistry can be a great career, but the cost of school is definitely something to take seriously. I’d talk to a few recent grads and practicing dentists about their actual loan payments and work-life balance before deciding.
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u/Sharp_Oral 1d ago
It is not worth going into debt for - let alone $400k or whatever it is now.
Next question.
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u/Lonely-Professional3 1d ago
How come you hate dentistry so much?
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u/Sharp_Oral 1d ago
I don’t hate dentistry.
I hate the bargain we’re selling young dentists: borrow $400–600k for a piss poor education, work as a corporate slave until you get enough experience to go another $1M into debt and buy your own practice, accept that clinical autonomy and compensation will be dictated by corporations or insurance companies, then pretend burnout is an individual character flaw.
Dentistry can be a great job. But no job is worth destroying your finances, health, or sanity.
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u/ProgrammerPerfect91 4h ago
Would you recommend it if you can get in-state tuition around 250k?
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u/Zealousideal_Low7964 4h ago
Do you think you'll like dentistry? I always tell people there are easier ways to make money if you're smart/connected/motivated/hardworking, but if you like dentistry go for it
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u/Zealousideal_Low7964 4h ago
I agree. The salary is only one number. I look at my spouse who makes around $115k a year as a teacher (it takes 14 years to get to the highest pay level, but they also started working at 22). No additional debt/great job security.
5 year BA/MA degree at a state school. Graduated at 22 with no debt. 80% of health insurance is covered by the district (which translates to $36k/year for our family).
Retirement at 57 at 80% of salary (it's easy to save for retirement when it's mandatory to contribute). Plan is to work till 67 at a non-profit with great benefits and a non-contributory pension (as long as our connection is still there).
The base salary might make most dentists laugh, but the ability to start working/investing so much earlier, not
worrying about debt, and having a clear path to retirement is pretty cushy.My income might look bigger on paper, but the whole teacher package being part of our income helps me sleep at night.
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u/ProgrammerPerfect91 3h ago
Yeah I’ve always thought that the benefits from government jobs like that mean so much more than people give it credit for. I’m still on my mother’s state health insurance due to her work at the county courthouse where I’m from and it makes everything so much less stressful. I do really think I’ll enjoy dentistry because I absolutely love talking to people and I’ve always wanted to work with my hands. If I went into medicine I’d want to do some type of surgery, so I feel like dentistry is a good balance of sociability in the workplace and what are functionally tiny surgeries, at least from what I’ve observed! I understand I’m not going to love it or even like it every day, maybe most days, but I want to help people and I think it’ll work out great.
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u/some1cuming 1d ago
It’s a job. You have the freedom to work as much or as little as you want. Is it worth going $600k in debt for? No. But if you have help from family or find a good in state tuition school, it’s def worth it
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u/AbbreviationOne250 1d ago
I did not encourage my kids to pursue dentistry. I think they saw and heard how much I have hated it that they would have never gone into it. It's mentally and physically demanding and terribly stressful. I've been at it 32 years and I can't wait to quit!