How much does someone in Dental school make right out of college?
I am a junior in high school and I am interested in pursuing a career as a Pediatric dentist. #dentistry #dental-hygienist #family-dentistry #compensation #pediatric-dentistry
4 answers
Matt’s Answer
Well, if you are in dental school you might not be making any money technically -- you might be spending all of your time in school. But after you finish dental school and begin working as a professional dentist, you might make quite a bit of money. Some sites are quoting $120k - $150k per year for generalists.
Here are some great articles about the path to becoming a dentist:
http://education-portal.com/dentist_education_requirements.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Dentist
Steven’s Answer
In the right situation you may earn in 6 figures--but most new graduates (at least in the U.S.) graduate with very significant debt loads. In the old days a new graduate (whether a generalist or specialist) could open up a practice in town and expect to be busy fairly quickly. This may still be true in some areas, but cannot any longer be taken for granted.
More dentists will be working in employee situations--associates in larger practices, working for public agencies. The days when you could just get financing to build a new office and move right in are over for most new dentists.
But if you find a good group practice with dentists who may be anticipating retirement within a few years, you may be able to work your way into an ownership situation.
Good luck!