Need advice from Periodontists or Perio residents

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Periogirl

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Hi Everyone

I am a general dentist with 7 years of experience. I am very interested in Perio residency and contemplating going back to school. I have no school debt at this time and want to hear from Periodontists and or perio residents as how it feels to be one.

My questions are:
a. How does future of Perio look?
b. Will it be worth leaving job and being without income for 3 years?

I have a family and want to take them in to consideration before sending application to ADEA PASS.

Thanks for your time

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a. Luke warm at best. Weekend courses and traveling specialists have put tremendous pressure on the stand alone perio practice. Although, the pendulum has started to swing the other way in Oregon. Google the Oregon dental board's "dental implant safety workgroup." The amount of board complaints and malpractice claims related to implants (aka holiday inn weekend courses) has risen so dramatically the dental board is setting up a special committee to protect Oregon patients from what has become a "significant problem." Hopefully malpractice attorneys and other dental boards will follow. Cleaning up other people's train wreck surgeries/angry patients is not pleasant work and sadly a growing part of the perio business.
b. I would guess no, but only you understand your situation. Many new grads struggle to find work.
 
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a. I cant really answer...
b. I don't know if you have a family, but if you do, I personally wouldn't recommend it. The financial uncertainty would be immense for those 3 years. The only way you could get a somewhat steady income in that situation is to have your spouse work. Moreover, relocation would be quite the hassle. I, as a single 25 year old male, would have no problem moving across the country for work or education, however, if you have a family, it would make things quite difficult. Best (a little unrealistic) circumstance is as follows: You live close dental school which offers an perio residency with competent stipend which you get into and you have a spouse who can support you and your family for 3 years. (However, this is all on the assumption that you have a family, so if you dont, disregard haha)

-Fyz
 
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A) good to very good. You have to be willing to travel to GP offices when you graduate because nobody knows you and will not refer you anything. You will have a very good salary as a travelling periodontist (much more than your gp associates) and once people get to know you and trust you and that you won't talk shi* about their work to their patients, they will start referring you cases.
B) only you could answer this question. Financially speaking per se, especially if you're an established gp and have a decent income, it might not make any sense to specialize in any field specially if you have to pay tuition. But if you really want to be a specialist for the sake of it and want to be excellent in one particular field (perio in your case) I would definitely go for it.
 
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Thanks to all of you who have posted...while different replies but I sure do appreciate your time and help
 
Yes, the specialist on wheels route is great a great paycheck in the beginning but the burn-out factor is high. I don't know any perio on wheels who isn't desperate to stop driving all over the county with a suitcase full of instruments after a few years . Most of the corporate gigs pay well but you open yourself to liability when doing eight surgeries a day. Its also a blast to have a patient from practice A need to see you over a post-op concern and you are 50mi away at office B. When you are ready to settle down after driving from office to office, good luck finding a perio who has patient over-flow for an associate and don't expect referrals from your old offices as they just pick up one of a thousand new grads desperate for work.
 
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