Orthodontist's salary

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
T

Terminus

Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
What is the starting salary for an orthodontist?Does it differ as to what state/area you are working in?
Thanks.
Members don't see this ad.
 
It makes a big difference. First of all it depend on wether u wanna start your own practice or associate with some older guy, there are also companies where u can work and forget about the hassle with paperwork and office management. Location is the second most important parameter. California is the best, Arizona is good Oregon not bad. Stay away from the north east.

in numbers: -starting with a company u can earn from 650/day( Seattle) to 1800/day ( California where one of my classmate works)
-starting your own practice: in this case it varies alot, but in a good practice you should start with 200k average the first year and maybe the second but u should expect to reach 500k in your 4th or 5th year.
- associating with someone: u cant really tell, it depends on the deal u got.
 
Why is the northeast bad?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
it depends
whether you own a practice'
98% do and earn on average $300,000 on 3 days but the potential is limitless,
most ortho work 2.5 to 4 day
max potential is $5 mill gross with 50% overhead,
middle of career ( after 5-7 years)is $ 2.5 mil gross with 50-60% overhead
starting out is $400k to 500k gross with 60-65% overhead
 
what about oral surgeons? how much can you make if you own your own practice?
 
the best specialty is in order of desire
1. ortho
2.endo
3.. os
OMFS are doing great due to their recent demands,

I know many OS doing over $500k net/year

all three can do great,
 
the best specialty is in order of desire
1. ortho
2.endo
3.. os
OMFS are doing great due to their recent demands,

I know many OS doing over $500k net/year

all three can do great,
as a matter of fact, you can do well in any occupation if you really have
the desire and motivation
 
I actually heard a general dentist say he earns a good living. I figured he had to be lying, though. Everyone knows how many general dentists end up bankrupt & homeless because they were dumb enough to think they could make money as GP's. I figure this guy must've been holding up ATMs at night to make ends meet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
aphistis said:
I actually heard a general dentist say he earns a good living. I figured he had to be lying, though. Everyone knows how many general dentists end up bankrupt & homeless because they were dumb enough to think they could make money as GP's. I figure this guy must've been holding up ATMs at night to make ends meet.
Click to expand...

If you are going to dental school, its not a smart move to get into general dentistry. If you refer to those salary websites, you'll notice that some averages hover around $70,000 a year. Basically, you'd do better being a bartender or a stripper. And Im not even taking into consideration the opportunity cost of 4 years of dental school. Good luck making it in the real world as a GP.
 
Rezdawg said:
If you are going to dental school, its not a smart move to get into general dentistry. If you refer to those salary websites, you'll notice that some averages hover around $70,000 a year. Basically, you'd do better being a bartender or a stripper. And Im not even taking into consideration the opportunity cost of 4 years of dental school. Good luck making it in the real world as a GP.
Click to expand...

are you on crack?
 
y'all are crazy. the general dentists here in louisiana do great. i know mine is making a bit over 200,000.
 
:laugh: 70k...Maybe if you are socially and intellectually challenged :laugh:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Rezdawg said:
If you are going to dental school, its not a smart move to get into general dentistry. If you refer to those salary websites, you'll notice that some averages hover around $70,000 a year. Basically, you'd do better being a bartender or a stripper. And Im not even taking into consideration the opportunity cost of 4 years of dental school. Good luck making it in the real world as a GP.
Click to expand...

This is so true. I was a stripper before dental school and I was bagging $90K and not even reporting most of it, on account of it being in $1 bills stuffed into my crack. As a male stripper in LA (porn valley) you can supplement your income by participating in several independent films. Most do tend to be of the gay variety, but that's an extra $500 a day! Yeah, GP is for suckers.


But seriously, Rezdawg you are completely wrong.
 
Rezdawg said:
If you are going to dental school, its not a smart move to get into general dentistry. If you refer to those salary websites, you'll notice that some averages hover around $70,000 a year. Basically, you'd do better being a bartender or a stripper. And Im not even taking into consideration the opportunity cost of 4 years of dental school. Good luck making it in the real world as a GP.
Click to expand...

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 
For those that actually believed my post, I feel for you.

Did you guys fail to read the post made by Aphistis? His was obvious sarcasm...and the fact that I was playing off of that, I figured it'd be pretty easy to see I was being sarcastic as well.

And I thought drhobie had caught on, until I read his last line.
 
What I've noticed is that specialties make more on average than GPs (duh), but the wealthiest doctors I've met are GPs. Since you can market directly to the public as a GP, the sky is the limit. I'm sure it's easier to make more money as a specialist, but you are limited by your number of referrals. It all comes down to your business skills and since GPs don't have to count on referrals for business, it's easier for a business savvy GP to really bring in the income (and the fact that they offer a much larger variety of services thus target more of the public). The docs who are really killing it are GPs that step back and open franchises- leaving most of the dentistry to associates. Those are the guys making the millions. I'm sure specialists can pull this off but I bet it's more difficult.
 
Rezdawg said:
If you are going to dental school, its not a smart move to get into general dentistry. If you refer to those salary websites, you'll notice that some averages hover around $70,000 a year. Basically, you'd do better being a bartender or a stripper. And Im not even taking into consideration the opportunity cost of 4 years of dental school. Good luck making it in the real world as a GP.
Click to expand...


What you talkin about willis!
 
Hocket dentist where do u go to school? I coulda sworn that you said you were still in highschool. Do I have you confused with someone?
 
Rezdawg said:
For those that actually believed my post, I feel for you.

Did you guys fail to read the post made by Aphistis? His was obvious sarcasm...and the fact that I was playing off of that, I figured it'd be pretty easy to see I was being sarcastic as well.

And I thought drhobie had caught on, until I read his last line.
Click to expand...

ah, sounded real. damn computer, i couldn't hear the sarcasm in your voice!
 
Oistrakh said:
I've been reading some threads by charlestweed, who seems to suggest that it's not that competitive to become an ortho in Cali...
Click to expand...
CA used to be the dream place for orthodontists when CA only accepted its own board. Ever since CA accepted licenses from other states and the WREB, it has become more difficult for new grad orthos to find jobs. Chain offices have more choices to select only the experienced orthodontists….5-6 years ago, they were so desperate that they hired anybody with an orthodontic certificate.

Orthodontists in CA still do a lot better than orthodontists in other states. The company I currently work for is adding 5-6 more brand new offices in LA and Orange Counties. Why orthos are so successful here? Because people in big cities are more concerned about the way their teeth look than the people in rural areas. They get braces even with slightly crooked teeth. When I did my residency in Kentucky, I was shocked to see so many adults walking around with no anterior teeth:eek:.
 
Is ortho still the most desired specialty? I've heard people say OMFS is, but it sounds to me like OMFS is an esoteric specialty. I could be completely wrong, but aren't more people seeing orthodontists to straighten their teeth than seeing oral surgeons to get their wizzies pulled? When I had braces and had to go to the ortho, the place was always packed.
 
btpayne13 said:
Is ortho still the most desired specialty? I've heard people say OMFS is, but it sounds to me like OMFS is an esoteric specialty. I could be completely wrong, but aren't more people seeing orthodontists to straighten their teeth than seeing oral surgeons to get their wizzies pulled? When I had braces and had to go to the ortho, the place was always packed.
Click to expand...

They're both very competitive.
 
I would have to say ortho is more competitive. I believe that if you truly want to get into OMFS, and have the work ethic in dental school, you will get in somewhere. As for ortho, I have seen many candidates who are big time studs, and still could not get in. I may be wrong, but ortho admissions seems much more political, nepotistic, unpredictable, and dare I say.... shady, than OMFS. Ortho is so "desirable", that kids are willing to pay $60K/year in tuition to attend some ortho programs.


btpayne13 said:
Is ortho still the most desired specialty? I've heard people say OMFS is, but it sounds to me like OMFS is an esoteric specialty. I could be completely wrong, but aren't more people seeing orthodontists to straighten their teeth than seeing oral surgeons to get their wizzies pulled? When I had braces and had to go to the ortho, the place was always packed.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
btpayne13 said:
Is ortho still the most desired specialty? I've heard people say OMFS is, but it sounds to me like OMFS is an esoteric specialty. I could be completely wrong, but aren't more people seeing orthodontists to straighten their teeth than seeing oral surgeons to get their wizzies pulled? When I had braces and had to go to the ortho, the place was always packed.
Click to expand...

BOTH of these specialities will be quite desirable and in demand. There are 2 pretty much constants in dentistry that will remain for eons to come, reguardless of whatever types of caries vaccines/bone regeneration products/etc that will be developed in years to come:

1) People love straight teeth - there's your ortho demand

2) Wisdom teeth aren't being genetically eliminated anytime soon and the occasional gooey chunk of oral tissue caused by chronic use of "cancer sticks" to lop off - that will keep "team OMFS" busy :D
 
I hear peds is now the best to go into.
 
What is the expected starting salary for a newbie orthodonist in the north east (NYC, CT, NJ areas)?
 
I heard it's getting competitive now and it's really hard to get into any ortho residency
 
per say, you have to be at least ranking in top 3% of the class
 
MichaelTrann said:
per say, you have to be at least ranking in top 3% of the class
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Some ortho programs are less competitive than others, especially longer, more expensive programs. Some programs charge $60k, $70k, $80k tuition per year and can get away with it since banks will still hand out large student loans to people willing to take them on. If you are willing to go to a program like this and incur an exorbitant amount of debt, you will have a better shot at getting in.

Also, I'm not sure where your 3% number is coming from, but it doesn't add up. Even assuming 5,000 dental graduates a year (which is high), 3% of 5,000 is 150. There are 300+ ortho spots in the nation counting non-match schools. That's 6% at best if you're assuming that everyone in the top 6% goes into ortho, which isn't the case at all.
 
Why is ortho such a desireable field? The only reason I ask this is because I dont have alot of interest in ortho and therefore dont see that huge of a difference in ortho vs say.. general dentistry. I understand the work is different but in both cases you're correcting oral pathologies - in this way it seems that by being interested in one you would also be intrested in the other.
If it's not the work what is it about ortho?
 
yappy said:
Why is ortho such a desireable field? The only reason I ask this is because I dont have alot of interest in ortho and therefore dont see that huge of a difference in ortho vs say.. general dentistry. I understand the work is different but in both cases you're correcting oral pathologies - in this way it seems that by being interested in one you would also be intrested in the other.
If it's not the work what is it about ortho?
Click to expand...

its all about the greens
 
yappy said:
. I understand the work is different but in both cases you're correcting oral pathologies - in this way it seems that by being interested in one you would also be intrested in the other.
Click to expand...

no disrespect to my ortho brethren/sisteren, but classifying malocclusion/crooked teeth as a pathology is kind of a stretch....
 
Last edited:
It's all about the chedda.
 
Just to bring the mood down a little...
From everything I've heard, ortho is tough as hell these days. Getting a job really hard now, and the income of orthodontists is going down due to market saturation, as well as GPs doing more ortho.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think ortho is any kind of cake-walk anymore.
 
Stilts said:
Just to bring the mood down a little...
From everything I've heard, ortho is tough as hell these days. Getting a job really hard now, and the income of orthodontists is going down due to market saturation, as well as GPs doing more ortho.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think ortho is any kind of cake-walk anymore.
Click to expand...

its true. But economy has hurt everyone else on the same level (Gps and speciialists). Just getting a job as a GP in a desired area isn't a cake walk either in this economy.

I still remember back in the day when associate GPs out of school made 800 each day in arizona (or some state in the midwest), now its a different story.
 
MichaelTrann said:
per say, you have to be at least ranking in top 3% of the class
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. I know someone who was ranked only around the 25th %ile and does not have any family member who is an orthodontist who helped them get into an oath residency right out of dental school. Now, I know that is not the norm, but if someone tries hard enough, they don't need to be in the top of the class necessarily.
 
yappy said:
Why is ortho such a desireable field? The only reason I ask this is because I dont have alot of interest in ortho and therefore dont see that huge of a difference in ortho vs say.. general dentistry. I understand the work is different but in both cases you're correcting oral pathologies - in this way it seems that by being interested in one you would also be intrested in the other.
If it's not the work what is it about ortho?
Click to expand...
Good money, good hours, good patients, and less graduate school, which equates to less money and time. All this equals desirable life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

A
Life of new grad orthodontists
Replies
48
Views
6K
lol105
L
A
2023 Dental Salary Survey
Replies
28
Views
11K
PaulS
P
B
How often does an orthodontist get off for vacation?
Replies
33
Views
4K
charlestweed
charlestweed
A
Salary of orthodontists
2
Replies
56
Views
22K
charlestweed
charlestweed
ellaa2000
Dentist salary
Replies
0
Views
2K
ellaa2000
ellaa2000
Top