The highest-paid dental specialty is oral and maxillofacial surgery. These professionals are highly trained in both dental care and medical surgery. If you are interested in working in the public sector, promoting dental and oral health, you can work within dental public health, usually for a public health agency or a non-profit organization. You may need to earn a master's or doctorate degree to work in this capacity, although the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) says the average program is 14 months, after receiving your dental degree.
These dental professionals have the least amount of additional training. For those with a dental degree, it's also possible to apply for a 12-month dental public health residency program with the Centers for Disease Control. Whether you are considering a career in dentistry or are already practicing general dentistry but want to specialize, these 10 areas of the dental industry are a good starting point. General dentistry will give you a decent income, but you can earn 50% more if you specialize.
Specialization also means more years of training; four years for an undergraduate degree, 3 years for a dental degree (DMD or DDS) and at least 2 to 4 years of specialized training. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon specialty program lasts an additional 4-6 years in addition to a bachelor's degree course in dentistry. To increase their chances of getting the highest-paying jobs for dentists, while others enter private practice. This career is ideal for people who naturally love helping children and are looking for well-paying careers working with children.
The pediatric dentist specialty program lasts an additional 2 to 3 years after the dental degree course. After earning a dental degree, you will need an additional 2 to 3 years to complete the orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics specialty program. Qualifying dental school graduates will need to complete a 2-year program to earn a certificate in dental public health. However, dentists who take dental specialty courses, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, prosthodontists, and periodontics earn more than doctors.
Dentistry is one of the fields of medicine that will allow you to earn a decent salary. However, if you want to increase your income, consider pursuing specialized programs beyond dental school. Most of them pay well, and the dental specialty that pays the most is oral and maxillofacial surgery. However, salary is not the only motivation, and you should also consider your interest before deciding on the best specialization.
Keep in mind that most programs will require an additional 2-3 years after completing a dental degree.
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