Is it true dentists make more than physicians?

[noloveforme]

On avg do dentists make more than the typical fam physician? It seems like there would be more potential to since there is no interference from the govt.

[IamIDP]

On avg do dentists make more than the typical fam physician? It seems like there would be more potential to since there is no interference from the govt.

 

Who cares who makes more? You shouldn't do something because it gets payed more. Do something that you like and are willing to do for the rest of your life.

 

But to answer your question: It depends on your practice, they both are fields that are getting highly saturated (look at the drastic increase in competitive GPAs required for admission). There is no set pay for dentists, they can make $70,000 or $100,000+/year depending on the number of patients. If you have no patients, you'll be making $0, as simple as that. Physicians on the other hand will make a decent amount of money but the stress and time associated it poses questions like when are you going to actually use that money and enjoy life? (I wouldn't want to see sick patients day after day..it's boring in my opinion) But on average physicians make a decent consistent income. Some dentists make more than family docs, some docs make more than dentists. There are other factors behind this too...

 

Please correct me if i'm wrong.

[cleanup]

I think as a whole, on average, those in the medical field have a larger income potential than dental professionals. But of course, this is encompassing all of the heavy-hitter fields like neuro, derm, radiology, etc.

 

In the general practitioner parallel, yes, a general dentist typically makes more than a family physician, but only because they have the opportunity to be business savvy and expand. A lot of GPs can run several practices and operate more in a managerial, administrative role than as an active clinician. A family doc, on the other hand, has to be in one place, all the time, year round.