Are you considering a career in dentistry? Or are you already practicing general dentistry and looking to specialize? If so, you may be wondering which type of dentist is the highest paid. The answer is that it depends on the specialty and the city or metropolitan area. The dental specialty that earns the most is Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. This specialty requires 12-14 years of education and training after high school, and if they want to specialize in a certain type of oral surgery, such as cosmetic procedures, they may need to complete a six-year residency.
If you are interested in working in the public sector, promoting dental and oral health, you can work within Dental Public Health. This usually involves working for a public health agency or a non-profit organization. You may need to earn a master's or doctorate to work in this capacity, although the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) says the average program is 14 months, after receiving your dental degree. Below are the top 15 cities and metropolitan areas with the highest paid dentist in descending order:
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Philadelphia
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Washington DC
- Boston
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Atlanta
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale
- Seattle-Tacoma
- Phoenix-Mesa
- Minneapolis-St.
Paul
- Cleveland-Akron
And I was really surprised by how many people actually want to participate in specialty programs. These dental professionals have the least amount of additional training. For those who have a dental degree, it is also possible to apply for a 12-month dental public health residency program at the Centers for Disease Control. More general dentists refer less and take more cases. This is due to the internal cost and how it favors them to perform root canals, wisdom tooth extraction, and invisalign along with other procedures that specialists tend to do. So if you're looking for the highest paid type of dentist, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is your best bet. However, keep in mind that applying to a general dentistry office can be more stressful, but the student can learn more and gain a broader knowledge base rather than with a specialized office.