About Pediatric Dentistry Career Information

A career in the field of pediatric dentistry can be both lucrative and personally rewarding. Pediatric dentistry involves treating children for oral health and educating them on good oral hygiene. A good pediatric dentist can alter the way a child looks at oral health and ensure they begin life with proper oral hygiene habits and no fear of dentistry.

Education and Qualifications

In order to have the specification of pediatric dentist, the candidate needs to first be recognized as either a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Dental Medicine. Then, the candidate can enroll in a program that is specially tailored around pediatric dentistry. It is necessary to take specialized courses because a pediatric dentist treats children whose mouths and teeth are still in the process of forming and growing.

This specialty goes beyond general dentistry. However, most pediatric dentists start out as general practice dentists and then begin to specialize in pediatrics. Pediatric dentists are expected to continuously stay abreast of new developments in dentistry and continuously seek additional education throughout the duration of their career.

Since pediatric dentistry specializes in the care and treatment of children, it is vital for candidates to have a warm chair-side demeanor and be able to treat children without scaring or intimidating them. Most dental phobias are due to bad experiences in childhood, so a good pediatric dentist can truly shape the course of a person’s dental hygiene for the rest of their life.

Job Opportunities

There is a definite shortage of qualified pediatric dentists. There are more positions open than candidates so pediatric dentists can expect high salaries, excellent benefits and a wide variety of job choices.

Salary

The median salary for a pediatric dentist is roughly $130k a year. This can be significantly higher in areas with a shortage of dentists and increases as dental experience increases. The highest salaries are made by dentists who run their own practice, often partnered with another dentist in the same field.