Posted by Amy Carbone on Feb 4, 2025 10:57:27 AM
Choosing a dental specialty is an essential part of starting your career. There are 12 different specialties in dentistry formally approved by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards:
- Dental Anesthesiology
- Dental Public Health
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Oral Medicine
- Orofacial Pain
- Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
These five questions will help you ensure you're choosing the right dental specialty:
5 Questions to Help Choose a Dental Specialty Care Field
1. Are You Financially Motivated?
If earning a high income is your primary consideration, completing a dental specialty residency or postgraduate training program may afford a higher income potential.
2. Do You Want to Be a Surgeon?
Those with steady hands and nerves of steel still have the opportunity to pursue a career in surgery outside of dental school.
After graduating from dental school, oral and maxillofacial surgeons spend an additional four to six years working in a hospital-based oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program. There, alongside other medical residents, they learn general surgery, emergency surgery, and anesthesiology, in addition to oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons provide dental specialty care for problems that are more complex than general dentists typically handle, such as impacted wisdom teeth, jaw realignment, and the correction of hereditary conditions like cleft palate.
Oral surgeons also perform reconstruction after a patient experiences trauma. Aside from anesthesiologists, oral surgeons are the only healthcare specialists able to administer all levels of sedation, including general anesthesia.
3. Are You Interested in Health and Wellness?
One of the most interesting dental industry insights as of late is the connection between good oral health and longevity.
According to Hopkins et al., studies “suggest that periodontitis may have overall health consequences, specifically pertaining to cardiovascular disease and associated diagnoses. Significant evidence exists that periodontal therapy may contribute to improved outcomes in these pathologies.”
Additional dentistry specialties you may want to consider include:
Periodontics: Focused on the structures that support the teeth, including the gums, and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease.
Oral Medicine: Diagnoses and manages diseases affecting the oral cavity and maxillofacial region in medically complex patients.
Prosthodontics: Designs and fits artificial replacements for teeth, including dentures, crowns, and bridges.
Endodontics: Treats issues related to tooth pulp and root tissues, primarily through root canal procedures.
4. Do You Love Kids?
It takes a special sort of bedside manner to make a great pediatric dentist. If you enjoy spending time with children and know how to put them at ease, this can be a very rewarding specialty practice.
You need to do an additional two-year residency program after graduating from dental school, gaining the clinical experience and skills needed to work with patients so young.
The residency includes learning about child psychology and child pharmacology, both of which will play a central role in your day-to-day practice.
Another dental specialty field that requires dentists to spend a lot of time with young patients is, of course, orthodontics.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children be screened by an AAO orthodontist at age 7. This early screening allows orthodontists to provide early treatment even while some baby teeth are in place, guiding the growth to provide more space for adult teeth.
5. Is Public Service a Factor?
All areas of dentistry help people to look and feel better, but not all specialties have the built-in advantage of providing a public service. If philanthropy motivates you, you might want to consider dental public health.
A public health dental specialist focuses their attention on populations that require dental services rather than working strictly with one patient at a time.
They may study trends in certain groups, develop new oral health policies to improve the dental health of a given population, and both develop and provide dental programs to underserved or at-risk communities.
Learn More About Dental Specialties from Professional Associations
Each dental specialty is tied to an organization where professionals can meet, network, and discuss their work.
If you're considering one or more dental specialties, the best place to start is with the corresponding professional association. We invite you to start your research here.
About Treloar & Heisel
Treloar & Heisel, an EPIC Company, is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.
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