Should I become a dentist? Is it worth it?

Is becoming a dentist worth it? First year dental salaries pay nearly the same as first year pharmacists and considering that dental school is MUCH more costly and lengthier, the only thing that justifies the extra debt and school from a financial standpoint is that with dentistry, you can open your own business with a major growth in income.

Dentistry seems interesting to me. I would enjoy fixing teeth, making crowns, applying veneers, invisalign, and bleaching teeth. I can deal with drilling and cleaning, however less enjoyable. I just wonder how hard is it to make money doing dentistry these days? It seems to me that many city and suburban markets are overly saturated with dentists, especially in my home state of Florida, making it more competitive.

I’m just so confused as I am starting college this fall and planning on taking the medical sciences and prerequisites and for dental school. I wonder if dentistry is for me? I first considered psychiatry, but ruled this out as I dread the idea of being 30+ and starting my career. Secondly, I decided on pharmacy, then ruled this out as I would not enjoy the classes. I would much rather have hands on activities. As most things in pharmacy school are not tangible, I think I would have a harder time learning.

That being said, I would LOVE to be a dentist, but I find myself easily discouraged and hard to commit. I have been told business is a better degree to look into if you are interested in the money, but I have no interest in the business world; being that it seems very cutthroat and unstable. I would much rather make money in the medical field, as dentistry becomes business when you open your own practice.

Any thoughts? I would like to hear from anyone working toward the same goal as me, or anyone that is currently a dentist. What do you love or hate about your job? If you could do it over again, would you? And most importantly, what would you have wanted to know about the career before you became a dentist? Thanks.

You know you were not meant to be a dentist when………..

1. The idea of the salary appeals more to you then the job.

2. You do not take care of your own teeth.

3. You only THINK that you would like the job, to be a dentist, you must KNOW that you will like the job.

So, just ask yourself those three questions, and if ANY apply to you, then look for a different career.
I myself would LOVE to be a pharmacist, it has my passion for chemistry and people written all over it. I will likely be pursuing that.