Periodontist Salary

Periodontist is a specialty 3-year training program after you have completed your 4 year dental training. A periodontist is given extensive training in preventing, diagnosing and treating gum diseases. They have an expertise in dealing with the soft tissue surrounding the teeth and the bone beneath the teeth. Your dentist may recommend you to a periodontist to correct occlusions, and to polish and clean your teeth. People completing a periodontal postgraduate course have good careers and the salary is also predicted to grow faster than average. The periodontal procedures are mostly not covered by insurance companies and only affluent clients find them affordable, hence the money a periodontists makes is enviable. The chunk of clients that come to a periodontist are through referral from other dentists who are not able to provide specialized care for certain gum and structural problems of the teeth and for gingivitis cure.

Education and Job Description

Periodontology is a specialized branch of dentistry that deals with gums, structural problems and the bones of the teeth. You can opt for this specialized periodontist training after you have completed 4 years of dental education. A 3 years master's degree or certification program after the dentistry degree needs to be completed to become a licensed periodontists. After completing the 3 year program one becomes eligible to appear for the American Board of Periodontology examination, which needs to be cleared to become a member of the board and practice. A periodontist needs to diagnose and treat diseases that infect the gum destroying the bone and, the tissue supporting the teeth. These people tackle diseases like gingivitis which cause discomfort and pain to the patients and can lead to loss of teeth. A periodontist also needs to examine the gums for any signs of decay, infection or lesions on the gums and give advise on dental care to the patients. Some of the procedures that a periodontist performs are tissue grafts and dental implant placements for periodontal disease cure. In people with gum diseases the bone and gum tissues that hold the teeth are destroyed forming pockets near the teeth. A periodontist will clear these pockets of any bacteria and pull the tissue back in place. They are also required to handle medical equipment like X-ray machine, dental drills, suction pumps, and respiration-support equipment.

Salary

Periodontology is a specialized branch of dentistry and most periodontists have their own practices or work with other dentists. Some periodontists work with health care services, dental clinics and in the teaching field. The average median salary of periodontist is USD 103,000 to USD 230,000 which is comparable to the other fields of expertise in dentistry. Some agencies predict that the job market for periodontist is projected to rise by about 16 percent till 2018 which is more than most other medical jobs. Periodontists working in the academics field reportedly earn an average salary of USD 102,000 to USD 192,000 annually. Dental prosthetics services also offer jobs for periodontists and offer salaries that average USD 113,000 to USD 213,000. The dental prosthetic services cater to an affluent clientele and this is the main reason they pay such high salaries. Some big dental clinics also offer employment for periodontists and the average salary is USD 106,000 to USD 201,000. These clinics also hire dentists, orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons and provide total dental care under one roof for their clients. Few hospitals also need the services of a periodontist and the average salary they offer is USD 104,000 to USD 198,000. Some of the cities that offer good salary ranges for jobs as periodontists are New York and Los Angeles.

The salary is what attracts many dental students to this specialized sector and if you are thinking about it, now is a good time, as the projected growth in this field is above average for the next 10 years.