Pediatric Dentist Salary

Yearly Annual Income

The average salary of a pediatric dentist in the United States is around USD 130,000 - USD2500,000 annually.

In recent years, of http://shanevmxb.buzznet.com/photos/default/?id=68755412 all the health scaresfaced by kids, tooth problems are one of the most aggravated forms. This is essentially due toimproper or insufficient dental care. Kids are not as aware as the adults are, of the regimen thatshould necessarily be followed to ensure proper tooth care. Therefore, they tend to ignore it, givingway to tooth problems. This is when it becomes essential to use the advice and expertise of apediatric dentist. Their core job is to diagnose the problem and suggest treatment measures toovercome it. It also includes providing tips on better dental care that will ensure that such problemsare avoided in the future.

The salary relies on various factors such as education acquired, experience gained, number ofworking hours, and the location of work.

The following table shows the basic state-wise salaries of pediatric dentists. The salary rangedepends upon the location, size of the employer, volume of practice, your knowledge, andexperience. These figures may also vary according to the individual's education, qualification, andspecialization. New York, so far, is the highest payer, with an average salary of around USD 215,000- USD 250,000, while they are paid around USD 180,000 in Virginia, and around USD 170,000 - USD180,000 in Wisconsin! Moreover, the career opportunities, too, in this field are excellent as there aremany health care organizations and hospital job openings expected in the near future.

*All figures mentioned in this article are in US dollars, as per Indeed as of May 2014.

State-wise Salary Range

Alabama

$206,000

Alaska

$153,000

Arizona

$169,000

Arkansas

$204,000

California

$219,000

Colorado

$182,000

Connecticut

$236,000

Delaware

$180,000

Florida

$191,000

Georgia

$233,000

Hawaii

$128,000

Idaho

$138,000

Illinois

$232,000

Indiana

$197,000

Iowa

$200,000

Kansas

$187,000

Kentucky

$175,000

Louisiana

$178,000

Maine

$181,000

Maryland

$210,000

Massachusetts

$245,000

Michigan

$208,000

Minnesota

$179,000

Mississippi

$212,000

Missouri

$200,000

Montana

$182,000

Nebraska

$150,000

Nevada

$159,000

New Hampshire

$202,000

New Jersey

$221,000

New Mexico

$180,000

New York

$248,000

North Carolina

$195,000

North Dakota

$182,000

Ohio

$196,000

Oklahoma

$188,000

Oregon

$196,000

Pennsylvania

$197,000

Rhode Island

$188,000

South Carolina

$199,000

South Dakota

$155,000

Tennessee

$188,000

Texas

$198,000

Utah

$160,000

Vermont

$182,000

Virginia

$182,000

Washington

$208,000

West Virginia

$193,000

Wisconsin

$183,000

Wyoming

$170,000

Job Responsibilities

A pediatric dentist is the head of the department and, therefore, apart from treating dental problemsin children, he shoulders the responsibility of many other duties and tasks. Some of them arementioned below.

The most important job is to carry out an overall checkup of the patient's teeth and then try toidentify the problems through diagnostic procedures and generating X-rays.

Sometimes, the patient's teeth are fine and require just a cleanup. In such cases, the dentist's job isto clean his/her teeth and suggest measures for maintaining good dental health.

Filling cavities, placing bridges and dentures, and pulling out damaged and irreparable teeth alsoform an important part of the job description.

Other responsibilities include preparing case documents and preserving medical records associatedwith patient history, treatment measures, etc., for future references.

They also need to work on tooth care developmental plans in order to render a good level of patientcare.

Using specialized lab equipment and taking proper care by maintaining and repairing them,whenever necessary, is also a part of their responsibility.

If employed in a health care organization, then going out for kids' dental checkup campaigns is alsoan important duty.

They also need to communicate and counsel the child and parents about any problem in an effectivemanner and inculcate the importance of regular tooth care in them.

Managing day-to-day appointments and looking after administrative work in the office is also a partof their daily routine.

Educational Requirements

Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch, and therefore, it requires expert training on the subject.The first step is to successfully complete the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and then seek admissionin a dental school. Next, you need to complete a four-year program in general dentistry from areputed college or university and earn a degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) or Doctor ofDental Surgery (DDS). This is followed by pursuing continued education from the American Academyof Pediatric Dentistry. This should be done to maintain the license of working as a pediatric dentistand also to keep yourself updated on the latest trends and advanced dental procedures. This fieldincludes training and education on child psychology, craniofacial anomalies in children, childdevelopment, dealing and caring for children who need special care and attention, child-relatedpharmacology, and detailed study of oral diseases and problems in children. To obtain a license, it isabsolutely necessary to pass the state board examination.

A job or career as a pediatric dentist is emotionally fulfilling and monetarily satisfying, but not aneasy one. It requires a special understanding towards child psychology and a knack of dealing withchildren. So, if you are really interested and you think that you have what it takes, just follow yourheart, because rest assured, you can develop a very promising career in this field.