Income is an important consideration in selecting a career. Traditionally, dentists have earned a more than adequate income. In fact, dentistry can provide considerable financial security.
Dentistry is an evolving profession. The need for professional dental services will remain strong in the years ahead, even though changing patterns in dental disease will affect the nature of dental practice. Thanks to fluoride and improved dental techniques, tooth decay is declining, especially among children and teens. However, periodontal disease continues as a serious threat, affecting three out of four adults.
Tomorrow's dentists will meet public oral health needs with advanced techniques, including vaccines that fight tooth-decay, new anxiety-relieving methods and sophisticated materials and procedures to enhance appearance.
At the same time, the population is living longer and more people will keep their own teeth longer, so the demand for preventive and restorative services will increase, while the need for extractions and "false teeth" will decrease.