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You may feel like the economy is frying you up and serving you with tartar sauce, but according to a report posted at www.sageworksinc.com, dental offices gained a net profit of nearly 17% in 2008. Dentistry topped the list of net profit gains by industry.

Other top dogs include accounting, legal services, health practitioner offices, mining support, physician offices, outpatient care centers, and insurance.

Dentists’ Salaries
Median salary for dentists, as reported at www.payscale.com, is as follows, based on experience:

1 year $98K
1-4 years $101K
5-9 years $119K
10-19 years $122K
20 years or more $131K

The occupational employment statistics for 2007, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics are a bit more promising:

General Dentists $147K
OM Surgeons $178K
Orthodontists $185K
Prosthodontists $169K
Other Dental Specialists $120K

And according to the ADA, in 2005 the average dentist made $198K. The numbers vary between the above reports due to the demographics of and number of respondents, of course.

Other Info You’ll Find Interesting
If you’ve noticed your profits slipping, take a few minutes to learn what the experts have to say.

Dr. Roger Levin of Levin Group explains the effects of a slowing economy on dentistry in this informative article. It’s worth a read.

Michael Sernick, BDS, of Prime Practice also offers an insightful report that includes ideas to weather the economic storm. Download the PDF here.