Periodontist
Impact: Patient outcomes, Oral health restoration, Disease prevention
Diagnoses, treats, and prevents diseases of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. Performs surgical procedures to restore oral health and function.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- Very High
- Travel
- Minimal
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $280,000
- Entry-level
- $220,000 - $250,000
- Senior
- $350,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 4% (as fast as average)
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Moderate
- Salary growth potential
- High to 50-60% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $300,000 - $500,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Periodontal Surgery
- Implantology
- Oral Pathology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Anesthesia Administration
- Treatment Planning
Soft skills
- Communication
- Empathy
- Problem-solving
- Attention to Detail
- Manual Dexterity
- Decision-making
Technical complexity: Very High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Doctoral or Professional Degree
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 5-8 years
- Years to senior
- 10-15 years
- Career switching
- Very Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Associate Periodontist
- Senior Periodontist
- Practice Owner/Partner
- Academic/Research
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 5% to very low risk due to complex surgical procedures and patient interaction
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.2/10
- Prestige
- 9/10
- Social perception
- Very High