Are dentists really paid enough?

marti8

I mean, think about it, looking in peoples gobs all day in and all day out. Doing things. Taking things out , putting things in, looking at xrays and that kinda stuff. Then there's actually having to talk to people and being polite, OMG, it must be so tiresome. I mean some dentists even work 40 hour weeks, I mean that's just taking the piss, 5 years of university and dental school to work 40 hours a week! It's outrageous. I know you'll always get the oddballs complaining how expensive it is here in the South compared to the North but you simply cannot compare like for like, I mean golf fees are higher here, beemers are more expensive, private schooling for the kids is like, um, astronomical. I mean do the masses who complain even play golf?! So, when you look at the lifestyle dentists deserve and the money the masses have well, yes, sacrifices have to be made, why don't they simply eat less or something? I mean it's not like they'll starve, not literally. Dentists deserve the best, they are the best - we should never loose sight of that. Opticians are good too but dentists are better. Doctors are good too but dentists are actually Dr's too. Mouth doctors.

And why do some people think people become dentists? Just because they couldn't get into med school? NO, NO, NO, that's not always the case. People have to save money, we're in tough economic times but to suggest that dentists should reduce their costs is just so unfair, big houses have big mortgages, do we want to see dentists living in council estates and eating Tesco value products?!!! Not only shouldn't they reduce prices they should increase them. Healthcare should be a priviledge not a right, you'll get the looney lefties saying otherwise but look it, they're just communists.

Oral Surgeon

Really!!! We're doing this again???
Dentists are not better than these other clinicians but they certainly do have higher expenses than them...
A fully functioning surgery is not cheap- the chair, the instruments, compressors, suction units, massively expensive
Xray equipment, a high class sterilization facility is mad expensive to have and run, rent, rates, staff, fees to all the regulatory bodies to keep legal....

GPs don't have all these expenses, neither do opticians...
Dentists also see each patient for 30-60mins whereas a GP will
Take 10-15 mins and therefore can charge less to cover expenses and turn a profit after tax...

You have received quite a lot of free advice off these "moneygrabbers" in the past marti8- don't bite the hand that feeds you!!!

marti8

OS You misunderstand, I just like being sarcastic, lol. But I think I do have a point, how much profit is too much profit - or is there even such a thing? It raises larger questions possibly suited more to a political forum than here. I have met great dentists and I have met crap dentists - just like I have met nice people and people who bug the ****e out of me (I'm sure I fit the latter for many, lol) I think my problem is that a lot of the dental issues and problems I have could all be down to TMJD and that is quite depressing especially as the State services are so underfunded and certainly not fit for purpose. I do appreciate advice I get, certainly, but I'm not one to keep quiet when I see things are rather messed up. And my own personal political leanings would be left and more for a redistribution of welath than a concentration of wealth.

I have no doubt there are huge overheads involved, it's not as though I don't recognise that, I do - what I take issue with is how much profit is "fair", how much is enough. That's all. Listen, I'll make fun of anyone, everyone - myself included, it's nothing personal

Dianthus

Hence why dentists pay high taxes. The funding for disability allowance, dole & the running of dental hospitals for subsidised treatment for patients..... has to come from somewhere.
So, let everyone eat cake. Just don't complain when you develop cavities

ballsymchugh

i just can't be arsed.

Cill Dara Abu

marti8 wrote: »

I mean, think about it, looking in peoples gobs all day in and all day out. Doing things. Taking things out , putting things in, looking at xrays and that kinda stuff. Then there's actually having to talk to people and being polite, OMG, it must be so tiresome. I mean some dentists even work 40 hour weeks, I mean that's just taking the piss, 5 years of university and dental school to work 40 hours a week! It's outrageous. I know you'll always get the oddballs complaining how expensive it is here in the South compared to the North but you simply cannot compare like for like, I mean golf fees are higher here, beemers are more expensive, private schooling for the kids is like, um, astronomical. I mean do the masses who complain even play golf?! So, when you look at the lifestyle dentists deserve and the money the masses have well, yes, sacrifices have to be made, why don't they simply eat less or something? I mean it's not like they'll starve, not literally. Dentists deserve the best, they are the best - we should never loose sight of that. Opticians are good too but dentists are better. Doctors are good too but dentists are actually Dr's too. Mouth doctors.

And why do some people think people become dentists? Just because they couldn't get into med school? NO, NO, NO, that's not always the case. People have to save money, we're in tough economic times but to suggest that dentists should reduce their costs is just so unfair, big houses have big mortgages, do we want to see dentists living in council estates and eating Tesco value products?!!! Not only shouldn't they reduce prices they should increase them. Healthcare should be a priviledge not a right, you'll get the looney lefties saying otherwise but look it, they're just communists.

Are you for real???

Oral Surgeon

marti8 wrote: »

I have no doubt there are huge overheads involved, it's not as though I don't recognise that, I do - what I take issue with is how much profit is "fair", how much is enough. That's all. Listen, I'll make fun of anyone, everyone - myself included, it's nothing personal

Fair enough but I know many who are making no profit atall so it's a serious pain for them when patients then demand cheaper treatment....

I've recently started a business employing people and paying serious expenses and tax, we are sole traders and liable for all business debts unlike many limited companies etc...

Even in a recession, not every expense drops automatically, my insurance is up, petrol is up, rates, water..... Why do people expect fillings and extractions to be less?:)? Have my rates rent electricity, sterilization xray and surgery suddenly dropped in price- nope....



You should target your accounting eye somewhere else...

marti8

Dianthus wrote: »

Hence why dentists pay high taxes. The funding for disability allowance, dole & the running of dental hospitals for subsidised treatment for patients..... has to come from somewhere.
So, let everyone eat cake. Just don't complain when you develop cavities

Cavities are the least of my concern at present. High taxes, hmmm, debatable, "higher" is probably the more correct word. Of course those who pay tax fund social programmes.....and the civil serice, and the roads, public lighting, schools, hospitals etc etc etc. The majority of workers pay tax. However those who earn more can of course afford to pay more. Not too sure just how subsidised treatment is at dental hospitals: I went to a dental hospital for a checkup and was charged €35 if memory serves, I went to a local dentist today and paid €30. Of course the truth about excessive profit hurts, it's only natural that dentists will fight their corner as will every other sector of society from the unemployed to the Garda to the nurses to the tax inspectors to the politicans. That's natural, people in the society we live in want as much moula as they can get for their work - or lack of.

From what I know the money patients pay at a dental hospital goes to the dental hospital, it doesn't go to the students.

marti8

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

Fair enough but I know many who are making no profit atall so it's a serious pain for them when patients then demand cheaper treatment....

I've recently started a business employing people and paying serious expenses and tax, we are sole traders and liable for all business debts unlike many limited companies etc...

Even in a recession, not every expense drops automatically, my insurance is up, petrol is up, rates, water..... Why do people expect fillings and extractions to be less?:)? Have my rates rent electricity, sterilization xray and surgery suddenly dropped in price- nope....


You should target your accounting eye somewhere else...

I guess in the supposed free market that's the risk - when you invest in a business you can do well, break even or fail. Again it comes back to profit and how much profit is needed/wanted/justifiable - in the capitalist sytem it's as much as you can get. That's the system we have and for some it works and for others it doesn't.

Why do people expect dental work to be less? I guess because people have less money and believe in the share the pain philosophy - can a business owner of any hue reduce costs while still making a profit or is the only instinct to maximise profit regardless of the effects on society at large?

I wonder is there really a free market in dentistry in Ireland? I've heard people complain of GP practices being a bit of a closed shop, not too sure about dentistry but I would hazard a guess that it's more or less the same but I could be wrong.

Oral Surgeon

I'm done

Big_G

Marti8, you've come on here for a blatant bit of trolling, to rise the dentists that you know post here and give advice for free with a subject that is not a dental issue. Thread locked. Here's some sarcasm for you, earnings are so good in Ireland at the moment that I've decided to come halfway around the world to look for work. Here in Australia some dentists make as much in a month as I was making in a year at home. And nobody is complaining. But yeah, I wish I was at home earning less and listening to the begrudgers all day.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Marti8 take a month off for trolling, if you dont like dentists so much then I will request you dont post hear looking for their advice to your multiple threads asking for free advice about your many dental issues.