Deciding on a dental specialty after graduating from dental school can be an overwhelming choice to make. The dental field offers a range of specialization options—each requiring different residency programs, board exams, competitive matchings, years of schooling, skillsets, and lifestyles.
When weighing the easier paths to specialization, it is important to consider one’s interests, career ambitions, work-life balance goals, expected compensation, and competitiveness of the various fields. Though no specialty option guarantees placement, the following specialties tend to draw fewer applicants and may provide better odds when applying to programs.
Pediatric Dentistry
For those whose true passion is nurturing children’s lifelong oral health, pediatric dentistry offers advanced skills with better odds when applying to residencies. Pediatric dentistry programs last 2-3 years post-dental school while avoiding the cutthroat competition of many specialties.
As a pediatric dentist, you get to focus fully on providing top-level care from infancy to adolescence. You will guide the proper development of smiles through preventative and therapeutic treatment. We’re talking specialized expertise in areas like minor orthodontics, managing childhood tooth decay or injury, sedation methods for anxious tiny patients, and addressing the needs of special needs children.
This specialty saw a rise in demand as more children in their preschool years have been visiting pediatric dentists, and 57.09% of these children have dental issues. Research also notes that only 18 pediatric dentist positions were left unfilled out of 433 available positions in 2019 alone. Now, compare this to something more selective, like oral surgery, where less than half make the cut.
Pediatric programs recognize that not all dentists have the patience and passion for treating kids—making them eager to embrace those who do. If you love the idea of stopping oral health issues before they start and being there as children grow into healthy adults, pediatric dentistry offers those rewarding experiences with high applicant acceptance.
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Have an eye for aesthetics? Orthodontics blends oral healthcare with transformative smiles or profiles by straightening teeth and realigning jaws. The good news is that the match rates for orthopedics are so high that even first-time applicants have a higher chance of matching than reapplicants.
Yes, orthodontics requires mastering precise biomechanics and materials for various tooth-moving devices—braces, clear aligner trays, retainers, and so on. But equal skill lies in the visual and spatial realm. This involves using photos, X-rays, bone scans, and more to architect beautiful, balanced smiles. There’s a whole lot of art behind moving teeth beyond just the science!
As an orthodontist, you’ll combine attention to anatomical detail with facial symmetry principles—enhancing both oral function and aesthetic appeal. It’s extremely rewarding to envision how small movements incrementally transform crooked teeth over months or years of treatment. At the same time, you build meaningful relationships with patients over this extended care period.
For dentists who want to fuse healthcare and aesthetic specialties while avoiding ultra-fierce competition, an orthodontics residency may offer the ideal environment to hone these creative, analytical skills.
Periodontics
If you find yourself captivated by complex gum disease and intricate surgical corrections, periodontics could be an ideal match with favorable residency odds.
As a periodontist, you’d become an expert at diagnosing and treating severe gum infections and inflammation and supporting bone loss tied to periodontal disease. This means excelling at both intense deep cleanings and gum procedures to eliminate infection sources and regenerate lost tissue.
The variety is immense—from minimally invasive lasers that polish gum pockets to plastic surgery techniques that rebuild receded gums for an aesthetic fix. There’s also a huge role in dental implant placement—securing replacement teeth in the perfectly grafted bone sites you help construct.
Beyond the medical knowledge and technical finesse, there’s the profound patient impact. Restoring formerly broken smiles and function by surgically overcoming disease delivers immense fulfillment. If that level of tangible improvement motivates you, periodontics can provide it without the highest barriers.
Public Health Dentistry
Think universal oral healthcare access should be a public policy goal? Public health dentistry allows you to coordinate sweeping system-level policies and interventions toward this mission.
Through just a 1-2 year residency focused on statistics, program management, health equity research, and more, you become equipped to administer broad community oral health initiatives. This can mean expanding dental access via clinics and school programs, developing population education drives, directing preventative research, and leading decisions that elevate health justice for vulnerable groups.
Public health dentistry meets eager applicants with open arms due to lower pay deterring some. But prospects for wide-ranging impact motivate others. You’ll work closely with government and academic bodies to inform decisions and directly coordinate frontline health programs.
If being a leading voice and change driver for equitable access and oral disease prevention sparks your interest—public health provides a promising avenue with low barriers relative to other community-based dental paths. The potential for immense population benefit makes competition minimal.
Final Thoughts
Deciding on the right dental specialty is a very personal decision that depends on one’s interests, passions, skills, goals, and work-life balance needs. While no specialty has impossible barriers to entry, aiming toward less competitive specialties can provide better odds for residency placement.
Meanwhile, for those who wish to postpone specialty training, beginning as a general dentist can allow professional flexibility as well. You can also check out dentistry internship programs to get invaluable experience and a clearer pathway into your chosen dental specialty. Overall, finding the right personal fit takes priority over perceived intensity during the decision process. Considering both passion and pragmatism will lead to the most informed choice.
