Optional · 1 of 3

Specialties, each with extra residency

• Orthodontics

  Two to three more years. Braces and aligners, predictable hours, very high pay.

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery

  Four to six more years, sometimes with a medical degree attached. The highest paid path in dentistry.

• Pediatric dentistry

  Two to three more years, treating children, including under sedation.

• Endodontics

  Two to three more years doing root canals all day, under a microscope.

• Periodontics and prosthodontics

  Gums and implants, or rebuilding whole mouths. Three more years each.