<p>I have another question that I will post later because I am pre-occupied at the moment. I was wondering, and have wondered for quite some time, why do people choose to become dentists?</p>
<p>high income, fixed work hours(usually no nights or weekends), no emergenices in the hospital while seeing patients in the office, still called “Dr.” All of the good and little of the bad. The boredom, however, leads to their high suicide rate-but, hey, hard to have it all :-)</p>
<p>Why do people become doctors? Why do people become physical therapists? Why do people become nurses? Why do people become PAs?</p>
<p>besides doctors, all of the above are in it to make decent money. At least the ones that I know are. I’m sorry but money isnt enough to make me want to do something that I dont find appealing. I guess, what’s so appealing about being a dentist on a daily basis?</p>
<p>And is the suicide tidbit true?</p>
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<p>So doctors don’t make “decent” money? </p>
<p>People can’t possibly enjoy being a nurse or a PA?</p>
<p>Most doctors make really good money but they practice for more reasons than just that. Of the nurses, PA’s, and Physical Therapist, all of them wanted to do something to make a decent living. I’m sure that they enjoy their jobs but it’s not like their as passionate about it as doctors are. I’m just speaking from personal experience though. As I said, the ones that I know aren’t as passionate as the doctors I know. But that isnt my question nor what I intend to debate. I want to know what is it about their jobs that make dentistry so appealing to them?</p>
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<p>There are doctors who got into medicine for the money and prestige. There are nurses, PAs, and PTs who got into it because they love working with patients.</p>
<p>I hope you have the good sense not to voice your opinions about nurses, PAs, and PTs to their faces.</p>
<p>Great pay and great hours.</p>
<p>And no, the suicide thing is not true.</p>
<p>it is more apocryphal than anything else</p>
<p>[The</a> Straight Dope: Do dentists have the highest suicide rate?](<a href=“http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2301/do-dentists-have-the-highest-suicide-rate]The”>Do dentists have the highest suicide rate? - The Straight Dope)</p>
<p>This is probably one of the most ignorant threads I’ve seen on here. You truly can’t fathom that someone can have a passion for fixing teeth? Just how all the doctors who specialize in one specific body part had a passion for that body part. I can’t picture anybody really enjoying the human ear, but there are ENTs who love it. Just like there are people who love teeth. And do you honestly think that all nurses, PAs etc are just MD rejects and never really wanted to have that position? There are perks for every type of job in the medical field.</p>
<p>Teeth/gums are such an important part of our lives. Besides the fact that we need them for eating, they are part of our physical appearance. Some people don’t smile because they are so self conscious of their teeth. Dentists can change lives dramatically. They also make good pay and have good hours.</p>
<p>I still think it’s a good question to ask. I’m still surprised that people would want to be dentists. I’m just surprised that’s all. But I guess that people do like working with a person’s mouth. Also, the hours are good and the pay is good as well.</p>
<p>Well what is the usual upward limit to a dentist who owns his own practice and who also does cosmetics?</p>
<p>A lot of the benefits of being a doctor and none of the hassles.</p>