Duties and Responsibilities:

As a periodontist, you'll treat patients who have gum disease and other issues in the gums and bones surrounding the jaw. Your work may be surgical or non-surgical and might include tasks like placing implants, developing treatment plans, and providing preventative care. You may also perform cosmetic procedures, including tissue grafts or reductions to alter the way a person's smile looks. Part of your job might also be to help patients resolve issues like tooth sensitivity. While most dentists work in their own private practices, you might also work in a group practice, clinic, dental school, or hospital.

Salary: 

$101,181 - $245,538

Education:

Becoming a periodontist starts along the same path as becoming a dentist. You need to complete dental school followed by a residency in periodontics. Admission to dental school usually entails passage of the Dental Admissions Test and at least two years of prior college study, but it's common for students to earn bachelor's degrees before gaining admission. You might earn your degree in an area of science, which may prepare you for the extensive science coursework required in dental school; however, a degree in any major is usually acceptable as long as you meet science prerequisites.

Dental school takes four years to complete and includes classroom and laboratory instruction. You'll take mostly general and clinical science courses in the first two years, including anatomy, pathology, and patient care procedures. In the final years, you will gain practical, supervised experience in clinical settings. You'll help diagnose and treat patients while discovering various specialties, like periodontics and pediatric dentistry. Upon graduating, you'll earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine.