Interested in making more money as a dentist?

Many people aspire to work as a dentist. However, you may need some extra cash when you're just starting out. Or maybe you've been treating patients for years and need a pause; a side business that allows you to do something new can be exciting and profitable.

Dentists can use their skills and education to boost their income by exploring side hustles that utilize their valuable knowledge.

Here are a few side hustles that dentists can try their hands at...

1. Temp dentist jobs

If increasing your income is your primary motivation for taking on extra work, one of the simplest ways to do so is to do the same thing more often.

Consider taking on additional shifts if there has not been enough work at your workplace recently. Princess Dental Staffing has lots of temp dentist jobs.

If that isn't an option, check around with other offices with openings where you will be more than welcome. Locum tenens positions may be a good option if you want to mix things up. For example, you may cover dentists who are on vacation.

2. Specialize in dentistry to expand your talent pool

Obtaining additional degrees in a dental specialty is an excellent way to increase your earning potential. The American Dental Association supports a variety of specialties that have been approved and adopted by the National Commission on Dental Specialty Recognition and Certification Boards. These include:

• Dental Anesthesiology
• Dental Public Health
• Endodontics 
• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology 
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Oral Medicine
• Orofacial Pain
• Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Periodontics 
• Prosthodontics 

Certification in one or more specialties can help you improve your résumé and increase your potential income. It might make your career more meaningful if you have a passion for a particular field.

3. Consider retail

Everyone needs oral care products, which might be a good side business to make more money. After all, what better place is there to purchase these products than a reputable dentist who understands what they're doing?

Start by curating a list of high-quality products to recommend to your patients, and they will gladly accept your advice. Retail can provide a significant, almost passive revenue boost. You don't have to think about creating a store right next to your office, though that is also an option. Making more money through retail can also be done online.

4. Virtual Teledentistry

Even dentists are learning to perform virtual oral exams on their patients as more and more daily activities, including telemedicine, move to the online environment. Dentistry has always been a hands-on profession, but technological advancements allow dentists to deliver excellent care and guidance via virtual platforms.

5. Share your knowledge

There are numerous ways to enhance your income with your knowledge. Other than teaching the people in your community, there are different ways to utilize your valuable knowledge as a dentist.

Every day, a large number of people search the internet for information. Why not pique their attention by writing about topics that interest them? If you enjoy writing, you may take it a step further and develop e-books that cover a variety of issues in depth. 

Consider exploring opportunities to help your online content generate a passive income through ad revenue. Or you may consider hiring out as a writer for a one-time fee.

6. Exam Prep Services

While many resources are available to prospective dental students studying for the dental entrance test, and you may provide exam preparation services on your own time. To help students prepare for exams, you can give individual or small group tutoring sessions or build up a mini-course. Tie that into the content you wrote in our last suggestion, and you've got a great way to make more money as a dentist. Or you might look at working for a company like Kaplan.

7. Connect and educate

Dentists know a lot more about oral health than the average person. However, because oral health impacts everyone, another method to increase your income would be to capitalize on your knowledge. Boost your presence in your immediate community by organizing educational presentations and seminars for anyone interested in attending. By networking and being involved in your community, more money-making opportunities may present themselves.

Bottom Line:

Being a dentist does not mean you cannot do other things somewhat related to your field. Tackling some of these endeavors will not only give you new experiences but may also boost your income.

How have you made more money as a dentist? Let us know in the comments on Facebook or YouTube or hit us up on one of our social accounts.

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