California Periodontics Careers

Periodontics or “periodontology” is a specialized area of dentistry that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth or their substitutes. This specialty also focuses on the maintenance of the health, function, and aesthetics of these structures and tissues (ADA). Dentists specializing in periodontics (called “periodontists”) may also take on other specialties within the field of periodontology, such as implant therapy, which requires additional education and training beyond general dentistry and periodontics.

Periodontists may have their own practice or work within a group practice, or they might work at a hospital, clinic, or other medical facility. Some periodontists may also work for government or church-funded facilities. Periodontists can be found in every state across the U.S. However, California is home to the largest number of dentists with training in any given specialized area.   

Periodontics Education and Training Programs

In order to practice periodontics in any state, dental graduates must complete up to three years of additional education, training , and clinical experience through a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA, ADA).  A typical periodontics program trains dental graduates in the "comprehensive evaluation and treatment of patients with a variety of periodontal diseases and conditions,” says UCLA’s School of Dentistry.

Program specific coursework may include (but is not limited to), anatomy, occlusion, anesthesiology, radiology, pharmacology, treatment planning, periodontics, surgery, implantology, restorative dentistry, prosthetics and advanced restorative dentistry, periodontal histopathology, adjunctive orthodontics, and more.

Most programs accept only a few residents each year. Upon completion of the program, graduates will receive a Certificate of Specialty Training in Periodontics.

Periodontics Schools and Training Programs in California

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) lists 5 accredited periodontology programs in the State of California. They include:

Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
University of Southern California Ostrow School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA
University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA
University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System,  Los Angeles, CA

Employment and Earnings Outlook for California Periodontists

Dentists that specialize in periodontics are part of the broader "Dentists, All Other Specialists" group. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that this group consists of 5,150 specialists nationwide averaging $164,780 per year, up from 4,770 specialists averaging $142,070 per year in 2008.

The State of California is home to 740 specialists averaging $148,910 per year, up from 330 specialists averaging $169,110 per year in 2008. The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Metro area was the second highest paying Metro area for dentists specializing in a specific area in 2008, with an average salary of $208,470 per year.  At the time, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale Metro area was the fourth highest paying metro area with an average salary of $200,260 per year.

Today, the State of California has the highest employment level for this occupation followed by Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Oregon. The San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Metro area has the second highest employment level for specialists (the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale Metro area has the eighth) and the fourth highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation. The Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville Metro area is the eighth highest paying Metro area for specialists, with an average annual salary of $217,290.