25 Best Side Hustles for Dentists to Earn Extra Money

Who says dentists can’t get involved in side hustles to make extra money, right?

There are certainly side hustles for dentists and this article reveals up to 25 of them to consider.

 

Importance

Nothing quite brings a grimace to the face of an individual as does a visit to the dentist.

Often the very people that help us to have healthy smiles are the same profession that wipes away those smiles.

It is estimated that roughly 65% of us go to a dentist on a regular basis.

The importance of good dental care goes beyond a healthy smile.

Healthy teeth are a critical component of the body’s overall health.

Our teeth are the first part of the nutritional process as it relates to chewing food.

Also, neglected teeth can lead to decay or gum disease which in turn can lead to the loss of teeth and other health-related issues.

So, realizing that dentists are our friends let’s drill down on “side hustles” for these professionals who hold the title of DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and examine ways that extra money can be earned.

 

25 Best Money Making Side Hustles for Dentists

 

1. eBook Writing

As a dentist, quite possibly you would like to pen an e-book that talks about a specific dental procedure that you have perfected.

The process of writing an e-book and listing it on Amazon can be accomplished.

Certainly, there would be a receptive audience amongst your peers as well as interest from individuals who are considering going into the profession of dentistry.

 

2. Selling on Etsy 

Etsy is an online retail store that allows individuals to offer for sale items that they have handcrafted as a hobby or offering as part of their business.

In registering for Etsy, you simply select a genre in which to place your created masterpieces and then allow people to find your shop and make purchases.

 

3. Selling on eBay 

A fairly easy way of making money is by selling items that you have no longer any use for.

By registering with eBay, you can list that item, and as it relates to the sale you can click on a fixed price, allow a bidding process to be involved, or set a minimum bid at a limited time frame.

EBay is a large online retailer in which a number of items can be found that are available for sale and matches the owner of that item with a buyer.

 

4. Freelancing 

There are many opportunities that any individual can do as a freelancer.

Being a dentist is no exception.

There are many freelancing websites in which an individual can register and begin a search on skills or talents that they have to offer and match a need from an individual wishing to employ that talent or skill.

Examples could be a graphic designer, writer, grant writer, etc.

Just about any talent or skill that you can think of or that you have can possibly be matched with an individual looking to employ that particular skill.

 

5. Renting a Room 

If you have a spare bedroom or a cottage that is adjacent to your home, you can always rent out that extra space to an individual looking for a home.

A potential renter could be a student attending school, a family friend, or a referral from a friend that is in need of a place to stay.

If this is an option of your choosing it is important to make sure that the ground rules are laid down in writing and that everybody is aware of what their role and responsibilities are.

 

6. Book Writing

Why not be involved with creative writing.

For example, John Grisham is a lawyer and many of his books have been written from a lawyer’s perspective.

As a dentist, about a mystery novel that swirls around a dental office where patients are mysteriously dying? Somehow the cause of death is not easily discoverable.

The whodunit could swirl around the staff member who methodically bills the patients, the mysterious hygienist, the attentive receptionist, or even the very dentist themself.

It would be an intriguing novel and one that could highlight your creative side as well as draw upon your dental expertise.

 

7. Medical Surveys 

There are many online surveys that can be taken in which the participant can be paid $50 or more to take a survey.

The medical profession is always in demand for these medical surveys to provide their opinion and their perspective and companies are willing to pay for your minimal time and effort involved with the involvement in the surveys.

An example of such a survey can be found at Reckner.

 

8. Expert Witness 

We live in a litigious society and individuals are always looking to find a resolution for things that happen in their lives through the court system.

For example, if a dental procedure went awry and caused great distress to the individual, you possibly could be called upon as an expert witness by either the prosecutor or the defense attorney to provide your expert testimony.

Often, attorneys at law look for individuals that can provide this expert testimony and are willing to pay top dollar for that testimony.

To be considered as part of a database for this listing of being an expert witness you can click here.

 

9. Insurance Review 

Many insurance companies hire medical professionals on a contractual basis.

As a dentist, you would bring that dentistry knowledge and review certain insurance claims that patients and dental offices have submitted on behalf of their patients.

Sometimes, not often, an insurance bill may be presented by a dental office in which the procedure may have been performed under the elective status rather than as an actually needed procedure.

In working with the insurance company, you would review such claims and offer a determination.

Some of these opportunities can be accomplished remotely.

Click here for more information.

 

10. Blogging

A great opportunity to capitalize on your dentistry career is to write about your experiences.

The blog could be ongoing journaling of your day-to-day activities which others may find intriguing.

You could talk about special cases, anonymously of course, about unique situations, the personality of your patients, or even the inner workings of a dental office.

Possible sponsorships could include dental equipment companies or health food stores in which people can buy dental hygiene products.

Revenue can also be earned through your followers and donations in appreciation for the information they receive, and affiliate marketing, etc.

 

11. Driving 

A side hustle or “gig” that certainly does not require your professionalism or skills as a dentist is that of being a service delivery driver.

Although not challenging, it certainly is an opportunity in which an individual can possibly earn $200 a day by providing a delivery service for individuals who need to have food delivered, groceries, etc.

Two possible choices of being a delivery service delivery driver would be UberEats and DoorDash.

 

12. Building Online Course 

As a professional involved in a demanding, appealing, and dynamic career choice, you would be qualified to present online courses.

One such website is Wyzant in which you are offered a platform to be a tutor or conduct these classes online.

 

13. Photography 

Often, professionals have hobbies or other outlets in which they are able to de-stress from the day’s activity and constant work schedule.

Perhaps, one of your hobbies is photography.

If you have a good eye for catching that perfect shot or even bringing your dentistry perspective into the photography darkroom, you may be able to enter certain competitions that provide cash prizes for those photographs.

To find out more about competitions you can click here.

 

14. Speaking 

As with any profession, there are associations.

In dentistry, it is the American Dental Association.

Often, dentists from all over the country will gather together at convened meetings to network with other dentists and learn about new cutting-edge technology as it relates to the dentistry field.

Additionally, these associations look for individuals that specialize in a certain aspect of dentistry or were involved in particularly demanding unique dental processes or procedures.

This will be an opportunity for you to talk to your peers about the process and perhaps receive an honorarium or be paid to be a presenter.

 

15. YouTuber

As a dentist, your profession is a trusted occupation by the general public.

A good way to leverage that trust and your professional career is to start a YouTube channel that talks about dental issues in a professional and informative manner.

You could talk about the latest dental procedures that are designed to enhance a person’s dental health, new orthodontist methods, daily hygiene tips, etc.

You could also use the forum to answer questions posed by individuals that follow your channel.

Each of those questions or a variety of questions could be your topic of discussion for that particular YouTube presentation.

Revenue can be realized through subscribers, sponsorships, and business affiliations.

 

16. REIT

REIT stands for Real Estate Investment Trusts.

By investing in this investment vehicle, you are not actually owning property but it is similar to having a mutual fund in which the mutual fund has a number of various real estate projects or properties within its purview.

Often a REIT is invested in warehouses, retail outlets, malls, etc.

This investment often pays dividends at a higher rate than what stocks do.

 

17. Rental Property 

A fairly passive way of earning monthly income is to purchase a home and use that home as an investment home.

The income would be realized by renting out the home to an individual or family who would pay you a monthly rent for living in this home that you own.

For a modest fee of roughly 10% of the monthly rental income, you could get a management company to handle all of the monthly details for you including the collection of the rents and taking the appropriate action for any needed repair work.

The income would come into your account and would be basically profit minus any expenses for management and other related issues involving the rental.

Also, there are added perks and incentives as it relates to the filing of personal taxes in regards to being a landlord.

 

18. Test Preparation 

Preparing for the dental admission test (DAT) is not a walk in the park.

Perhaps you could provide tutoring to a dental student preparing for dental school admission.

A website on which you might be able to follow through on this possibility is found here.

Also, you might be able to do this through the Zoom conferencing system and gather students together as sort of an intimate study group.

Also See: Money Making Business Ideas for Doctors & Making Money in Medical School.

 

19. Teaching 

Given your career path and your knowledge, it seems that this would be a good match to use all of that experience and knowledge in the role of a teacher.

You could teach eager young minds about the maxillofacial area and talk about anatomy and physiology as it relates to the nasal pharyngeal parts of the human body.

Wyzant is a popular online site in which you could be a tutor and teach your particular area of expertise.

 

20. Extra Shifts 

If you’re involved with a dental partnership, you could always take on the patients of other dentists while the dentist is away from the office due to vacation or other reasons.

This will allow you to earn additional income by taking on extra work.

 

21. Online Course

Another option that may be of interest is to create an online course.

Once the course has been developed and the provision of any video or audio components, the website could be set up and basically, the online course could be downloaded without your involvement.

As part of the process, you could provide an e-mail address to allow for questions to be asked of you and you could respond accordingly.

 

22. Moonlight 

As an employed dentist in a dental clinic or part of a group, there may not be the opportunity to work extra hours.

However, if there are no objections with your employer, you could possibly offer your dental skills to work in other clinics or with other groups that have extended hours on the weekend or in the evening.

 

23. Specialty 

If you practice general dentistry, then perhaps the next logical step to increase your earnings power would be to pursue a specialty.

Some of those advanced specialties in dentistry could include:

• Dental anesthesiology
• Dental public health
• Endodontics
• Oral and maxillofacial pathology
• Oral and maxillofacial radiology
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Oral medicine
• Oral facial pain
• Orthodontics and Dental facial orthopedics
• Pediatric dentistry
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics

 

24. Temporary 

Often, there are parts of the nation that are underserved when it comes to the provision of medical and dental services.

Perhaps on a day of the week or during vacation times or other free times, you could visit these local communities and provide dentistry services to the people of that community.

A possible resource to find such opportunities can be found at www.locumtenens.com.

 

25. Virtual 

Although dentistry is practiced through personal interaction between the dentist and his or her patient, the American Dental Association has endorsed the possibility of virtual interaction with providing dental assistance to patients.

More information on the position statement can be found here.

Obviously, it would be difficult to treat a patient but certainly, consultations can be provided and temporary assistance can be offered until an individual can get into a dentist’s office.

 

Personal Story

For some individuals, memories of specific events in their lives are remembered through music, a smell, a place, etc.

For me, it is my teeth and more specifically my two front teeth.

The first event occurred when I was wrestling with an older boy at church.

During the course of the “horseplay”, my right front tooth came in contact with a table which created a chip on my right front tooth.

My tooth is a reminder of those “good days.”

The second “wonderful” memory of days gone by is my left front tooth or rather the absence of my left front tooth.

During gym class in high school, my attempt to block a pass rusher resulted in hands to the face penalty.

In addition to the opposing team losing yardage, I lost my left front tooth.

Dentistry practiced on football is never a good thing, but certainly a memory.

 

Money Earning Side Hustles for Dentists FAQs

 

What is the Average Indebtedness for a Newly Practicing Dentist?

The average indebtedness of a newly graduated and practicing dentist is well over $200,000.

 

What is the Average Net Worth of a Dentist?

The average net worth of a dentist is $190,000.

 

You Can Do It

The practice of dentistry requires an examination, a dental treatment plan, the filling of cavities, a good cleaning, and possibly extraction.

So it is with indebtedness.

A good plan of action, filling in the gaps a good cleaning, and extracting that debt that is unhealthy.

As a dentist, you can follow the same action plan with your debt as you create with your dental patients.

 

Conclusion

Dentists enjoy working in a profession that they most likely are passionate about.

Being a dentist is certainly a high-paying occupation, but it has come with also a high investment and possibly high debt.

It is good debt but nevertheless burdensome.

Perhaps it is time to take the dentist’s drill and start drilling away on some of that debt that is not healthy.