u/Hellowhowareyoutoday

I’m a general dentist considering specialising in prosthodontics and would love to hear from people who have actually made the transition.
I’m particularly interested in the reality after training, rather than just the academic/career benefits of specialising.
For those who were already reasonably happy as GPs, did becoming a prosthodontist actually improve your career, income and lifestyle? Or did you find yourself trading general dentistry problems for more complex cases, difficult patients and failed treatment referred from other dentists?
I also have two young children, so the time and financial commitment of specialist training is a significant consideration.
Knowing what you know now, would you specialise again?
Would especially love to hear from people who had a similar dilemma before specialising, including anyone who ultimately decided not to do it.

I’m a GP dentist in Australia considering applying for prosthodontics, particularly USyd, and would really appreciate some honest perspectives from current/former registrars and prosthodontists.
I have two young kids, so I’m trying to work out whether the 3 years of training and lifestyle/financial sacrifice is actually worth it in the long run.
A few things I’d love to hear about:
What is the reality of the USyd program in terms of workload and family life?
For those who have finished, has specialising genuinely improved your career, income and lifestyle compared with staying in general practice?
Is specialist prosthodontic work as enjoyable as you expected, or do you end up seeing a lot of failed treatment, difficult patients and cases that other dentists don’t want to deal with?
Knowing what you know now, would you specialise again if you were in my position?
I’m particularly interested in honest experiences from people who were already reasonably comfortable as GPs before specialising, rather than just the usual “specialisation opens doors” perspective.
USyd experiences especially welcome, but I’d love to hear from prosthodontists from other Australian programs too.