Four of Five Dentists Suffer from Dental Burnout

Dentistry Demands a Lot from Dental Practitioners

When we asked dentists if they’ve ever suffered from professional burnout in their dental careers, a whopping 81% said yes. Only 19% reported that they had never felt burnt out in dentistry.

“If dentists dropped managed care and got better fees for their hard work, it would reduce burnout significantly,” said one dentist wistfully. “Get rid of people in the office who drag you down,” offered another. “Sometimes the very best first step is to sell the practice, take a year off, relax, think, and plan new strategies,” advised an implantologist.

Tips to ease your life

• “Work 4 days a week. Have a good staff. Take long lunch breaks. Use fewer rooms.” (Vermont dentist)
• “Deal with dentistry, not finances.” (Illinois dentist)
• “Take quarterly vacations.” (Illinois dentist)
• “Taking dental continuing education classes rejuvenates my practice and keeps me fresh.” (Illinois dentist)
• “Have a life outside of dentistry.” (New York dentist)
• “Don’t get overwhelmed by a schedule that is not commensurate with your ebbing strength as you hit retirement age.” (California dentist)

What dentists think about burnout

• “I’m a relatively new dentist, and no one warned me about the dangers of high stress, high debt, low reimbursements and staffing issues.” (Illinois dentist)
• “If you view each patient as unique, each with their own set of physical and mental aspects to their mouths, how can dentistry get boring?” (Maryland dentist)
• “The over-40 crowd needs time away to counter burnout.” (Texas pediatric dentist)
• “Burnout to me is mainly the result of the negative light in which most people view the dental office experience.” (Massachusetts dentist)
• “It’s having a great, loyal, professional and mature staff along with a great flow of new patients who want what I have to sell and where money is no object. So, how do I find that? LOL.” (Texas dentist)

Read the complete dental burnout survey results or post your own comments