Why are dentists depressed?

Since dentists are not always the most loved among patients, especially because they are feared for “causing pain,” dentists often have difficulty establishing a relationship with patients. This can cause anxiety and depression, as the perspective surrounding dentistry is often quite negative. The relentless pursuit of perfection and permanence in an inhospitable oral environment is one of the main causes of stress and frustration for dentists. The stress of perfection is instilled in dental school.

However, it should be tempered with the understanding that the most perfect restoration will eventually become imperfect by the patient's time and carelessness, despite the dentist's efforts. Yes, dentistry is a depressing job, as it is a job of high stress and anxiety. Dentists and others with high-stress jobs may be particularly susceptible to depression. While a career in dentistry can be very rewarding, it has been characterized by being very stressful.

Although occupation alone is not generally considered an important predictor, the idea that dentists have the highest suicide rate among professions has persisted in the general population for nearly a century. While there is a potential for chronic work-related stress to play an important role, is there any truth to this long-held assumption? Recent studies published in the dental literature confirm that dentists are subject to a variety of physical and emotional problems related to stress. There is now considerable evidence that dentists experience patterns of responses to physiological stress (increased heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating, etc.). A 2004 survey of 3,500 dentists showed that 38 percent reported that they were worried or anxious, often or always, and 34 percent said they were often or always physically or emotionally exhausted.

The origin of the notion that dentists are particularly prone to suicide is uncertain, but it seems to be traced back to media reports and general misinformation that began in the 1920s. Even the dentists I spoke to who were happy in their profession agreed that they were practicing under significant stress. Health workers, including dentists, rank 11th on CDC's list of 30 occupations most likely to commit suicide. In a private study conducted by the Journal of the American Dental Association with 3,500 dentists, the results showed that 38% of these dentists felt anxious and worried.

To be honest, running a dental clinic is really difficult beyond what people think, as running the clinic would require highly knowledgeable dentists, as well as a team and staff to support management and patients. Dentistry is a high-stress profession, the demands of dentistry begin in dental school, and once a dentist enters clinical practice, they realize they are exposed to a greater number and variety of stressors than ever before. Factors found to influence dentists' suicide ranged from known occupational stressors to toxin and substance abuse, and untreated mental health problems. Although dentists' suicide is declining, diversity in methodology means that a current consensus is not possible.

So to answer you, no, it doesn't bother the dentist when a entitled, lazy and useless imbecile is ashamed of his smile. Or the guy who killed that lion in Africa, there was a strong association that he was specifically a dentist. For dentists, the nature of the profession could be a major factor in the development of depression. And all I have to say to any young person contemplating dentistry today is to do anything, absolutely anything else.

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