Burnout Among Dental Professionals

Are you affected?

e-BIONIKA News

About burnout:

Burnout is considered a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been effectively managed. It is important to note that the term "burnout" refers specifically to work-related experiences and should not be applied to other areas of life. Managing chronic workplace stress and seeking timely medical care are essential for maintaining a good quality of life. Recognising the warning signs is crucial for prompt treatment.

Signs of burnout:

The symptoms and signs that predict a state of burnout can be grouped into 3 categories:

The burnout process:

• From the desire to prove oneself to the compulsion to prove oneself: Striving to fulfil the role of the "ideal" employee, encouraged by praise from those around us. It is important to recognise when this compulsion becomes excessive and to return to one's own work pace.
• Increased effort: Driven by the need to prove oneself, tasks become increasingly overwhelming and the ability to delegate is lost. To reduce the load, it may be worth entrusting some tasks to others.
• Neglecting personal needs: Attention to personal life diminishes as work fills every corner of our lives. It is necessary to recall what helped with rest in the past and to restore balance.
• Suppressing personal needs and conflicts: Health-related concerns are suppressed and warning signs are met with overwork. Scheduling adequate sleep and physical activity, as well as talking about suppressed feelings, can help.
• Shift in values: Personal needs are pushed aside and our value system changes. It is important to reflect on and prioritise what truly matters in our lives.
• Denial of emerging problems: Focus shifts exclusively to performance while relationships deteriorate — yet these are essential for reducing overload.
• Withdrawal: External influences are ignored, hope is lost and one loses one's sense of direction in life. The importance of relationships and human connection must be rediscovered.
• Behavioural changes: Criticism becomes increasingly difficult to bear and we grow numb to affection. Recognising the need for change and regaining empathy can help overcome this state.
• Depersonalisation: The ability to perceive oneself and the connection with one's inner self are lost. At this stage, professional medical help is required.
• Inner emptiness: The feeling is unbearable and can lead to mental illness.
• Depression: Life seems meaningless and hopeless, with frequent feelings of despair. Urgent specialist medical and psychotherapeutic intervention becomes necessary.
• Total burnout: Somatic and psychological problems occur simultaneously. This represents the most severe stage of burnout.

Burnout among dentists

According to a systematic review published on 26 April in the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice, approximately one in ten dentists experiences burnout syndrome, and most clinicians report symptoms of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. In Spain, C. Gómez-Polo, María and Montero (2022) conducted a study of 1,298 dentists and arrived at the following findings:

Burnout and gender

In a sample of dentists, the study found that 56.7% of male dentists had high Emotional Exhaustion (EE) scores, 48.0% scored high on Depersonalisation (DP), and 15.1% had low Personal Accomplishment (PA) scores. Among female dentists, 64.4% had high EE scores, 44.4% had high DP scores, and 14.3% had low PA scores. The association between high burnout scores and gender was statistically significant only for EE. In the EE dimension, the proportion of dentists showing signs of burnout was higher among women than among men.

Burnout and work environment

An estimated 70.1% of dentists working in rural settings had high Emotional Exhaustion (EE) scores, 52.4% scored high on Depersonalisation (DP), and 13.4% had low Personal Accomplishment (PA) scores. The association between signs of burnout and work environment (rural vs. urban) was statistically significant only for EE, which was somewhat greater than the effect of gender. The proportion of dentists showing signs of burnout in the EE category was higher among those working in rural settings than among those in urban settings.

Burnout and practice ownership

Among dentists who were not practice owners, 65.6% had high Emotional Exhaustion (EE), 52.0% had high Depersonalisation (DP), and 14.5% had low Personal Accomplishment (PA). The association between burnout and practice ownership was statistically significant for both EE and DP. The proportion of dentists showing signs of burnout in both dimensions was higher among non-owners than among owners.

Burnout and working at multiple practices

62.4% of dentists working at only one practice scored high on Emotional Exhaustion (EE), 43.1% had high Depersonalisation (DP) scores, and 14.2% scored low on Personal Accomplishment (PA). The association between burnout and working at multiple practices versus a single practice was statistically significant only for DP. In the DP dimension, the proportion of dentists showing signs of burnout was higher among those working at multiple practices than among those at a single practice.

Burnout and weekly working hours

The average number of working hours among dentists showing signs of EE-related burnout was 37.5 hours, which differed significantly from the average of 34.6 hours among those without EE. The same pattern was observed for the DP dimension of burnout — those who worked fewer hours were less affected by burnout.

Summary

Burnout spares no one — not even dentists — so it is worth paying attention to the symptoms listed above. If you feel unable to cope with Burnout Syndrome, do not hesitate to seek professional help. There are also several practical steps you can take to reduce the risk of burnout:

• Work at only one practice!
• Reduce your working hours!
• Choose an urban practice over a rural one!
• Work with colleagues who motivate you on a daily basis!
• Open your own practice!

Now that we know the symptoms, how to recognise them and how many dentists are affected, it is equally important to shed light on how to reduce the risk of burnout.

As the research findings confirm, experts agree that opening your own practice can be an excellent solution — and we are here as your partner to help you do just that!

Sources:

• BangkokHospital. (2023). Burnout Syndrome: An occupational phenomenon caused by excessive and prolonged stress | Bangkok Hospital. [online] Available at: https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/content/burnout-syndrome
• ‌Busch, M. (2023). Burnout prevalent among dentists. [online] DrBicuspid.com. Available at: https://www.drbicuspid.com/dental-practice/wellness/article/15383850/burnout-prevalent-among-dentists
• ‌C. Gómez-Polo, María, A. and Montero, J. (2022). Burnout syndrome in dentists: Work-related factors. [online] 121, pp.104143–104143. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2022.104143.