How burnout takes a toll on dentists

A study may have uncovered the risk factors associated with burnout in the dental profession.

Investigators detailed that dental professionals experience a high rate of burnout because of their close patient interactions, high-precision expectations and isolation. In a systematic review published in the Journal of Dentistry, the investigators used four electronic databases to identify 19 cross-sectional studies assessing dentistry burnout across 13 countries.

Although there was a high degree of variability in the prevalence of burnout between the studies, the investigators found that emotional exhaustion was a common facet of burnout. They indicated that the risk of burnout was often dependent on a set of occupational, organizational and personal factors — including a high workload, working in private practice, female sex and a lack of postgraduate training or organizational support.

Because burnout has been linked to clinical errors, there is currently a critical need to establish strategies to prevent or manage the condition, the investigators concluded.

Read more: Journal of Dentistry

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