Two Thirds Of Dentists Are 'Burnt Out'
- Details
- Published: Monday, 03 March 2025 07:59
- Written by Guy Tuggle
- Hits: 1277
A survey of 1629 dental professionals by indemnity provider Dental Protection has revealed that close to two thirds of the profession feels burnt out.
63% of respondents said they were frequently exhausted and 50% felt pressured to take on extra work or put in extra hours. Not surprisingly, the situation is taking its toll on wellbeing, with 18% expressing concerns about their mental health.
Yvonne Shaw, Deputy Dental Director at Dental Protection, said “It is troubling, though unfortunately not surprising, to see that such a high proportion of dental professionals are burnt out and exhausted, and the degree to which their mental wellbeing is compromised.
“We see firsthand how poor mental wellbeing adversely impacts colleagues in their personal and professional lives, and in turn impacts the delivery of patient care. We know that without early support, these issues can lead to dental professionals needing extended time off work or leaving dentistry altogether."
Survey respondents were invited to submit anonymous comments and these make for some alarming reading.
Many say they are working excessive hours to try and meet unmanageable demand for NHS appointments. Others discussed staff shortages, the target driven culture, and financial concerns due to the low reimbursement rates paid by the government for NHS treatment not meeting operational costs. These are well known issues across the dental workforce yet workable solutions have yet to gain momentum.
Feeling Trapped
Some dentists feel trapped. “Nothing can help me as I am a sole NHS practitioner. I cannot recruit NHS dentists and cannot afford to take any time off. I have taken only one week of holiday per year for the last 4 years. I am exhausted and have thought about suicide many times. NHS dentistry needs reform and quickly” wrote one respondent.
Another said “If I don’t see my patients, there is nobody else in the practice who will. I feel the burden of responsibility, and try not to let people down.”
Feeling Exposed
With so many self-employed workers, those who feel burnt-out often fear isolation. “I have suffered from quite bad mental health over the last few years, and I have found it increasingly difficult to work. There is no support as a self-employed person so there is no choice whether to work or not. The dental profession is a very difficult profession to operate in when feeling unwell physically or mentally. It has actually made me reassess my career.”
Fear of the GDC and ongoing issues with the dental contract, not unsurprisingly, featured prominently in participant feedback. One dentist wrote “Radical reform of the way the GDC deals with fitness to practice cases. Radical reform of the NHS contract. I am sure with these changes the mental health wellbeing of dental professionals will improve massively.”
Respondents to the survey included dentists, dental nurses, hygienists and therapists.
Yvonne Shaw urged dental workers suffering from stress and exhaustion to contact their indemnity providers. “I would encourage any member facing mental wellbeing concerns to make use of our confidential counselling service which is a benefit of membership with Dental Protection. Members can access telephone support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as face-to-face counselling sessions" said Ms Shaw.
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report
My comments