Many dentists are facing elevated amounts of stress and burnout amid the challenges facing the industry, including staffing shortages, increased costs and decreases in revenue.
Barry Lyon, DDS, is a chief dental officer for the division of orthodontics and pediatric dentistry at Sarasota, Fla.-based DSO Dental Care Alliance. He recently spoke with Becker's about how industry challenges are leading to burnout among dentists and what can be done to reduce burnout.
Editor's note: This Q&A is part of a weekly series featuring Dr. Lyon focused on topics in the dental industry and DSO field. This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Dr. Barry Lyon: A new report from the University at Albany's Center for Health Workforce Studies found that 79.3% of oral health providers have experienced burnout. What are the causes and what’s needed to lessen it?
The American Dental Association's 2021 Dentist Health and Well-Being Survey, distributed in March 2021 to a random selection of 20,000 dentists, found 16% had experienced anxiety — more than three times the percentage reported in 2003 — and 13% had experienced depression. Some studies suggest that burnout rates among dental professionals can be as high as 50%. Regardless of which survey you read, burnout within the dental profession is pervasive and significant. But why?
Since the pandemic, dental personnel have faced unique situations, with the Great Resignation coming to mind first. Couple that with dentistry being a victim of its own success and a strong demand for dental services but with fewer dental assistants and hygienists to meet that demand. Busy, successful practices will have full schedules of patients with dentists not having enough help to serve everyone during the course of a busy day. It’s no wonder there’s so much frustration, anxiety and depression. On top of these stressors, there is the expectation that dentists perform flawlessly with every patient, the ever-present and evolving regulatory requirements, and increasing costs with declining earnings.
How should dental personnel deal with burnout? Meditation and breathing exercises come to mind, along with sleeping well and maintaining physical health. Although most dentists loathe to do so, reducing workload can be an effective, temporary measure. Finally, every state dental society has a dentists’ well-being committee that can provide referrals to mental health professionals.