Nearly two thirds (63%) of dental professionals are frequently burnt out and exhausted, while one in five (18%) describe their wellbeing as ‘of concern’.
In addition, half (50%) of dental professionals feel under pressure to take on extra work, and 48% feel disillusioned.
This is according to a new survey undertaken by Dental Protection to more than 1,600 UK dental professionals.
In the anonymous comments left by survey participants, many discussed working excessive hours to meet ‘unmanageable demand’ for NHS appointments.
Topics including staff shortages, and target-driven culture were also mentioned, as well as financial concerns due to government reimbursement rates for NHS treatment not meeting operational costs.
‘I care about my patients and really try to do my best by them, but I push myself and my wellbeing to the side to try to do this.’
Anonymous dental professional
Anonymous comments: ‘I have thought about suicide’
Below is a handful of the anonymous comments from survey participants:
‘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 holiday per year for the last four years. I am exhausted and have thought about suicide many times. NHS dentistry needs reform and quickly.’
‘I know I’m going to crack at some point, I just don’t know how or when, but the stresses at home and the pressure to perform at work is just overwhelming at the moment.’
‘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 re-asses my career.’
‘If I don’t see my patients, there is nobody else in the practice who will. I feel the burden of responsibility, and trying not to let people down.’
‘I care about my patients and really try to do my best by them, but I push myself and my wellbeing to the side to try to do this. I end up feeling overwhelmed and burst into tears between appointments, but often feel like I’ve no choice but to keep pushing forward. I’m scared of doing something wrong.’
‘NHS system should be overhauled so dentists don’t feel pressured to work in what is effectively a rat race chasing targets.’
Troubling, but not surprising
Yvonne Shaw is deputy dental director at Dental Protection. She 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.
‘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.
‘I would also like to reassure members that we will continue to campaign for the delivery of key reforms that we know could benefit dental professionals’ wellbeing, practice and their patients. This includes NHS contract reform and the introduction of measures which support dental teams to deliver optimised patient care as well as ensuring appropriate remuneration.
“The government is expected to set out a 10-year NHS strategy this year and a key plank must be providing a clear timetable for NHS contract reform.
‘GDC (General Dental Council) reform is also vital to give the profession confidence that if a concern were to be raised about them it would be dealt with fairly, efficiently and sensitively. The GDC introduced a range of improvements in 2024, many of which follow on from Dental Protection research into the impact of investigations on dental professionals’ mental wellbeing.
‘However, we believe the regulator could go further, and we would also like to see the government take steps to ensure GDC reform is not at the back of the queue as it progresses wider regulatory reform.’
Mental health support is available
- If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E now
- If you need urgent help for your mental health, get help from NHS 111 online or call 111.
Mental health helplines:
- Confidental – 0333 987 5158
- Mind – 0300 102 1234
- Samaritans – 116 123
- Saneline – 0300 304 7000.
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