Why Do Dentists Have The Highest Suicide Rate?
Posted by Ling on May 8, 2010
I have many medic friends and they always moan about their long working hours and they often say to me, “You’re so lucky being a dentist! You don’t have to work crazy hours like us and you get paid loads!” I have an automated response which goes something like this, “Oh yeah, poor you!” Yes, on one hand, I do sympathise with medics with their crazy working hours but hello?? If you are one of these medics, then :-
a) You KNEW before you applied for medicine that crazy working hours are a must – so QUIT your moaning!
b) With your grades, you could have chosen to study dentistry but you chose medicine – so STOP being jealous!
c) Did I tell you how much I earn? NO! Because even I don’t know how much I earn!
Anyway, even with better working hours and (allegedly) better pay than medics, dentists have the highest suicide rate compared to other professions. But why? I am a dentist and I am not currently suicidal, but I have had depressing, near-suicidal thoughts which are job-related.
1. The immense pressure to earn money
The dentists you see in general practice are not usually salaried. Dentists are paid per item of service. In the UK, I worked as an associate dentist which meant that whatever I earned, I would have to pay 50% of it to the owner of the practice. And then, after that, the taxman would take a big chunk of it. Therefore, dentists are under immense pressure to earn money, which means stress, stress and stress!
I remember returning to work after 3 months of illness due to complicated surgery (of the non-plastic variety!) and the practice owner stressed me out on the first day I returned. She was hammering at me to earn, earn, earn! That night I went home weeping – weeping eyes and weeping bleeding wound from strenuous work!
2. The feeling of being hated
There are a minority of people who enjoy visiting the dentist. The majority of patients hate us! We inflict pain with injections and drilling and extraction of teeth.
Sometimes a patient will let out a bloodcurdling scream which scares the *beep* out of me too. Some patients have also called me names, “You’re a BUTCHER!” EXCUSE ME! I’m only trying to help you here by saving your teeth!!!!
It’s stressful and depressing. The bad breath and yukky teeth don’t bother me. It’s the fact that I know they HATE me!
3. The dangers at work
Blood contamination is risky!!!
Okay…there are many reasons why dentists have a high suicide rate. It is not a glamorous job. Sometimes, your work goes unappreciated. The money you earn is not worth the stress you go through. Why do I do it?
I do it because :-
a) I need the money (to fund the wedding *ahem*)
b) I love teeth. I do. If I didn’t have chronic backache and if I never had to treat a high-risk blood-infected patient but just do beautiful cosmetic dental makeovers, I would be happy to be your dentist anytime, anywhere, anyplace.
c) The career change into a writer (i.e. famous blogger) is not going as well as expected. Sigh. Writing is the only passion which excites me and I can go without sleep or food just to write and inspire people with it. The other day, someone said I was their “blog idol” and I was so happy. Thank you!
Sharon said,
Hi Ling!
) Yay! You finally advertised your facebook! 
it scares me! LOL
You are indeed my blog idol! I wish I could write such interesting and fun-to-read blogs like you do!
I must admit, I really don’t like visiting the dentist… just because it hurts LOL but I’m sure if you were my dentist I wouldn’t dread going to the dentist office every so often!
I enjoy writing too, but not so much essays for school… hmm, I like creative writing. I’m still unsure what I want to do after college… -_- how hard was it for you to get into dentistry? Most medical fields require so many years of graduate school… and tons of science
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Ling Tung Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Dentistry is really difficult to get into…but that’s in UK…my brother recently tried and failed…which is a shame cos we could do with another dentist in the family. If you’re into sciences and you like working with yr hands, then do it. but otherwise, find a rich hubby LOL
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Ken Whitening said,
I had no idea they were that suicidal. It’s hard to believe as there are similar and much more stressful jobs in the medical career.
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Melody said,
Hm. I’m still juggling between dentistry and medicine :/ I guess it really depends on what happens after I finish this degree (Biomed)
. I really wanted to be a surgeon and etc but I don’t know if I could handle such long work hours :S ..so I was thinking dentistry but then I don’t know !
I am actually terrified of going to the dentist myself ..because I always end up tensing and then choking and etc ;_; and my dentist yells at me ;A; (BE MY DENTIST LING ..UNLESS YOU YELL ..THEN DON’T ;A;) But maybe it’d be better if I was on the other end xD?
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Ling Tung Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
oooh…medic or dentist?? i’d rather win the lottery and never have to work haha
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katie wallis said,
SHEE
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Elisa said,
Hey Ling! great post, thanks for it
i’m hopeing to get into dentistry myself do you mind if i ask you a few questions ? – do you have much of a life outside being a dentist? what’s the studying part of it like? and also, do people really hate you that much!?! haha. thanks! elisa
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Ling Tung Reply:
October 18th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Hi Elisa, thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. Of course, there is life outside dentistry. The hours are great and once work is over, I don’t have to worry or think about it too much. The major downside for me is the back problems. I have a bad back probably due to back posture. Studying is the easy part – it’s working with patients which is difficult. And well, you just have to develop a thick skin with difficult patients. There are stressful situations but the job is pretty rewarding and dentistry has opened up many doors for me – there’s many jobs out there for us dentists so we are very fortunate in times of financial crisis. Hope this information helps you =)
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Elisa said,
That’s the good part about dentistry, there’s always a need for them after graduation. Afterall, it’s been concerning to hear the amount of post graduates unable to find jobs here in the UK! Thanks so much for your response Ling, it really helped me. Elisa
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Ling Tung Reply:
October 19th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
No problem Elisa.
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vik said,
U must be loving having nil back problems at the mo
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Ling Tung Reply:
October 21st, 2010 at 12:42 am
unfortunately, not loving the lack of income…
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alan west said,
as a rual doctor, i think that i can contribute to this statistic. how about, dentistry is a microcosm? think about it, only one part of the body to treat/
not possible to socially converse during therapy/ knowing-suspecting that the patients all wish that they were somewhere else/ dental post-procedure satisfaction very low. joe blogs looks like my patient, on the street, despite the dentists very difficult work. doctors have the broad spectrum of the whole patient, and relatives, siblings, +++, so much better chance of getting job-satisfaction, post therapy. i advise dentists to see if they like going yoga before starting their degrees. if no-go-yoga, have a long, serious second thought.
alan west mbbchbao,facrrm,fracgp,dranzcog,dch.
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Ling Tung Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
@alan west, Hi Alan, thank you for taking time to read my post and also, I really appreciate your comment. I can totally relate to what you’re saying. As for yoga – funny you mention that, because I suffer from work-related backache and I mentioned this to a friend the other day and she suggested yoga. Maybe it’s time I took up a new hobby
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Deep said,
Maybe when you become more experienced you can begin to earn more money. I have heard you have to pay a lot of tax but surely it gets better after a while.
Also have you considered actually talking to your patients, communication solves a lot of problems.
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Ling Tung Reply:
December 6th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Sometimes, it’s not all about the money…but job satisfaction, I guess…
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Deep said,
OMG URE REAL!!!
please help me, why did your brother not get into dentistry?
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Ling Tung Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@Deep, Of course I am real! Why did my brother not get into dentistry? I cannot answer that because I do not know what dental school admissions people look for… What is the criteria? I don’t know. Guess it depends on many factors because dentistry is a popular choice for university applicants but not everyone is guaranteed a place. Hope this information helps
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skip said,
I definitely agree with you on the stress part… I’m a dentist serving the US military right now, so your first point doesn’t apply to me as much but you definitely hit the nail on the head with your second and third points. And I’m pretty sure dental school scarred me for life.
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Ling Tung Reply:
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:22 pm
@skip, Hi Skip, thanks for leaving a comment. I think people don’t realise how stressful it is to be in our shoes. They just think we get paid loads of money for sitting on our asses!! Sigh! Anyway, I’ve yet to meet a dentist who serves in the US military. What is that like? How does working in the military change your treatment planning? Which dental school did you go to?
Sorry for asking so many questions but it’s not every day I get to chat to a US military dentist =)
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skip said,
Since the base is partially closed today due to this massive, midwest snowstorm, I’ve got time to write. I enjoy working for the Navy so far. It’s an 8 hr work day starting at 0700 and ending at 1430 or 1530 – it’s nice getting out early! Treatment planning revolves around dental readiness in the military. All active duty personnel need to be in class I or class II readiness to be able to deploy. Basically, it’s fixing all the major and moderate dental problems that would cause them problems over the course of a year if they are deployed. The military is still big on using amalgam for posterior restorations. We also do the infamous “amalgam crowns,” which are chamber retained amalgam crowns on root canal treated molars/premolars. These amalgam crowns are done when circumstances prevent sailors from not having enough time between deployments for a conventional crown to be fabricated in a lab. The Navy has its own post-graduate school and has residencies available in all of the dental specialties except pedo. Orthodontic care also is limited in the military.
I joined the Navy because I needed more of an adventure in my life. Most dentists start a practice and live in one place most of their lives. In the Navy, I will be relocated every 2-3 years. Later this year, I will be serving in Okinawa!
I went to the University of Illinois at Chicago for dental school.
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Ling Tung Reply:
February 5th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
@skip, Wow! Thanks for sharing Skip. I admire you for being adventurous instead of being stuck in the usual 9-5 dentist category. The dental care you provide certainly sounds different to my usual patients who are into cosmetic dentistry.
Wishing you all the best in your adventures =)
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Lexi said,
Hi Ling!
I’m a 22 yr. old Californian applying for dental school and I fell upon your blog doing some research on the profession. I’m thinking of specializing in orthodontistry b/c I am attracted to the salary, chance to work with hands and people, ability to open your own practice, and the time I can take off to work on passion projects like photography and art.
Your blog posts on dentistry have been really helpful in giving me a more rounded insight into the actual experience of being a dentist. I just wanted to say thanks and to encourage you to keep writing. You have a very distinct, loveable voice.
Cheers!
Lexi
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Ling Reply:
November 2nd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@Lexi, Hi Lexi! Wow, thanks for such an inspiring comment! I hope you get into your dreams of becoming an orthodontist – it is a lot of hard work but if you are keen, you can do it
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Sana said,
Wow, this blog gave a real insight. I was wondering whether to go into dentistry or medicine, and was thinking more about dentistry to avoid long working hours, but hearing your point 3 really made me scared, but I guess it’s better to know this now than after graduation, but overall, agreat blog!!
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Ling Reply:
November 22nd, 2011 at 4:35 pm
@Sana, Thanks for the lovely comment Sana. Making a life-changing decision is difficult…but I wish you well in whatever you do and if you have any dentistry questions, please ask away.
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Dany said,
Hey Ling. Great blog. Thanks for sharing your experiences, they sure will help shape some people’s destiny. I’m a 35 yr old applying to dental schools in d Uk. I’ve worked all my life ( so far) in low paid job. I desire a higher paying one ….. Density seem to be the one. …..
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Ling Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
@Dany, Yay! Thanks for your comment! Good luck in your application!
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Sam said,
Wow, I had no idea that dentists weren’t salaried. Is it different in Canada or the U.S. Reading your blog about your experiences in dentistry help. Would you say being in dental school was less stressing than practicing it? Have you thought about opening your own dental business? Just wondering. Like some of the other commenters on your blog I’m in the same position, dental, medical, or research.
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Ling Reply:
March 16th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
@Sam, Studying it is the easy part. Practising is stressful. And the business side is just awful territory for my non-business-minded brain!
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