In our recent survey of dental professionals, it's clear that stress is one of the biggest issues for dentists.
As I wrote in the summary of our extensive survey, detailing a scale of 1 to 5 presented to respondents (with 1 being no stress and 5 indicating extreme stress): "Professional stress levels average 3.35 among survey respondents, indicating moderate but notable stress across the profession. When combined with worry about regulatory changes (averaging 2.89), it's clear that dental professionals are managing multiple sources of pressure simultaneously."
Dr. Eric Johnson.Dr. Eric Johnson
With that in mind, I spoke with Dr. Eric Johnson. Johnson has battled burnout as a dentist. Now he is helping other dentists identify the sources of their stress and learn how to manage their stress load more effectively.
In this episode of The DrBicuspid.com Podcast, Johnson shares his personal experiences with burnout and emphasizes the importance of communication, support, and personal responsibility in addressing these challenges.
The conversation also touches on generational differences in stress levels among dentists, the need for a cultural shift in dental practices, and the significance of building community connections to better support well-being in the profession.
Learn more about Johnson here. You can also reach him at [email protected].
Note: My sincere thanks to the California Dental Association for their assistance in making this interview happen.
Podcast takeaways
- Burnout is a common issue among dentists.
- Awareness of stress and burnout is increasing.
- Communication and support are crucial for managing stress.
- Personal experiences can lead to meaningful conversations about burnout.
- Dentists often feel isolated in their struggles.
- Generational differences exist in how dentists experience stress.
- Workplace culture figures prominently in burnout.
- Personal responsibility is key to managing stress.
- Community connections can help alleviate feelings of isolation.
- A cultural shift in dentistry is necessary for improvement.
