I was doing a little research on burnouts in dentistry, and I came across this question and answer article “What the staff can do when the dentist is burned out?” from RDH magazine. Unfortunately, it seems like very little except get out.
The writer, who uses the name Needs a Life Boat in Oregon, writes that after 15 years as a dental hygienist working at her current practice, she’s been noticing some disturbing changes in her dentist, and she’s worried.
“It’s pretty clear to my coworker and I that he does not want to be at work. In fact, he’s told us that he wishes he could get out of dentistry, that he does not enjoy it anymore,” she writes. “He comes into work late every day; most children are referred to the pediatric dentist down the street; he tells most patients that come in with a broken tooth that it needs to be extracted. But he stopped doing extractions two years ago, so they all get referred too.”
She goes on to write that she works for a small practice: one dentist, one hygienist (her) and one assistant. For the last year, she said she worked a total of 60 days with no dentist in the practice. Even though she has a loyal customer base, she’s worried about her job security. “There are so many things I love about being here, such as how close the office is to my home, my coworker, and the wonderful patients. Yet I feel like I’m on the Titanic, and I don’t want to be a casualty! Do you have any suggestions on how my coworker and I can help our boss?”
The responder—Dianne Glasscoe Waterson, RDH, BS, MBA—tells the writer that her boss’s behavior is definitely suggestive of a professional burnout, which is described as an extended period of time when someone experienced exhaustion and lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in job performance.
“It is my personal observation that many dentists today feel as if they are losing control of their practices due in large part to the influence of managed care, Glasscoe Waterson writes. “Many have watched their overhead continue to rise while profits have shrunk. Economic forces in our country, in which we have no control, have impacted many dental practices negatively.” Glasscoe Waterson asked the writer to think how she would feel if she owned a business that for many years and provided a good income but now was showing signs of decline due to economic forces beyond your control. “The business owner with passion for his work will expend time, effort, and money to turn the practice around and get it on a path of growth again, while a burned out owner will sit by and literally allow the practice to sink,” she writes.
Glasscoe Waterson goes on to write that there are many other reason for dentist burnout:
- Unrealistic job expectations. “I believe many dentists went into dentistry expecting to generate exceptional wealth, and that is true for some. However, there are a significant number of dentists finding that it is harder and harder to service all their debt and take care of their families according to their expectations.”
- Poor money managers. “They build up insurmountable debt through unwise choices and buying more than they can afford.” Despite not wanting to work, some dentists cannot plan for their retirement because they have not wisely invested their money and possibly have too much debt.
And more reasons for work burn out in general:
- Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Some doctors allow the workplace to become toxic by dealing ineffectively with staff members that promote disharmony among the group. Micromanaging by the doctor can also cause the workplace to become dysfunctional.
- Mismatch in values. If the doctor feels he is forced to compromise his values to make a living, burnout is the result.
- Poor job fit. Unfortunately, some dentists would rather be doing just about anything than dentistry.
- Extremes of activity. Overwork or not being busy enough can both cause burnout.
- Lack of social support. Dentists can feel isolated and often lack a support system when problems arise.
- Work-life imbalance. When people expend so much energy into their work that they really have nothing left for their families, burnout can occur.
“One aspect of your post was particularly disturbing. You stated you had worked at least 60 days with no doctor in the practice, which means that no restorative dentistry was being done on those days,” she writes.” While I am happy for the general supervision rules that exist in most states today which allow the hygienist to work (under certain restrictions) with no dentist physically onsite, this many days without a doctor is excessive. Outside some serious physical illness or injury, no dentist should be taking 15 extra weeks off from work. From a financial standpoint, it would be nearly impossible to sustain a dental practice with preventive care alone.”
Glasscoe Waterson says she can only speculate about what has caused the writers boss to become burned out, but until he seeks professional help, she said she expects the practice will continue to decline.
“You must take care of yourself. I suggest you don’t go down with the ship, but rather start looking for other employment right away,” she writes. Please do not delay, as you do not know how much time is left.”
If you are in a practice where you believe your dentist is burned out with no reprieve in sight, it might be time for you, too, to think about your options of getting out.
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