Professional Burnout: its Relevance and Consequences for the Dental Community

Introduction. Dental practice is associated with mental, physical, chemical, and biological hazards that often contribute to high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and potential suicidal thoughts. This can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms and poor quality of life, increasing the risk of chronic disease, mental health problems, and reducing the quality of patient care. Objective: based on the analysis of literary sources, to determine the prevalence of professional burnout among dentists, its relevance, and consequences for the dental community. Material and methods. Information search and analysis of scientific sources were conducted using the scientometric databases Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar over the past 10 years. Conclusion. Professional burnout is not only an individual problem but also a complex systemic phenomenon that affects patient safety, the quality of care provided, and the sustainability of the medical system itself. Cognitive impairments caused by burnout may directly affect the likelihood of medical errors, while the level of personal achievement, support from colleagues, and a balanced workload play a protective role