Burnout syndrome in orthodontists and dental practitioners

Aim: Evaluation of burnout syndrome risk factors in orthodontists and dental practitioners in the Czech Republic. Determination of factors contributing to the condition. Material and method: The data were obtained through questionnaires sent by the Czech Dental Chamber. Respondents filled in the standardized questionnaire Maslach Burnout Inventory. 467 questionnaires were sent backɸ– 49 filled in by orthodontists and 418 by dental practitioners. Results: Statistically significant difference in emotional exhaustion was found between orthodontists and dental practitioners (p = 0.035). Higher degree of personal satisfaction was reported by orthodontists; the value was close to the limit of significance (p = 0.078). No statistically significant differences between orthodontists and dentists were recorded in the degree of depersonalization (p = 0.406). Conclusion: The study is the first one in the Czech Republic drawing attention to considerable prevalence of burnout syndrome in orthodontists and dental practitioners, and thus suggested further research in the area as well as implementation of preventive programs in pregradual education and postgraduate education.