Emotional Burnout Among Dentists At Different Career Stages

Given the increasing recognition of emotional burnout as a healthcare concern, this study aimed to explore how its severity varies among dentists depending on their professional roles and stages of career development A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 197 respondents aged 23 to 65 years using the Emotional Burnout Test. The sample included 40 dental school faculty members and 157 practicing dentists. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined in accordance with ethical standards. To compare qualitative indicators of emotional burnout between academic staff and practicing dentists, Pearson’s chi-square test for independent samples was used Among dental faculty members, the most frequently identified phase of burnout was the tension phase (35.9%), whereas for practicing dentists it was the resistance phase (41.8%). The exhaustion phase was more common among faculty (22.2%, p<0.05) compared to dentists (9.5%). A statistically significant predominance of tension phase symptoms was found among dental faculty during the formation stage of burnout—50.6% compared to 15.4% among practicing dentists The findings confirm the hypothesis that dental faculty members are at greater risk of developing emotional burnout, likely due to a combination of stress factors associated with both teaching responsibilities and clinical practice