A phenomenological study of burnout and recovery among practice-owner dentists

Purpose: This study aimed to explore how practice-owner dentists in Korea experience burnout, how it intensifies, and how they ultimately recover from it, using a phenomenological approach. Materials and Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve practice-owner dentists who had experienced both burnout and subsequent recovery. Interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological analytic method to extract meaning units, formulate themes, and identify the essential structure of the lived experience. Results: Analysis revealed a three-stage experiential trajectory: 1) a discrepancy between idealized expectations and the realities of clinic operation, 2) a deepening and collapse of burnout characterized by emotional, physical, and relational deterioration, and 3) a recovery phase involving self-care, environmental adjustments, social support, and identity reconstruction. Triggering events – including challenging patients, legal threats, staff conflicts, and health issues – frequently intensified distress and precipitated an existential crisis. Conclusion: Burnout recovery among practice-owner dentists emerged as a transformative process in which individuals reinterpreted burnout as an opportunity for self-reflection and reconstructed a sustainable professional identity. These findings underscore the need for personal coping strategies, practical training, and structural support systems to mitigate burnout within this professional group.