Some concerns I have in pursuing dentistry

[ProDog]

Could anyone explain to me,

 

1. Why is it that dentists are (or seem to be) prone to depression induced suicide?

2. Are dentists easy targets for malpractice suits? In other words, is it common to see dentists get sued by patients?

 

Thanks a bunch

[Adversary]

1. It's not true. It's a myth or at least not true today. Most dentists I talk to are very happy and in fact it is this display of happiness that convinced me this was a worthwhile career. We are type A people so we are prone to push ourselves. This does create a vulnerability, but it happens in medicine and law, etc as well.

 

2. It can happen, but the complaints are handled by the College of Dental Surgeons. The key is to maintain an excellent patient chart so that when a complaint happens, you can submit your charts for review. Complaints do happen in life and it is not just dentists alone. Medcine does have their share of complaints. In fact, a ob/gyn pays $6000/month for insurance.

[Kuantum]

To offer a theory I once heard proposed about the first question.

 

Anesthesiologists also seem to have a higher than normal rate of suicide/addiction in the medical profession. Some people have hypothesized that it may be due to the anesthesia used in practice. They even did a mass spec. of some "nano particles" above a patients head (right where an anesthesiologist) sits for hours on end and found some stuff. They don't know if its sufficient to start causing weird problems, but for prolonged exposure times, they wonder if its a possibility. Like I said before, this is just something someone proposed and I have no idea to its credibility.

[ProDog]

Thanks guys for the input,

 

I was 99% sure about dentistry but now i'm 100% sure

 

btw, i hope that anesthesia theory isn't true.. That is quite scary.

[FullMetalDS]

i can't site any scholarly sources, but some dentists i've talked to have told me that dentists are among the professions with the highest suicide rates in this day and age

 

my own theory about it, if it is indeed true, is that:

 

1.) like adversary said, dentists are achievers and have high expectations for themselves. when things don't go right and patients complain, some are inclined to take it out on themselves

 

2.) some people go into dentistry with the wrong expectations to begin with. despite us also being called doctors, we do not bring people back from the gates of heaven (or hell i guess) on a daily basis like some doctors do. so if you are a sensationalist, dentistry is not that type of profession. our society has the luxury of valuing good dental health and it is an important and glorious field in that regard, but don't expect it to be very similar to what most doctors do.

 

the point is that some people go into dentistry not only for the wrong reasons, but with the wrong attitude! it will be hard work, not all patients are docile and compliant, and not everything will work to your liking. also, i have been told of some dentists who are too ambitious with their investments and end up going bankrupt or becoming perpetually in debt, which maybe be another factor for the suicide trend.

 

the important thing is to go in knowing what it is dentists do and not expecting things to always be breezy. this way you will reap the full rewards of the profession free of disappointment.