Why Do Dentists Commit Suicide at Such A High Rate?

[TheWanderer]

My childhood dentist snuffed himself a few years back. I never liked him as a dentist. I honestly feel that he filled my back molars and those of my siblings with a lot of unnecessary fillings. He was an alcoholic also.I also recently heard of another dentist that I knew that offed himself.
Reading about it, they tend to commit suicide at 2.5 times the rate of other professions.

The articles tend to say it's because of the "pressures" of the job. I say bullshit.

So truck-drivers and heavy crane operators and accountants and car salesmen, etc., have it made but poor dentists just live under too much pressure?

Just curious what your opinions are.

[rexdutchman]

may be its because everyone "hates" going to the dentists , I don't see it as a high pressure job

[Chung Tran]

cool question, we don't have enough threads that make one think on this Forum.

I don't know, but like you, I know a Dentist who killed himself when I was young.

[grean]

Do eye doctors have a similar rate?

I ask because like eye doctors, when someone yells for a doctor and the dentist says, "I'm a doctor" and someone follows up with, "what kind" and he then says, "I'm a dentist", he is told "No, we need a real doctor."


Just a theory.

If someone is told often that they aren't real, it could get to them.

[grean]

That being said Dentists make bank.

[Ronin3]

Originally Posted by rexdutchman

may be its because everyone "hates" going to the dentists , I don't see it as a high pressure job

A variation of occum's razor in that the first answer on ECCIE is usually the correct one. Nailed it!

[Vivienne Rey]

People hate going to the dentist. They're often in pain, anxious and afraid. It's a downer.

Patients often can't afford treatment. Imagine telling people you can't help them because they can't afford it. Those patients don't often handle it well.

Student loans. Business loans.

More access to drugs that can help them end it, perhaps?

[2short@desky]

Back there some years I had read that dentists as a whole had the shortest life expectancy of virtually any professional. I was somewhat surprised. It's really not all it's cranked up to be...a lot of government and professional interference, constant continuing education and certifications, patients that are very rarely happy but bitch almost immediately while not following any prescribed regimens. Nothing hurts worse than a bad tooth nerve, and they get blamed for that. Then there's the occasional anaphylactic reaction they get very little interventional practice for. Plus, all the shitty mouths that talk forever, and the confined work area within...we used to have a saying when I was on nurse staff in ICUs, give me two really sick vented patients on multiple drips and let me apply my expertise. Give the walkie-talkie patients to someone who needs the go-fer practice. Talking patients were more difficult than the really sick ones. I can't imagine what a dentist has to listen to.

[Tsmokies]

Raise your children well and they will never hate going to the dentist for their routine cleaning n checkup. EXCEPT....when I told my daughter who was home on Christmas break ..maybe you shouldn't go out tonight (Thursday college night everywhere) you have a dentist appt tomorrow. She said ok dad I will be ok....then I said, you are having your wisdom teeth removed.

She had heard all the horror stories but she was ok :-)

[darkwader]

isnt dentist just a guy that failed medical school? that shame must be hard to overcome and have long range consequences.

[Guest070818-1]

I've only been to a dentist two times in my life and both times were for a cleaning. Thank Goddess for straight and even pearly whites!

Nonetheless, I can somewhat believe that dentists are more prone to suicide - All the drugs and medications are certainly there.

Heck, one of my former clients was a dentist and used to get high off of laughing gas. I hope he's alive and well.

[2short@desky]

Originally Posted by darkwader

isnt dentist just a guy that failed medical school? that shame must be hard to overcome and have long range consequences.

Oh man! So untrue!

[Iaintliein]

Dentistry requires an exceptional academic level of achievement. so, you have exceptionally bright people who work hard for many years then end up in a job that very likely gets boring very quickly.

The realization that, "this is all there is," can be tough on some, especially if the monetary rewards aren't good enough to pay off a but load of student debt and live a good life.

A dentist once told me about the suicide of one of his teachers. He lay in a hot bath tube, injected himself with Novocain, dissected out both of his femoral arteries, clamped them, cut them, and then released the clamps. Probably bled out in five or six seconds.

That's what happens when someone needs to be challenged in life but isn't.

Very sad.

[Roy Wally]

Some dentists have a hard time making a good impression.

[Prolongus]

Dentists sure aren't portrayed very well in the movies:
"Paging doctor faggot!" - The Hangover
Steve Martin as the sadistic dentist in "Little Shop of Horrors".
Jennifer Anniston as a nympho dentist in "Horrible Bosses". Actually, we need more nympho dentists like her, FUCK YAAAAA!