Why do dentists have the highest suicide rate?

This is one of those dodgy things that "everybody knows." And not just the uninformed public, either--dentists themselves believe it. Since the 1960s dental journals have been carrying articles with headlines like "The Suicidal Professions." Dozens of studies have looked at suicide not only among dentists but among health-care workers in general. With few exceptions, research over the past 40 years has found that dentists (and doctors) take their own lives at a higher-than-average rate. But how much higher? To hear some tell it, you'd better not leave these guys in a room alone.

Dentists' odds of suicide "are 6.64 times greater than the rest of the working age population," writes researcher Steven Stack. "Dentists suffer from relatively low status within the medical profession and have strained relationships with their clients--few people enjoy going to the dentist." One study of Oregon dentists found that they had the highest suicide rate of any group investigated. A California study found that dentists were surpassed only by chemists and pharmacists. Of 22 occupations examined in Washington state, dentists had a suicide rate second only to that of sheepherders and wool workers.

But the sheer diversity of results has to make you suspicious. I mean, which is it--dentists, chemists and pharmacists, or sheepherders and wool workers? (What, the bleating gets to them?) And what about psychiatrists? One school of popular belief holds that they have the highest suicide rate.

Read the studies and you begin to see the problem. Suicide research is inherently a little flaky, in part because suicides are often concealed. Equally important from a statistical standpoint is the problem of small numbers: dentists represent only a small fraction of the total population, only a small fraction of them die in a given year, and only a small fraction of those that die are suicides. So you've got people drawing grand conclusions based on tiny samples. For example, I see where the Swedes think their male dentists have an elevated suicide rate. Number of male-dentist suicides on which this finding is based: 18.

But you aren't reading this column to hear me whine about the crummy data. You want the facts. Coming right up. All we need to do, for any occupation of interest, is (a) find a large, reasonably accurate source of mortality statistics, (b) compute suicides as a percentage of total deaths for said group, and (c) compare that percentage with some benchmark, like so:

PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS DUE TO SUICIDE

U.S. white male population 25 and older (1970): 1.5

U.S. white male dentists (1968-72): 2.0 (85 of 4,190)

U.S. white male medical doctors (1967-72): 3.0 (544 of 17,979)

U.S. white male population 25 and older (1990): 2.0

U.S. white male medical doctors (1984-95): 2.7 (379 of 13,790)

Dentist Suicide Rate

Dentist Suicidal

Yea. The statistic have been getting better over the last few decades. Dentist deal with alot of "stress" from patients, staff, running a business, family, relationships ect. When one of them gets out of control they have a hard time coping with it. They are generally Type A personality people who have to have control of everything. When they cant control something they crack! But believe me it is a great profession it requires some flexibility and balance in all areas of your life. By the way Dentist are not the highest on the suicide rate.

This is one of those dodgy things that "everybody knows." And not just the uninformed public, either--dentists themselves believe it. Since the 1960s dental journals have been carrying articles with headlines like "The Suicidal Professions." Dozens of studies have looked at suicide not only among Zahnarzt Zürich but among health-care workers in general.See more: http://www.schwagerfrei.ch/

"Dentist deal with alot of "stress" from patients, staff, running a business, family, relationships etc. When one of them gets out of control they have a hard time coping with it. They are generally Type A personality people who have to have control of everything. When they cant control something they crack!"

And this does not apply to any self-employed business professional? What a load of B.S.

As a tax accountant dealing with people s issues with the IRS all day long, which are 1000% more worrisome to people than a bad tooth, do you think there is not a degree of stress there? I also have the stress of running a business and dealing with family relationships etc., & have always been a "Type A Personality"

None of this makes me want to go and top myself or anyone else.

I also agree with Penny, 150%. People should be thankful for their dentist. I never understood why people hate the dentist so much - it's never been a big deal to me. My grandmother says that it's because I've never had to go for any reason other than a cleaning twice a year & that I should count my blessings. She told me that her family couldn't afford things like the dentist when she was growing up. She was in her 40s the first time she went & it wasn't pleasant. There are alot of people who can't afford it and are forced to suffer. Ever seen Cast Away? I can't comprehend a level of pain so great that I would have to knock my own tooth out with an ice skate. The dentist is SO IMPORTANT........

i think it's because no one really enjoys the dentist since the shots, procedures, and everything hurt. We mistake the pain of the procedures with the dentists themselves. Dentists probably feel hated, and to them they are just trying to help.

they are "bad people with good intentions"

In their experience the dentist has to work against an open jaw to force something about, and this fact by itself can induce nightmares for him,

The natural response to see an open jaw in life is; to feed it.I guess pleasant scents might benevolent against suicide.

penny is absolutely correct.

this subject was talked about a great deal when

I worked at EDC. I also worked in my husband's office for years and that is all we heard all day. Oh, Dr. ===== you are great but I really hate you, I hate to be here. This is the worst place to be. I can't believe I have to be here. and so on.

Well you know what.....that sucks. the patient wanted to be there. we did not force them to come in. drove me crazy. but anyway like I said Penny hit the nail on the head.

Actually, according to actuarial statistics, they do not, quite the opposite.

That would fall into the modern urban myth category. Probably a skewed observation that made it into the culture at a vulnerable time and place, same as other modern urban myths.