PREVALENCE OF BURNOUT AMONG MILITARY DENTISTS

Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do "people work" of some kind. Health care providers, including dentists, are at high risk for burnout because their occupations often require intense interactions between themselves and fearful, demanding patients on a daily basis. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of burnout among military dentists practicing at a large installation using a standardized measurement device, the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results indicate that the military dentists surveyed experience low to moderate levels of burnout. The military dentists sampled, in general, scored lower for burnout when compared to the norms of society and medicine.