Why Do Dentists Have Highest Suicide Rate - Dentist Shares The Truth

In this video, we're going to talk about the reality of dentistry and how it stacks up against our expectations.

Dentistry is often touted as one of the most successful and stable careers, but is this really the case? In this video, we're going to discuss the high suicide rate in dentistry, how it relates to the reality of dentistry as well as many other misconceptions about the reality of dentistry.

We hope you enjoy this video – it will help you to gain a more realistic view of dentistry and to make the most informed decision for your future!

[doctoravi]

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[williamwaters]

I had a dentist who was burned out and was close to retirement. His office manager had embezzled money and the IRS was owed about $100, 000. He could not retire. He became very depressed and to cope he overate and gained a lot of weight. In time, the weight caused some medical issues which made him more depressed. He finally lost the weight and retired. One day I asked him if he had to do it over would he go into dentistry? He said that if he had to do it over he'd own a hot dog stand. He was a fantastic dentist and I miss him.

[leeanntoepel]

Dentistry is commission-based! That explains why one dentist told me I had 7 cavities (which I was absolutely flabbergasted by considering I feel like I take really good care of my teeth!) and another dentist told me I had NONE. Effed up. Truly.

[mrhanekoma]

I’ll never forget the kindness of one of my local dentists. I was just a kid with no insurance, singing and dancing in a community theater, he was playing the lead role in the show. Sometime during the production, he figured out I needed two wisdom teeth extracted, when I complained about jaw pain. After the show wrapped, he removed the problem tooth and the one above it pro bono. He’s a hero to me, always. 🙏

[longsnapper]

Dude, I graduated dental school in 1986 and I'm still practicing. I built a solo practice and have lived in stress my entire career. They made that part clear to us in dental school and the training then was harsh, militaristic, and made you insecure about your ability to "measure up". I see now that the instructors knew what we were going to face and were trying to weed out(and they did)those who did not have the psychological package to handle this career.All I can say to you is to get out if it doesn't agree with you. It will indeed lead to substance abuse or worse. The public doesn't understand how difficult what we do is.They think we're all millionaires. God put me on this earth to be a dentist and I have the stent in my heart to prove it. Good luck, son.

[ki-ka]

I just stumbled on this video. Many many years ago I had a dentist. Once, with out me being too serious, I asked him if an air bubble in a syringe could kill a person, and if people ever use that for suicide. He answered completely seriously and calmly that air bubbles are not appropriate for suicide, and then he told what substance instead could be injected for the purpose of taking ones life. When I visited the practice again, I got assigned another dentist, so I asked where my regular dentist is, and the new dentist informed that my regular dentist has committed suicide. I still remember the name of the regular dentist, despite the fact that so many years have passed.

[monaoconnell]

Dentists have always had a top suicide rate since I was a child. I'm 76. I realize dentists make money on procedures they can sell. I have been and I have known people who have been subjected to or urged to endure expensive procedures that patient didn't need. Dentistry now is a lot less painful than it used to be, thank God. However going to a dentist can be an unpleasant experience, which can make dentists feel rejected by patients. I am glad you are publicizing the dentists' suicide rate. I have not seen it in years. I hope you will tell more of the story about patients being cheated. Maybe you don't know or possibly you are blocking it out. But I believe unnecessary dental procedures are epidemic while people in desperate need of dentistry can't get it. The system is rotten to the core.

[Dh-rpgg]

I'm a certified Dental Asst. Since 1990. The first Dr I worked for committed suicide, 1 year after I moved across the state to a bigger city. When I was told about his death it hit me hard. Dental Assistants work directly with the Dr and become close to where you can almost read their mind on what they are going to do/want next. It's like a piece of you die with them.😢

[janetrobinson]

Great video! My dad was a dentist and passed from a heart attack at age 61. He was cared about his patients and never turned any of his patients to collections if they could not pay. He gave free dental work to people in our small town who could not afford it. I miss him.

[DangerCloseE]

I'm an optometrist and I have to say ALL medical professions are changing in this way. It's seems that giving people the care they need at a price that works for everyone is getting harder and harder to accomplish. I work for a large ophthalmology practice and they keep demanding I see more and more people everyday. They double book each 10 minute time slot. There will be 60 patients on a days schedule and I will usually see 45. Yes, I even work Saturdays on a rotating basis with other OD's. They push for more and more testing that is unnecessary 90% of the time. I'm in my 27th year of practice and I am beyond "burnt-out".

[skb]

I quit dental school. I found dental school to be a highly toxic and difficult environment. Really long days, rude teachers, hyper competitive students. It was tough because I worked hard to get in. There was a huge financial loss and also emotional burden and embarrassment about not being good enough to finish my degree. But today all my dentist friends tell me I made the right decision because they are miserable.

Edit- This is my personal experience and how I felt. If this doesn’t apply to you that’s ok. No need to disagree because everyones experience is different. At the end of the day the miserable dentists found me and told me they don’t enjoy it. If you love dentistry/dental school then I’m very happy for you!

[llewis]

I had the best dentist growing up, went to him from age 4-24 and he passed away from a heart attack and a young man who looked exactly like him (but not his relative) bought his practice. He was kind, but I did not get this sense of joy that I got from my old dentist. One day, his secretary calls and cancels all of our appointments for our family (we usually went all on the same day or same week). They told us he had passed away and we were shocked, he was 38. We learned later that he had committed suicide and thats when I learned about dentists and their high rate of suicide.

[rutgenesis]

I do not know about other countries in the world, but in the USA dentistry IS A BUSINESS. I am a dentist from South America and dentistry it is not a business. It is just a good job rendering a service to others in need and you get paid for. That's it. No non sense, no commissions, no none of that.

[msmcoffeebanks]

My dentist passed, and no one told me why! He was so sweet, even did a major procedure for free, and handed me $100 afterwards... I'm praying for all dentist~🙏🏾🙌🏾🙏🏾❤️❣️

[DigitalLogicCircuit]

I almost went to med school. I spent a year in the hospitals and genuinely talking with clinicians and I decided it wasn’t what I thought it was. It was about work life balance for me and none of that was found in a very sick system invested in keeping people sick.

[davidz]

My dentist passed away two years ago. He only believed in working four days a week so that is all everyone in his office worked. He was a good humble man and i still miss him when i have to see one of his sons who are dentists too.

[debbiesday]

My husband is a dentist and everything you spoke about, he has experienced as well. He's now 65 and has had such an unstable career even though he is a very skilled dentist. He does full mouth implant dentistry, teeth in a day type of procedures along with all other dental procedures, but it has been a real eye opener to see how many dentist owners treat their associates and the expectations they have .My husband has worked sixty hour weeks continuously for many years. He made good money and was doing very high skilled treatment, but he had zero work life balance and had a major heart attack in 2020. If he had it to do over again he says he would never be a dentist. The entire profession needs an overhaul. We know of at least two friends who committed suicide who were dentists.

[blue_moon]

It breaks my heart, for ALL HUMANS, that something as important as teeth is commission based pay. It’s a crime against humanity for dentists and patients.

[Jeffreynelius]

I had a dentist who knew I was losing my state insurance within the week and moved me up in the schedule to get my wisdom teeth pulled. Been going out of my way to still go to him ever since. Dr. Moy, good dude.

[manuka]

The whole medical industry is about
PROFITS 📈 NOT about the PATIENTS.!!