Work place characteristics, work stress and burnout among Dutch dentists

Work stress among dentists has been described several times, indicating a d iversity of causes of stress. Professional burnout among dentists has been the subject of empirical study only occasionally. The aim of the present st udy was to investigate which occupational factors are related to levels of burnout among Dutch dentists. A distinction was made between actual work pl ace characteristics and experienced pressure from specific aspects of denta l work. With a response rate of 75%, a representative group of 709 Dutch ge neral dental practitioners responded to a questionnaire containing a Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-NL), the Dentists' Experience d Work Stress Scale (DEWSS), and a collection of items on work place condit ions. No actual work place condition could be demonstrated to be correlated with high burnout levels. Lack of career perspective appeared to be the st ress factor most strongly related to burnout. Mean burnout levels of all de ntists were found to be favourable in comparison with Dutch norm scores: de ntists showed less Emotional Exhaustion, less Depersonalization, and more P ersonal Accomplishment. It is concluded that the relation between lack of c areer perspective and burnout should stimulate serious attention for career planning among dentists.