Myth Busted: Dentists Have the Highest Suicide Rate

[JavadiCavity]

I stumbled across this article today. It's dated 2001, so things may have changed during the last 4 years--maybe dentists are like lemmings and when the population gets too large we start heading for the cliffs.

Anyway, I think you'll find it interesting to see that they could find no CLEAR relation between occupation and suicide. However, after studying death records of people covering a 4 year period, they made these observations:

For example, in 1997, NIOSH and other government agencies analyzed 1980-84 death certificates by all occupations and causes of death, and found statistically significant elevated rates of suicide for:

• White male physicians.

• Black male guards (including supervisors, crossing guards, police, protective service occupations, but not correctional institution occupations).

• White female painters, sculptors, craft-artists and artist printmakers.

Next time an MD-wannabe starts to rail you about suicide, tell him to do his research--he might be surprised what he finds.

Here's the link to the article:

http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan01/suicide.html

This article can also be found by navigating through the APA's website at www.apa.org

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[blankguy]

*whiny voice on* not again. Do we really have to revisit this pointless topic. 👎 *whiny voice off*

 

[JavadiCavity]

Blankguy, give me a break. Who cares if it's pointless. Go make some more of your high quality remarks somewhere else.

 

[blankguy]

Blankguy, give me a break. Who cares if it's pointless. Go make some more of your high quality remarks somewhere else.

😛

 

[Dr.Smiley-OR]

*whiny voice on* not again. Do we really have to revisit this pointless topic. 👎 *whiny voice off*

I don't think it is pointless. I remembered during my college graduation last May, I told one of my friends that I was applying for dental schools, and the first thing he replied was "isn't true that dentists have the highest suicide rate" and then he kinda laughed at me for choose this profession. I have few people who displayed the same attitude when I told them about my goals. Therefore, it is not pointless to know about this matter. I want to have proof to refute to those who still have this kind of belief. So thanks JavadiCavity!

 

[dds]

*whiny voice on* not again. Do we really have to revisit this pointless topic. 👎 *whiny voice off*

*Seinfeld voice on*-- What's with all these people posting about hating a topic?

*Seinfeld voice off*-- Blankguy, why waste a post? If the the topic is so uninteresting to you, then don't reply. It's quite simple and much easier than bashing a point someone is trying to make.

JavadiCavity, I find this topic interesting because 75% of the time I tell someone that I'm going to be a dentist, they say, "Don't you guys have the highest suicide rate?" I'm really shocked at the audacity and bluntness of some people that react to my future profession. Are we really looked at in a worse light than used car salesmen or those who sell life insurance (no offense to those in the field)? I used to defend dentists and the profession, but I never fully knew the stats and just went by impressions I got from dentists I interned for. I believe that dentists having the highest suicide rate is a myth that may be contributed by society's and media's negative outlook on the dental field. Sayings like--"It's like going to the dentist......" "It's like pulling teeth....." "I'd rather have a root canal....." don't really help any. There's going to be a nation full of "anti-dentites" out there. I'm a true believer that you make your own happiness and it isn't dictated by your profession.

 

[BeachLuvr]

I think it's pretty interesting as well. There's a lot of rumors around concerning dentists. Just the other day in my biochemistry laboratory, a student mentioned that most dental students are just med. students gone wrong. Basically saying, those who couldn't cut it in medicine wound up in dentistry. Hence, the whole "dentists aren't real doctors" debate began. This thing about the suicide is just as popular. I'm at the point now, where debate is just...pointless. Let people think what they will. Interesting article...

Btw, everthing doesn't have to have a point. Some things just...are 🙂

Beachluvr

 

[hockeydentist]

Blankguy, give me a break. Who cares if it's pointless. Go make some more of your high quality remarks somewhere else.

I agree, this is not a pointless topic, everytime I tell people I want to be a dentist, there like you know the rumor right, its the highest suicide rate. Uh no its not.

 

[blankguy]

Okay okay, I'm sorry. But we had threads like this before and it got old really fast. I haven't had anybody approach me with this kinda of "aren't dentist suicide prone" type of comments, maybe I am lucky.

 

[delicious]

Okay okay, I'm sorry. But we had threads like this before and it got old really fast. I haven't had anybody approach me with this kinda of "aren't dentist suicide prone" type of comments, maybe I am lucky.

Yeah, maybe you are lucky. More likely you're just a lier!!!
hahaha

That suicide comment has been made to me too many times to count and I'm pretty new to dental school. With at least 1 out of every 4 people my age I talk to about my future career, someone will bring up the suicide thing. My response to it has become pretty sarcastic and unfriendly: i usually say, "Oh come on, tell me something I haven't been told a thousand times." *in a whiny voice*

 

[Smooth Operater]

yeah, i am a pre-dent and i get the "dentist have the highest sucide rate" comment all the time even from my parents and neighbors 😱 I am just wondering what's the history behind this myth? how does it get originated? what attribute to this mis-conception? it would be interesting to know. 😎

 

[Profchaos]

It's not a myth anymore. I think it's due to two reasons. First of all, dentists as business owners, experience more pressure than other health professionals. Pressures from patients, growing competitors get them worried. Secondly, many dentists have poor financial plan. They would find out they couldn't afford the same lifestyle as they age and become hopeless when they find out they have to keep on working and can't retire. As a result, they stragle themselves... Fellow dental students, when you have a chance, file out your IRA asap.

 

[blankguy]

It's not a myth anymore. I think it's due to two reasons. First of all, dentists as business owners, experience more pressure than other health professionals. Pressures from patients, growing competitors get them worried. Secondly, many dentists have poor financial plan. They would find out they couldn't afford the same lifestyle as they age and become hopeless when they find out they have to keep on working and can't retire. As a result, they stragle themselves... Fellow dental students, when you have a chance, file out your IRA asap.

What are your sources? What do you mean by "pressures from patients"?

 

[Sprgrover]

It's not a myth anymore...

So it's fact? Please, list some references.

The myth gained momentum back in the 1960's with some very selective, and shaky, research. Here is another article that I located a while back that I think does a nice job of explaining this rumor. Yes, I hear "oh, don't dentists have the highest.." from time to time and I deal with it by casually explaining that is not true and list some reasons why and most people usually respond with "that never seemed to make much sense to me..."

 

[Profchaos]

What are your sources? What do you mean by "pressures from patients"?

It is just my understanding of the "myth". The pressure from patients could be argument on treatment, malpractice, sexual harassment law suit...

 

[busupshot83]

*Seinfeld voice on*-- What's with all these people posting about hating a topic?

*Seinfeld voice off*-- Blankguy, why waste a post? If the the topic is so uninteresting to you, then don't reply. It's quite simple and much easier than bashing a point someone is trying to make.

 

[blankguy]

It is just my understanding of the "myth". The pressure from patients could be argument on treatment, malpractice, sexual harassment law suit...

Hard to imagine anybody going after a dentist with a sexual harassment suit unless the dentist was really blatant about making passes at the patient or touching in the wrong places. 😕

Also doesn't the fact that there is a piece of paper that patients sign in certain treatments protect the dentist from malpractice suits? 😕

 

[Sprgrover]

...Also doesn't the fact that there is a piece of paper that patients sign in certain treatments protect the dentist from malpractice suits? 😕

The definition of malpractice is any act beyond normal and expected professional conduct which is highly negligent and incompetent and resulting in harm to a patient and the label of 'malpractice' is usually determined by panel of peers. For example, if a physician (or a dentist) follows correct protocol during a procedure and does everything professionally possible and yet undesirable side-effects or harm results he/she will not be slapped with malpractice. I have heard of patient disclosure forms that testify that the patient was made aware of the risks and authorizes the procedure(s), but never one that fully releases the healthcare professional from all liability.

 

[favabean]

Sprgrover - you should have gone into law with that malpractice definition! 😛

Anyhow, I too am flooded with the "suicide" accusation. In fact, my microbiology prof. asked me that question, followed by this offensive statement:

"So, you want to go to dental school? You know, there isn't much science involved in dentistry. The only thing you will learn from day one is how to run a business. So many of my former students tell me they hate it."

Believe me, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but I was in the process of asking him for a LOR.

 

[blankguy]

Sprgrover - you should have gone into law with that malpractice definition! 😛

Anyhow, I too am flooded with the "suicide" accusation. In fact, my microbiology prof. asked me that question, followed by this offensive statement:

"So, you want to go to dental school? You know, there isn't much science involved in dentistry. The only thing you will learn from day one is how to run a business. So many of my former students tell me they hate it."

Believe me, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but I was in the process of asking him for a LOR.

The ignorance continues
🙄

 

[rocknightmare]

what you telling me there is actually science involved???? man i am giong to wrong profession

 

[ItsGavinC]

Hard to imagine anybody going after a dentist with a sexual harassment suit unless the dentist was really blatant about making passes at the patient or touching in the wrong places. 😕

Also doesn't the fact that there is a piece of paper that patients sign in certain treatments protect the dentist from malpractice suits? 😕

1. LOTS of dentists are sued for sexual harassment. We live in a society that thrives off suing people.

2. Signing a waiver or agreement to treatment plan is a great first step, but it isn't the end-all-be-all that we wish it was.

 

[blankguy]

1. LOTS of dentists are sued for sexual harassment. We live in a society that thrives off suing people.

2. Signing a waiver or agreement to treatment plan is a great first step, but it isn't the end-all-be-all that we wish it was.

But really how many of such suits end up going all the way in the courts. I could sue somebody for sexual harassment because I got disced and a female colleague didn't. 🙄

 

[Profchaos]

Hard to imagine anybody going after a dentist with a sexual harassment suit unless the dentist was really blatant about making passes at the patient or touching in the wrong places. 😕

Also doesn't the fact that there is a piece of paper that patients sign in certain treatments protect the dentist from malpractice suits? 😕

There is, my friend. I heard about a few of these cases. A couple come in right before the clinic's closing hours. Husband sits outside and pretends to be waiting. Wife goes in and have a treatment. 15 mins after husband crashes in and wife pretends to be harrased. After that awaiting for the dentist is law suits. This happens to not just one dentist.

 

[jk5177]

I don't think it is pointless. I remembered during my college graduation last May, I told one of my friends that I was applying for dental schools, and the first thing he replied was "isn't true that dentists have the highest suicide rate" and then he kinda laughed at me for choose this profession. I have few people who displayed the same attitude when I told them about my goals. Therefore, it is not pointless to know about this matter. I want to have proof to refute to those who still have this kind of belief. So thanks JavadiCavity!

I met someone who makes that comment, and the alarming aspect of it is that the person actually believes it, and believe that it is attributed by something related to occupation!!!

As scientists, or dentist, we all ought to realize that correlation does not mean causation.

Anyway, that was a good post. It didn't make sense to me why dentistry would be the profession with the number one suicide rate, and now the article confirmed my doubt. (The article is also quite legitimate since it came from APA, American Pscyhological Association)

 

[jk5177]

1. LOTS of dentists are sued for sexual harassment. We live in a society that thrives off suing people.

2. Signing a waiver or agreement to treatment plan is a great first step, but it isn't the end-all-be-all that we wish it was.

Damn lawyers. This is one aspect that med students can agree with us.

 

[jk5177]

There is, my friend. I heard about a few of these cases. A couple come in right before the clinic's closing hours. Husband sits outside and pretends to be waiting. Wife goes in and have a treatment. 15 mins after husband crashes in and wife pretends to be harrased. After that awaiting for the dentist is law suits. This happens to not just one dentist.

This is a good reason to hire a staff of assistants.

 

[ItsGavinC]

My thinking is that a person prone to commit suicide could find triggers in lots of things. Foremost, the person would have to suffer from moderate to severe depression.

It isn't as if a well-person will become a dentist and then committ suicide. Too often when this subject comes up, people view it as "dentistry makes people kill themselves". That isn't true.

Lots of professions are stressful. Few professions offer the leisure and benefits of dentistry, however.

 

[Halitosis]

next time ppl try to embarrass you w/ that myth, immediately pull out a wakizashi and commit harakiri right infront of him. that'll shut him up 4 good.

 

[Sprgrover]

...It isn't as if a well-person will become a dentist and then committ suicide. Too often when this subject comes up, people view it as "dentistry makes people kill themselves". That isn't true...

Exactly! I love how people tend to assign agency to inatimate objects and abstract and constructed phenomena, such as a career. There is a lot more that goes into a person than a career and it's a bit simple minded to sweep the complex web of emotions, relations, and thought aside and blame a harsh decision on a career.

 

[12YearOldKid]

next time ppl try to embarrass you w/ that myth, immediately pull out a wakizashi and commit harakiri right infront of him. that'll shut him up 4 good.

Good advice. That'll show 'em.

 

[jk5177]

next time ppl try to embarrass you w/ that myth, immediately pull out a wakizashi and commit harakiri right infront of him. that'll shut him up 4 good.

LOL. That's an idea for a Halloween custom. Dress up as a dentist who committed suicide. Thank you.

 

[edkNARF]

I am often told, "Dentists have the highest suicide rate, it is a proven fact." I then respond, "Oh really, who proved it?"

 

[Halitosis]

wow, edknarf, why are you on probation?