Almost 1,000 American dentists attending the 1982 Association annual meeting completed a self-administered questionnaire on sources of stress in dental practice. Most respondents identified dentistry as more stressful than other occupations. However, most believed that other dentists were under more stress than themselves. Dentists use a variety of ways to cope with their stress but a fourth report they do nothing. The stressors particularly noted included falling behind schedule, striving for technical perfection, causing pain or anxiety in patients, canceled or late appointments, and lack of cooperation from patients in the chair. However, all of the 25 listed stressors were endorsed by at least some dentists. Among the stressors lowest in the composite ratings included: isolation from fellow practitioners, competition, monotony, lack of acceptance by patients of the preferred treatment plan, and lack of appreciation. An exploratory factor analysis leads us to hypothesize six sources in dentists' stress: problems of patients' compliance, pain, and anxiety; interpersonal relations; the physical strain of work; economic pressures; third-party constraints; and the strain of perfectionism and seeking ideal results. As the well-being of the dentist and that of the staff and patients are dependent on successful management of occupational strains, this topic deserves more empirical study than it has so far received. We strongly suggest more studies dealing with stresses that occur daily in the immediate environment of office, waiting room, and operatory.

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