Published Mental Health and Wellbeing in Dentistry: A Rapid Evidence Assessment

The General Dental Council (GDC) commissioned a rapid evidence assessment, of work published since 2006, to better understand the extent to which dental professionals experience mental health problems and the conditions that contribute to mental and emotional distress.

The review found evidence that dentists face mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress and burnout, but found little about the experiences of dental care professionals. Further, that poor mental health may lead to practitioners being less clinically confident, but that further empirical studies are needed before the impact of poor mental health and wellbeing on the dental teams’ performance and patient safety can be known.

The review indicates the need for further research in a number of areas, not least, the need for consistent measurement of the mental health and wellbeing of all members of the dental team.

This work provides a comprehensive review of evidence on the mental health and wellbeing of dental professionals in the UK and has benefited from the input of an Expert Reference Group, whom the GDC would like to thank for their contributions.

The GDC would like to encourage all those with an interest in promoting mental health wellness in dentistry to review report, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Dentistry: A Rapid Evidence Assessment and, where appropriate, to act on the findings.