Published In

British Dental Journal

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2-2026

Subjects

Dental Workforce -- Mental Health

Abstract

Aims:

Suicide among healthcare professionals is a growing concern. Despite evidence of high psychological distress in dental practice, suicide in dentists remains underexplored. This scoping review systematically examined the literature on suicide and suicidal ideation among dentists, including prevalence, risk factors, and temporal trends.

Methods:

Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source identified English-language studies reporting suicide, suicidal ideation, or related mental-health risks in dental professionals. Duplicates were removed; titles/abstracts and full texts were screened against predefined criteria. Data were extracted and thematically analysed.Results Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were mostly retrospective or observational studies. Findings on suicide rates were mixed: three studies reported elevated risk among dentists versus the general population, while two found no difference or declining trends. Reported risk factors included occupational stress, access to lethal means, substance misuse, mental-health stigma, sex, and age.Conclusions Suicide in dentistry is multifactorial. Reducing stigma, strengthening surveillance, and implementing targeted supports and interventions are needed to safeguard dentists' wellbeing.

Rights

Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.1038/s41415-026-9546-5

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44607

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

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