Dentaltown October 2017 - 18

professional courtesy
column

Everybody Hurts

If you're a fan of REM, you'll recognize the title of
this column as one of the band's biggest hits. It's a fitting
soundtrack to a recent Dentaltown message board thread
that exploded with nearly 9,000 views and more than
388 comments over the course of one week. The thread,
"Suicide and Mental Health," touches on the critical
issues that face every dentist in one way or another.
The thread was started by "drsaul," a dentist in
Toronto who reflected on the seemingly high suicide
rate among dentists. His 1982 graduating class of
125 students had a total of four suspected suicides,
including the recent loss of a classmate. He used this
alarming fact as an opportunity to remind other
dentists: "People, if you need help, get it. Talk to
friends and loved ones. Talk to your colleagues. If
you hate dentistry, get out. It's not
worth it."
What followed is a great conversation that touches on many of
the reasons why dentistry can be a
difficult, demanding profession. The
central issues focused on three areas:
isolation, financial pressures and the
pursuit of perfection.

1. Isolation
The issue of isolation can take many forms. Practicing
alone, with little access to other professionals, doesn't
help. Townie "TimmyG" wrote:
At D-school I think most of us had at least a
few friends we hung out with through the good and
bad. But then you graduate and, for the most part,
get plopped down into a place with a few 10x12
rooms that you spend your days in, like a mole
underground. Any real semblance of collaboration is
gone-pared down to maybe a phone call once in a
while with a specialist to discuss a mutual patient.
Isolation can also affect dentists at home if their
families don't fully understand the daily stress. Relatives
see someone who's blessed to have a profession with a
reputation for high income and "easy" work, adding to
the frustration generated during the workday.

by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director, Dentaltown magazine

18

OCTOBER 2017 // dentaltown.com

Read what your fellow
Townies have to say
The message board that Tom Giacobbi
mentions here is filled with opinions and
information. It's a must-read, so go to
dentaltown.com and search the message
boards for "suicide and mental health." The
conversation will be the top result.



http://www.dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown October 2017

Dentaltown October 2017 - Intro
Dentaltown October 2017 - Cover1
Dentaltown October 2017 - Cover2
Dentaltown October 2017 - 1
Dentaltown October 2017 - 2
Dentaltown October 2017 - 3
Dentaltown October 2017 - 4
Dentaltown October 2017 - 5
Dentaltown October 2017 - 6
Dentaltown October 2017 - 7
Dentaltown October 2017 - 8
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Dentaltown October 2017 - 12
Dentaltown October 2017 - 13
Dentaltown October 2017 - 14
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Dentaltown October 2017 - 16
Dentaltown October 2017 - 17
Dentaltown October 2017 - 18
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Dentaltown October 2017 - 20
Dentaltown October 2017 - 21
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Dentaltown October 2017 - 37
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Dentaltown October 2017 - 39
Dentaltown October 2017 - 40
Dentaltown October 2017 - 41
Dentaltown October 2017 - 42
Dentaltown October 2017 - 43
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Dentaltown October 2017 - Cover3
Dentaltown October 2017 - Cover4
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