Occupational stress among Canadian orthodontists

The occupational stress associated with many professions, including general dentistry, has been well researched. An anonymous, self-administered, mail-out survey was distributed to Canadian orthodontists. The survey included 67 potential stressors, an overall occupational stress score, an overall job satisfaction scale, and items addressing various characteristics of the respondents. The response rate was 51.2% (335/654). Pronounced differences were found between the respondents in the evaluation of potential stressors and the overall occupational stress score. The category of stressors with the highest mean severity of stress scores was time-related stressors. The stressors with high mean severity scores and high mean frequency scores were as follows: falling behind schedule, trying to keep to a schedule, constant time pressures, patients with broken appliances, and motivating patients with poor OH and/or decalcification. Stepwise multiple regression determined a model, involving overall job satisfaction, age, participation in a study group, hours worked per week, part-time academics, days of continuing education per year, and participation in stress management, to account for 35.9% of the variation in overall occupational stress scores. The results indicate the importance of time-management skills in reducing occupational stress, but other factors seem to have more effect on reported occupational stress than do the characteristics addressed by this survey.