The relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction in orthodontics

The goal of this project was to describe the relationship between overall occupational stress (OS), categories of stressors, overall job satisfaction (JS), and facets of JS in orthodontics. Canadian orthodontists were mailed an anonymous, self-administered survey. The response rate was 51.2% (335 of 654). The survey included a list of 67 potential stressors representing 6 categories, an overall OS score, and a modified version of the Dentists Satisfaction Survey (DSS). The correlation between the overall OS score and the overall JS scale of the DSS was r = -0.392. The overall OS scores were most strongly correlated to satisfaction with personal time (r = -0.385, P <.01) and satisfaction with practice management (r = -0.334, P <.01). Work-related stressors (r = -0.301, P <.01) and income-related stressors (r = -0.268, P <.01) were the categories with the highest correlation to the overall JS scale. Orthodontists reporting low OS had significantly higher satisfaction scores on all sections of the DSS. This difference was greatest in satisfaction with personal time and practice management. The results indicate the importance of OS in determining JS in orthodontics.