The prevalence of alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug use and problems among dentists

Primarily on the basis of qualitative data, use of alcohol and illicit drugs has been speculated to be higher among dentists. The authors conducted a study to assess self-reported substance use by dentists and compare these data with those regarding physicians and the general population (GP).

A total of 113 dentists (65.3 percent) and 104 physicians (63.4 percent) from a northeastern state responded to a seven-page self-report survey during the summer of 2002. The survey assessed health care professionals' alcohol, cigarette and drug use; consequences of use; disciplinary occurrences and treatment; and professional and social influences.

Although about twice as many physicians as dentists reported heavy alcohol use, a greater number of dentists reported heavy episodic alcohol use over the past year and past month, as well as having more alcohol-use problems than physicians. Roughly twice as many physicians and three times the GP reported using anxiolytics than did dentists. More dentists than physicians reported past-year, but not past-month, minor opiate use. While more dentists reported being in social situations in which they were offered alcohol, more physicians reported being offered alcohol by pharmaceutical companies at various functions.

Contrary to previous speculation, there is little evidence from the prevalence data the authors analyzed for this report to suggest that dentists are at a greater risk of developing alcohol- or other drug-use problems than is the GP.

While the findings of this study do not suggest that substance use is more prevalent among dentists, educational institutions and state organizations still must be vigilant in educating, monitoring and encouraging dentists to voluntarily receive treatment.