Determinants of physical and mental health complaints in dentists: a systematic review

Occupational determinants of ill health in dentists were systematically reviewed in literature. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated. Studies were included if they evaluated health-related risk factors in dental practice by means of quantitative methods and statistical analysis of collected data. Despite all the factors affecting dentists' physical and mental health, evidence of the predictive value of all these risk factors remains scarce. More than one-third (37%) of the studies appraised were found to be low quality research (weak or invalid). Results from studies investigating the factors associated with ill health in dentists do not allow for conclusions at the meta-level. More prospective and retrospective case-control studies should be conducted and attention should be paid to measuring outcomes with validated instruments to enable comparative studies and statistical summation of findings.