Burnout among pediatric dentists: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Burnout, encompassing high emotional exhaustion (EE), high depersonalisation (DP), and low personal accomplishment (PA) as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), remains poorly characterised among paediatric dentists. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate prevalence of MBI-based burnout dimensions and associated factors, following a protocol prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251238894) and reported per PRISMA 2020 and MOOSE guidelines. Five databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to November 30, 2025, supplemented by Google Scholar, institutional repositories, and author contacts, for quantitative observational surveys using the MBI in paediatric dentists, residents, or faculty. Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics, MBI domain scores, composite burnout definitions, and associated factors, with discrepancies resolved by consensus; methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies (2020, nine items), and evidence certainty was graded using GRADE. Five cross-sectional surveys (n=915; Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, United States, and Republic of Korea) met inclusion criteria. Random-effects meta-analysis (Freeman-Tukey transformation) showed pooled prevalence estimates of 45% for high EE (95% CI: 27%-64%), 36% for high DP (10%-67%), and 27% for low PA (10%-49%); two studies using equivalent two-domain criteria yielded a composite burnout prevalence of 16% (4%-34%). Heterogeneity was extreme (I² > 90%) across all outcomes, with very low certainty of evidence. Burnout, particularly EE, is frequently reported among paediatric dentists, though estimates are highly context-dependent, and harmonised, longitudinal, multi-country studies with concurrent mental health measures are needed.