Covid-19: Half of UK dentists feel pessimistic about the future

45 per cent of UK dentists feel their mental wellbeing is worse compared to the start of the pandemic, and nearly half (48 per cent) say they feel pessimistic about the future, according to a survey.

In the Dental Protection survey of nearly 500 dental professionals, 60 per cent said that concern for the health of their family and friends was the main factor affecting their mental wellbeing. 58 per cent cited loss of income/financial worries, and half of the respondents (50 per cent) said adapting to new policies and guidance – including restrictions on appointments – was having the most impact on their mental wellbeing.

A third (33 per cent) of dentists also said they had experienced verbal or physical abuse from patients or patients’ relatives – largely due to not being able to offer an appointment soon enough. A further 5 per cent said they had experienced verbal abuse outside of the surgery.