# Why do dentists commit suicide so much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261 "2009-03-21T15:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/1 "2009-03-21T15:04:05Z")
Word is that Dentists have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. Why? People hate them too much ? They feel guilty for doing root canals? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/2 "2009-03-21T15:15:19Z")
My wife’s dentist drank himself to death so I guess he had some mental issues. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/3 "2009-03-21T15:19:49Z")
Your phrasing seemed like a folk belief to me, and a quick google search found [a Straight Dope column on that very subject](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2301/do-dentists-have-the-highest-suicide-rate). ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/4 "2009-03-21T15:25:13Z")
> [@sassyfras](#): > > Word is that Dentists have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. Word is wrong. > [@](#): > > ‘‘There is little valid evidence that dentists are more prone to suicide than the general population, although some related data suggest that female dentists may be more vulnerable,’’ he wrote. From here: [http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/12/science/jobs-rank-low-as-risk-factors-for-suicide.html?sec=health](http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/12/science/jobs-rank-low-as-risk-factors-for-suicide.html?sec=health) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/5 "2009-03-21T16:03:34Z")
Cuz life bites, dude. ETA: Plus, all that nitrous oxide has _got_ to make it a pretty sweet way to go! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/6 "2009-03-21T18:03:21Z")
> [@sassyfras](#): > > They feel guilty for doing root canals? LOL Actually root canals don’t hurt. It’s what happens BEFORE the root canal is done that hurts. I thank GOD for root canals, otherwise most people over 30 would be missing teeth 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/7 "2009-03-21T18:36:33Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > LOL > > Actually root canals don’t hurt. It’s what happens BEFORE the root canal is done that hurts. I thank GOD for root canals, otherwise most people over 30 would be missing teeth > > 🙂 Root canals used to hurt like hell. This was before dentists learned to let the swelling go down before starting to drill. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/8 "2009-03-21T18:44:36Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Your phrasing seemed like a folk belief to me, and a quick google search found [a Straight Dope column on that very subject](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2301/do-dentists-have-the-highest-suicide-rate). There is also a Staff Report by **C K Dexter Haven** entitled [What occupation has the highest suicide rate?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1588/what-occupation-has-the-highest-suicide-rate). Dex does suggest that dentists are significantly adrift of physicians in the suicide stakes, the latter heading the list of professions so affected. I interpret food batchmaker as an occupation rather than a profession. It’s worth noting that both Cecil and Dex point out the obvious difficulty in analysing suicide statistics _i.e._ many such deaths are classed differently in order to spare the families from unwelcome publicity. Cecil also comments on the small samples used to arrive at some conclusions on suicide rates. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/9 "2009-03-21T22:52:47Z")
> [@op](#): > > Why do dentists commit suicide so much? Sheesh! It’s because they’re always looking down at the mouth. 🙂 \*[sub]I read that in a joke book in about 1958[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/10 "2009-03-21T23:17:27Z")
I sure hope not. This is the perfect time for me to inject a cute anecdote. Since my 6-year old loved '“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” last year, he’s been saying he wants to be a dentist (like Herbie) when he grows up. We went to the Renaissance Festival in November and he went into a booth with my wife to look at paintings of knights and dragons. The nice lady asked him if he wanted to be a brave knight when he grew up and he proclaimed, “No, I’m going to be a dentist!” Much laughter ensued. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/11 "2009-03-21T23:30:59Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Sheesh! It’s because they’re always looking down at the mouth. 🙂 > > \*[sub]I read that in a joke book in about 1958[/sub] No, it’s because they get tired of the same old drill. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/12 "2009-03-22T00:26:00Z")
Hey, listen. If, every time you went to Karaoke Night, people would beg you to sing “_Fillings, nothing more than fillings…_” wouldn’t it push you over the edge? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/13 "2009-03-22T02:34:39Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Sheesh! It’s because they’re always looking down at the mouth. 🙂 > > \*[sub]I read that in a joke book in about 1958[/sub] I must’ve read that same joke book. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/14 "2009-03-22T03:39:13Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > LOL > > Actually root canals don’t hurt. It’s what happens BEFORE the root canal is done that hurts. I thank GOD for root canals, otherwise most people over 30 would be missing teeth > > 🙂 Most people? I’m 46 and have all my teeth and have never had a root canal. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/15 "2009-03-22T10:59:43Z")
Also now the tools for root canals are much better, they use electric or air drills. In the past they did it more by hand. Cavities that are filled can lead to root canals after a while, the tooth gets infected. If you have no fillings you probably won’t need a root canal. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/16 "2009-03-22T11:02:22Z")
> [@sassyfras](#): > > Why do dentists commit suicide so much? That has to be an exaggeration. After all, they can only do it once. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/17 "2009-03-22T13:03:38Z")
If you had to spend your working day peering into peoples gobs, smelling their bad breath, seeing all the decay and rotting stuff wedged in there, wouldn’t you feel a tad depressed at clocking off time. Especially if you worked in Merrie England 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Iamametalrobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@Iamametalrobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iamametalrobot)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/18 "2009-03-22T13:10:29Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I sure hope not. This is the perfect time for me to inject a cute anecdote. Since my 6-year old loved '“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” last year, he’s been saying he wants to be a dentist (like Herbie) when he grows up. We went to the Renaissance Festival in November and he went into a booth with my wife to look at paintings of knights and dragons. The nice lady asked him if he wanted to be a brave knight when he grew up and he proclaimed, “No, I’m going to be a dentist!” Much laughter ensued. So, does your kid shoot puppies with a BB gun, or poison guppies? That would really make him dentist material. 😉[You’ll be a Dentist.](http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=little+shop+of+horrors+dentist&hl=en&emb=0&aq=2#) ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/19 "2009-03-22T19:13:09Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Also now the tools for root canals are much better, they use electric or air drills. In the past they did it more by hand. I’ve had a couple and I would place it on par or slightly **less** uncomfortable than getting a normal filling. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261/20 "2009-03-22T20:30:22Z")
My root canals were no big deal at all, about the same as a filling, they just took longer. As others have said ,the pain before is the problem. In my recent cases they gave me antibiotics before and that got rid of the pain. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dentists-commit-suicide-so-much/490261.md?page=2)