Are Dentists Safe from Patient Aggression?

A new study from New York University has revealed that patient aggression is a growing issue in the United States, with dental professionals being among those most affected. The research, published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, surveyed 98 dentists in the New York City metropolitan area and found that roughly half of them experienced verbal or reputational aggression from patients in the past year, with nearly one in four enduring physical aggression.

In this article, we delve deeper into the research, exploring the prevalence of aggression toward dentists in the US and its potential causes. We also discuss the implications of the findings, and what dental practices can do to address this growing concern.

The First Study of Its Kind

Healthcare settings are known to have a high rate of workplace violence, with law enforcement recording only violent incidents. However, there has been little research conducted into aggression toward dentists, despite their workforce of 200,000 in the United States. This recent study is the first to document the prevalence of aggression toward dentists in the US, shedding light on an issue that has gone overlooked for far too long.

Understanding the Extent of the Problem

The study surveyed dentists who had been working for an average of 17 years, assessing whether they had experienced any of 21 specific types of aggressive behavior from their patients. The results were alarming, with a substantial proportion of dentists reporting experiencing aggression from patients in the past year. This included physical aggression in 22.2% of cases, verbal aggression in 55% of cases, and reputational aggression in 44.4% of cases.

The rates of physical and reputational aggression were similar to those found in a parallel study by NYU researchers of aggression toward dental students. However, practicing dentists experienced less verbal aggression from patients than dental students, suggesting that additional experience may reduce the risk of verbal aggression.