Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

School of Dentistry

Committee Chair

Steven Brian Whitaker

Committee Member

Samuel Dorn

Committee Member

R. Constance Wiener

Abstract

Purpose: Burnout and low professional fulfillment are major issues for dental providers, impacting their well-being, patient care, and workforce stability. While burnout has been widely studied in dentistry, less is known about professional fulfillment and how it varies by specialty and work environment. This cross-sectional study compared professional fulfillment and burnout between general dentists and endodontists, and examined how practice setting, demographics, and job factors affect occupational well-being. Methods: Licensed dentists (n=147; 72 general dentists and 75 endodontists) participated in an anonymous online survey. The Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI) was used to measure three sub-domains: Professional Fulfillment, Interpersonal Disengagement, and Work Exhaustion. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlations, with significance set at p < .05. Results: Specialty had a significant association with the three PFI areas. Endodontists reported higher Professional Fulfillment (4.22 ± 0.79 vs 3.85 ± 0.81, p = .006) and lower Interpersonal Disengagement (1.32 ± 0.49 vs 1.74 ± 0.73, p < .001) and Work Exhaustion (1.83 ± 0.85 vs 2.39 ± 1.09, p < .001) than general dentists. The strongest specialty-related association was observed for Interpersonal Disengagement (Cohen’s d = 0.68). Though practice settings were evaluated, practice setting groups were unevenly distributed and nonsignificant findings should be viewed cautiously. Older age was significantly associated with Professional Fulfillment (r = .236, p = .005), Interpersonal Disengagement (r = -.363, p < .001), and Work Exhaustion (r = -.299, p < .001) as compared with younger age. Positive compensation satisfaction was also significantly associated with all three domains, including higher Professional Fulfillment (r = .392, p < .001), lower Interpersonal Disengagement (r = -.399, p < .001), and lower Work Exhaustion (r = -.280, p < .001) as compared with negative compensation satisfaction. Patient volume and gender were not significantly associated with PFI outcomes, while years in practice was associated only with Interpersonal Disengagement. The regression model predicting Work Exhaustion was not statistically significant (p = .069) and explained 11.1% of the variance in Work Exhaustion scores. Conclusion: These results suggest that specialty, age, and satisfaction with compensation are more closely linked to occupational well-being than practice setting, gender, or workload. Focusing on factors like compensation satisfaction, mentorship, and workplace culture should be further studied to determine if they are more likely to help lower burnout and improve professional fulfillment among dental professionals.

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