In the final installment of our burnout awareness series, our CEO, Dr. Peter Kelly, shares personal insights on recognizing, addressing, and overcoming burnout in dentistry.

Burnout in the dental profession works a bit differently than traditional burnout, as we’ve been exploring in this three-part series. As we conclude our series on dentist burnout, our CEO, Dr. Peter Kelly, offers a candid look at his own experiences and shares valuable perspectives on this critical issue.

According to Dr. Kelly, one of the primary contributors to burnout is the stark disconnect between dental education and real-world practice. "I think the number one reason for burnout, heavily based on my own experience, is unpreparedness for the real life of dentistry," he explains.

While some new graduates pursue residency programs to refine their skills under experienced supervision, many jump directly into practice settings where they face complex cases with limited support. This initial lack of confidence can create chronic stress that manifests physically.

"I would end my day exhausted and in pain from being tense all day," Dr. Kelly recalls of his early career. "When you don't have that confidence or experience, you're going to be nervous and anxious when providing procedures to patients."

Another significant factor Dr. Kelly identifies is the emphasis on production over quality. "Corporate pressure to produce was put on me pretty early on," he shares. "It wasn't about how good my crown margins were or how well I was taking care of patients—it was really just about the bottom line."

This pressure, combined with a lack of preparation for the business side of dentistry, creates a perfect storm for burnout. Dr. Kelly points to educational gaps, noting that he received just "one single class that lasted one hour on the business side of dentistry" throughout his education. He emphasizes that dentists need more training or, at the minimum, awareness that they are going into business and need to be prepared for that aspect.

If not, the consequences of untreated burnout can be severe. Dr. Kelly candidly shared his own experience: "There was probably a whole year, if not more, where I couldn't sleep at night. I had insomnia and would go multiple days without sleeping, then have to be working on somebody at 7:30 in the morning. It was horrible.” He went on to detail that this lack of proper sleep eventually led to panic attacks. "I would go into the office, close the door, and lie on the floor with my eyes closed until I felt like I could get back out there and put on the character again."

Perhaps most concerning is the culture of silence surrounding these struggles. "I kept everything from people because you don't trust people to talk about your problems," Dr. Kelly admits. "You're the professional, the doctor, the leader, and you're held to a very high standard." This reluctance to seek help caused his burnout to escalate, affecting all aspects of life—from relationships and health to motivation for self-care and even purpose.

Dr. Kelly emphasizes that resources are available for those willing to seek them. "We live in an era of massive amounts of information. Any problem you have, there are answers—you just have to seek them out."

He recommends therapy, continuing education, and exploring the wealth of research on human behavior and relationship science available through books, podcasts, and educational channels.

For young dentists specifically, Dr. Kelly advises prioritizing education in those crucial first three years: "Get these courses done now, because especially when you start a family, it gets harder to escape for training."

Here at Operation Dental, we do everything we can to equip our staff with the tools to live productive, healthy lives. We've seen the power of sharing these experiences, and we normalize these conversations across our practices. We hope these conversations can also be shared across the broader dental community to promote mental health for dentists and dental professionals. Burnout may be common, but it doesn't have to be inevitable.