Dentists troubled by the administration of anesthetic injections: long-term stresses and effects.

A questionnaire was mailed to 3,000 practicing dentists to inquire about their physical and psychological responses to the task of administering local anesthesia. Surprisingly, 18.8% of the 711 responding dentists reported that the administration of injections causes them enough distress to have (at least at some time) reconsidered dentistry as a career. Six percent of respondents considered their thoughts and feelings to be a serious problem, whereas only 2% reported no negative reactions to this aspect of clinical practice. Self-reported reactions to various anesthetic procedures were compared, and the various responses are discussed. It is concluded that the administration of anesthetic injections is a rarely discussed but significant contributor to the overall professional stress and difficulty for many, but not all, dentists.