Evaluation of Occupational Stress Among Pg Residents and Practitioners of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in South Kerala Population

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to assess the stress level among Post-graduate residents and practitioners of Oral and maxillofacial surgery in south Kerala population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nearly 56 Oral and maxillofacial surgeons from the south Kerala population were given a self-administered questionnaire. This was composed of four sections including, demographic information, professional practice characteristics, work stress factors and response of to stress. The descriptive data were analyzed and Chi-square, t-test and F tests were used for statistical significance (P < 0.05). RESULTS 32.3% of respondents responded. In all, 50% of them were under 30 years old, and 76.8% had work experience of less than five years. The stressors with the highest mean scores (SD) of 2.93 are those connected to dental procedures (1.46). Uncooperative patients (57.2%), an excessive or insufficient quantity of labour (60.5%), and a persistent pursuit of technical perfection (54.6%) were the most common causes of stress. Numerous symptoms of stress were seen in dentists, including physical weariness in 63% of cases and anxiousness in 57.1%. CONCLUSION In the south Kerala population, oral and maxillofacial surgery is a stressful profession. The primary significant elements that contributed to stress were a lack of experience, a poor income, uncooperative patients, and factors linked to dental procedures.