Dentists who work in small group practices report greater job satisfaction than those who work in single or large-group practices, according to an article in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). Results from the recent survey also indicate that those working in large group settings report greater satisfaction with their income and benefits, and less stress.
“Our study is the first step to understanding what type of practice setting dentists find the most satisfying based on a number of factors,” said Marko Vujicic, PhD, chief economist and vice president of the ADA Health Policy Institute, and one of the authors.
The study—the first of its kind in the United States—measured satisfaction with income, benefits, hours worked, clinical autonomy, work-life balance, emotional exhaustion, and overall satisfaction.
In addition to the JADA article, the same authors have published a new HPI research brief examining dentist satisfaction in two large group practice models, those affiliated with a dental management organization and those completely owned and operated by dentists.
Another brief shows that the number of large dental practices is growing, while practices with fewer than five employees are declining. Among the findings: Market penetration of very large firms varies by state, from a low of none in seven states to a high of 7% of the Florida market.
Dr Anthony Lo Sasso, public health professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, is the article’s lead author. Other authors include: Rebecca Starkel, MA, research analyst for HPI; Matthew Warren, MA, manager of membership analytics at the ADA; and Dr Albert Guay, chief policy advisor, emeritus, ADA.
