u/Just-School-3238 — reddlx

Anxious, and losing confidence as a young dentist

I’m a younger GP dentist and lately my mental health has been getting seriously affected by work. I feel like I’m constantly making mistakes or not performing at the level I should be, especially with more difficult cases.

This week I had a very difficult crowned lower molar RCT case with calcification, furcation pathology, and significant bleeding after recent surgery. I lost orientation during access, panicked, and the case ended up being referred to a specialist. Since then I’ve been spiraling badly and questioning whether I’m even cut out for dentistry.

I also completed a few endos afterward that were technically acceptable but not great, and now my boss wants all my radiographs sent to him for review. He has been very critical lately and I constantly feel like I’m one mistake away from losing my job.

I want to be clear that I DO accept feedback and I know I still have a lot to improve technically. The problem is that every criticism feels less like “this needs improvement” and more like proof that I’m not cut out for dentistry at all. I take every difficult case or imperfect radiograph extremely personally and I can’t seem to separate my work from my self-worth anymore.

The hardest part is that I feel completely alone in this. I don’t really have dentist friends or mentors I can talk to honestly. Financially I’m also struggling and living paycheck to paycheck, so every mistake feels catastrophic.

Lately my anxiety has become intense to the point where I’m having physical symptoms before work (panic, diarrhea, inability to sleep, constant spiraling thoughts). I’ve even started having moments where I feel emotionally hopeless and wonder if I can keep doing this long-term.

I guess I just want to know:

- Did any of you struggle like this early in your career?

- Did anxiety ever affect your clinical performance?

- How did you rebuild confidence after difficult cases and criticism?

- Does it actually get better?

Right now I honestly feel emotionally exhausted and burned out.

reddit.com

u/Just-School-3238 — 8 days ago

▲ 6 r/Dentistry

Will this require retreatment?

Had this case earlier today. Do you think the gap in the obturation is going to be a problem? I would have tried to fill it more but I had already closed up. This was my final xray. Will it need retreatment? I feel horrible about it.

u/Just-School-3238 — 9 days ago

▲ 21 r/Dentistry

Excessive bleeding when trying to access pulp chamber. Perforation?

Patient presented for primary RCT on #31 with an existing full coverage crown (zirconia). Tooth had active furcation pathology and had JUST undergone surgical removal of a furcation cyst 30 minutes before being sent for endo. Patient was already symptomatic/in pain before treatment.

Radiographically the tooth appeared somewhat calcified/narrow chamber. During access I had significant bleeding that was difficult to control even with NaOCl irrigation. I was exploring carefully with DG16/files trying to locate canals but could not clearly identify the orifices. At one point I became concerned about possible perforation because of the amount of bleeding, although I did not have a bur “drop” or obvious furcation blowout. File did not feel loose/wobbly and PA did not show obvious major deviation.

I ultimately stopped because I felt disoriented and didn’t want to continue blindly. Patient returns tomorrow because the case needs completion due to infection/travel plans.

For those with more endo experience:

How do you differentiate heavy inflamed chamber bleeding vs perforation in cases like this?

Any tips for regaining orientation in crowned/calcified lower molars?

Would you continue conservative troughing/searching or consider referral at this point?

Trying to learn from the case and approach tomorrow more systematically.

u/Just-School-3238 — 11 days ago