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You've probably heard that dentists have the highest suicide rate of any profession. That's a myth. But here's what isn't: dental professionals experience alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal thoughts.

In Australia, 1 in 6 dental practitioners reported thoughts of suicide in the past year. In the UK, 17.6% of dentists admitted to seriously considering it. And 43% of dental hygiene students report moderate to severe depression before they even enter the workforce.

But here's the problem no one is talking about: we're only tracking dentists. The ADA collects mental health data on dentists—but dental hygienists? Dental assistants? The workforce that is 95% female? No systematic tracking exists. If you're not counted, you don't count.

In this episode, I break down the myth vs. reality of suicide in dentistry, the data gap making the female-dominated workforce invisible, the education gap leaving students unprepared for a high-stress profession, and what needs to change—for the industry, for practice owners, and for clinicians.

This episode is personal. I lost a mentor to suicide early in my career. She seemed fine. She showed up. She smiled. And she was struggling silently. That experience changed how I see this industry.

We can't fix what we don't acknowledge.

It's time to start counting everyone.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here are resources:

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call or text 988.

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741.

For dental-specific support, the Dental Mental Health Network and your state's ADA well-being program are available.