Professional satisfaction among dental practitioners in Ghaziabad city

Professional satisfaction is an important determinant of health worker motivation, retention and performance and are critical improving the functioning of health systems in low-and middle income countries. Objective: To measure professional satisfaction among registered clinical dentists in Ghaziabad city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 107 dentists practicing in clinics. A questionnaire measuring dimensions of professional satisfaction was distributed manually to the participating dentists. All items were written in 5 point Likert format with a score ranging from 5 (strongly satisfied) to 1 (strongly dissatisfied). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and Student′s t-test measuring the difference of means between the subgroups for each dimension was performed. Results: Analysis showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in levels of satisfaction for various dimensions of professional satisfaction by gender, educational qualification and work status type. There were differences in professional satisfaction between male and female dentists-related to the personal time dimension. Results also showed that postgraduates were more satisfied than graduates. It was reported that full time dentists expressed dissatisfaction in the time spent with their family and leading to troubles in their personal relationships. Conclusion: Overall, dentists have a high level of professional satisfaction and the level of satisfaction is influenced by various socio demographic and psycho-behavioral factors