Sustainable human resource is one of the main issues in healthcare delivery and the way hospital dentists work has a significant impact on oral and dental healthcare services. This study is the first large-scale nationwide survey aiming to investigate the working hours including the working environment among hospital dentists in Japan. A total of 2914 hospital dentists responded to self-administered questionnaires from general hospitals (GHs) and medical educational institutions (MEIs) across the country. Among full-time dentists, the younger generation (i.e., those in their 20s and 30s) of both male and female dentists working in GHs engage in over 40 h of in-hospital clinical practice per week, apart from their self-learning hours. In contrast, the middle-aged dentists (i.e., those in their 40s and 50s) at MEIs work for more than 50 h on average due to the added teaching and research responsibilities. In a multiple logistic regression model using "more than 60 h of work per week" as the dependent variable, higher ORs (Odds Ratios) were found in males (OR = 1.83, 95%CI 1.50-2.22), MEIs (OR = 1.92, 1.52-2.42), and individuals specializing in dental and oral surgery (OR = 1.85, 1.47-2.32). Task-shifting was requested by 22.6% of the respondents for preventive care and dental guidance. Only a few male dentists experienced taking a parental leave and the peak distribution of working hours was shorter for females working in GHs. The support for child-rearing in the work environment is still insufficient and a consensus on the involvement of male dentists in childcare is needed.
Keywords: gender; hospital dentist; sustainable workforce; task-shifting; work environment; working hours.