THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES ON PERSONAL LIFE AND HEALTH OF DENTISTS

Medical sociology (or sociology of medicine, depending on the specific linguistic environment in which this discipline develops) is the middle-level sociological theory and develops in frames of the human factor in medicine (organization of medical services for the population, social perceptions among medical staff, and patients, gender issues related to activities of medical staff and interaction with patients, social expectations of the population regarding the activities of medical institutions, quality assessment of medicine in a particular society, etc.). Medical sociology might have an important impact on improving the quality of medical services, on the social well-being of medical personnel and patients, but it is still not the most developed branch of science. One of the reasons for that might be an underestimation of joint research activities between representatives of medical sciences and sociology, as well as a lack of sociologists in medicine. At the same time, a wide range of issues is interrelated and relevant at all stages of the organization and provision of dental care, including the analysis of gender imbalance, professional growth and professional development, competitiveness, occupational hazards, and the health status of dentists. In this regard, studies on actual problems in the field covered by medical sociology are needed. The article discusses some of the sex and age determinants of dental activity, in particular, the workload of male and female dentists, their health status, and problems related to the remuneration of dentists. Based on the data of the sociological study, a comparative analysis of the perceptions of men and women dentists regarding these issues is carried out. Along with the similarity and some differences in the perceptions of men and women dentists regarding their workload and earnings, it is concluded that women dentists assess the impact of professional activities on their health and personal life more critically than men.