A questionnaire was mailed to 3,000 practicing dentists to inquire about their physical and psychological responses to the task of administering local anesthesia. Surprisingly, 18.8% of the 711 responding dentists reported that the administration of injections causes them enough distress to have (at least at some time) reconsidered dentistry as a career. Six percent of respondents considered their thoughts and feelings to be a serious problem, whereas only 2% reported no negative reaction s to this aspect of clinical practice. Self-reported reactions to various anesthetic procedures were compared, and the various respones are discussed. It is concluded that the administration of anesthetic injections is ararely discussed but significant contributor to the overall professional stress and difficulty for many, but not all, dentists