How stress and burnout impact dental teams

Stress Awareness Month is taking place across April. The Dentists’ Health Support Trust sets out the potential impacts of workplace stress and burnout on dental professionals below, and highlights some of the tools you can use to protect your wellbeing.   

While dentistry is a highly fulfilling and rewarding profession, occupational stress is incredibly common among dental professionals. It is a primary driver of burnout and mental ill health, severely reducing your daily enjoyment of life. Stress often causes negative changes to your mood and concentration, alongside physical symptoms like extreme fatigue and headaches. If left ignored, this high-level stress can easily escalate and lead to long-term anxiety or clinical depression. 

Working together to reduce workplace stress  

Workplace difficulties deeply affect our overall mental health, making it crucial for dental teams to collaborate actively. Creating a positive workplace environment is essential to help reduce these intense daily pressures. Colleagues can support each other through open communication and by checking in when things get tough. 

Practices should consider investing in Mental Health First Aid to help staff identify and support distressed colleagues. By spotting the signs early, teams can provide immediate support and prevent a crisis from escalating. 

The danger of unhealthy coping mechanisms  

When stressed, we often turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like skimping on sleep or drinking too much alcohol. Overindulging on unhealthy food or smoking are also common reactions that many professionals use to find quick comfort. These behaviours might offer short-term relief, but they eventually become new problems that undermine our health. Recognising these negative patterns early is the critical first step to changing them and protecting your wellbeing. 

Practical coping tools to protect your wellbeing 

Remember that self-care is essential for healthcare workers, not just an optional extra for weekends. You can adopt several tools to lower your stress levels and maintain your daily wellbeing: 

• Split up big tasks: Break overwhelming jobs into manageable chunks and give yourself credit for finishing them. 
• Plan ahead: Prepare thoroughly for upcoming stressful days by making to-do lists and organising your tasks.
• Prioritise sleep: Maintain regular sleep hours and practice good sleep hygiene to ensure you stay fully rested.
• Challenge thoughts: Learn to reframe your unhelpful, negative thoughts to stop them from overwhelming your daily life.

Managing the intense anxiety of complaints  

Dealing with patient complaints is incredibly stressful and can easily trigger intense anxiety for many dental professionals. Professionals often fear losing their jobs, facing a GDC referral, or suffering from negative evaluation by loved ones. This severe anxiety causes people to catastrophise, but learning to respond flexibly to these threats is incredibly helpful. 

How the Dentists' Health Support Trust can help  

The Dentists' Health Support Trust (DHST) provides free and entirely confidential advice for colleagues facing mental health issues. As a registered charity run by dentists, for dentists, we offer guidance during high-stress periods like complaints.