#Dentaloffice toolkit com free

#Dentaloffice toolkit com free

The following free resources can help promote mental health in the dental office: If stress is impacting your life and work, don’t be afraid to seek out help from others when you need it. Allow yourself time to unwind and engage in activities you enjoy. It’s important to maintain a strong social support system and to build healthy relationships during difficult times. Share your concerns about how you’re feeling with a friend or family member. Limit your alcohol intake and avoid tobacco and other drugs. Try to exercise regularly, eat well-balanced meals and get enough sleep. Here are some tips for self-care during stressful times: Consider adding an employee assistance program (EAP) to the offered benefits at your practice if you haven’t already. Resources and assistance should be available and accessible, and using them should never threaten someone’s job or reputation. If you don’t suffer from mental health problems, work to be empathic and supportive of those who do. Remember that your colleagues and staff could be experiencing similar issues, so openly sharing can be comforting and encouraging. As an office leader, you can model this behavior by talking openly and honestly about stress and problems you may be experiencing. Make sure you and your staff can talk openly about problems and reach out for help without negative judgment. What you can do Raise awareness and reduce the stigma In advanced cases, affected individuals may lose their ability to support the team and function in the office. These symptoms may increase in severity and frequency over time.

Abuse of alcohol or drugs, including prescription medications.

Changes in weight or diet, such as eating more or less than usual.Changes in sleep, such as insomnia or oversleeping.Frequent complaints of tiredness, headaches, stomach problems, back pain or other aches and pains.Expressions of negativity or feeling “helpless,” “burned out,” “lost” or “hopeless”.Withdrawal from friends, family and other social activities.Loss of interest in hobbies and other pleasurable activities.Reduced productivity or frequent absence from work.Behavior that is uncharacteristically sad, irritable, critical, indecisive or disorganized.Signs related to mental health issues are most often manifested as behavioral changes or they’re experienced internally by the affected individual in the way he or she thinks and feels.Ĭommon signs and symptoms of someone dealing with depression, anxiety or other common mental health issues include: But identifying mental health problems can be very different. Are often high achievers who may view reaching out for help as a sign of weakness or failureĪs a dentist, you’re trained to identify oral pathology by clinical evidence, diagnostic testing and a patient’s own account.Provide care for others on a day-to-day basis and may not be as accustomed to caring for themselves.Work with patients who may loathe or resent visiting the office.Face an unfavorable public perception of dentists and dentistry.Deal with long working hours and a heavy workload.Perform stressful procedures on a sensitive part of the body with no room for error.Deal with time constraints, economic challenges and other business-related pressures, many of which have only worsened with the advent of COVID-19.Work in isolation in confined, small, sometimes windowless spaces.Dentistry can be an especially stressful profession because dentists and their staff often: The challenging, demanding work of a dentist’s office can affect the well-being not just of dentists but of office staff, as well. The ADA also found 13% of the dentists reported that they suffered from depression, while it’s estimated that only 3.8% of the general population is affected. The percent of dentists diagnosed with anxiety more than tripled in 2021 compared to 2003, according to the 2021 Dentist Health and Well-Being Survey Report from the American Dental Association (ADA). For Mental Health Awareness Month this May, take some time to get a closer look at why many dentists and their staff face mental health problems and what you can do to improve overall well-being in your office. Teams like yours can often face depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Dentistry can be a stressful and challenging profession.