Stress Management for Dental Professionals and Their Patients

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Discussion Points:

Dr. Saul and Dr. Tracy spoke about the role of anxiety and stress in patient-dentist interactions and the realities of the current healthcare environment that pose challenges to care, with a focus on: how dentists can detect early signs of anxiety, communicate effectively to prevent anxiety and stress from negatively affecting treatment, and how dentists can see where their own anxieties (e.g., perfectionism) might be a barrier to managing some expected emotional and mental health aspects of dental care. 

Principles people will be learning about:

  • Learn how to give people more information rather than less about what to expect during the course of treatment.
  • Learn how to acknowledge rather than avoid worries and anxieties expressed by the patient.
  • Learn how to shift one’s mindset (and the patient’s) towards anxiety by treating it not as a distraction or disruption, but as a normal part of dental care.
  • Integrate brief, validated wellness practices (like breathing exercises).
  • See how stress affects dentists in practice.
  • Learn how certain patient interactions, especially during the pandemic have created more stress for dentists.
  • Discover new ways of deescalating certain patient scenarios to decrease our stress levels.
  • The pre-recorded interview describes certain lifestyle changes that can help dentists manage challenging situations in our practices and in our own personal lives in a more effective and positive way.
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