The rise in mental health awareness is well reported within the dental profession. Despite this, little action is taken to help prepare dental students for such a high-pressure job, and many report a lack of support whilst working in the dental practice.
Real Good Dental, however, is looking to support its workforce and recently hosted an event for its employees called Mental Health within Dentistry with Mahrukh Khwaja, founder of Mind Ninja.
Lizzy Holden, social media manager at Real Good Dental, said, “We've had a few conversations with dentists and dental nurses previously and they’ve said they have struggled with their mental health.
“Many dentists suffer from burnout, it’s a risk much higher than any other profession. It’s a statistic we want to tackle.
“Now we’re offering Real Good Dental team members gym memberships, access to mental wellbeing apps, discounts for various wellbeing support. So, we're trying to tackle it in a few different ways.”
Mental wellbeing is really crucial
The day gave attendees tools to better understand their mental health and recognise when to rest and focus on themselves. As well as giving them the tools to be more resilient to external forces.
With breakout sessions throughout the day, it gave delegates the opportunity to network, discuss their own experiences and help support each other.
Ushadevi Vijayakumar, dentist at University Dental Care Edinburgh, said, “I’m so grateful that Real Good Dental hosted today. I’m not aware of other practices or other owners that provide this level of support.
“But I'm so grateful that they're working with this on this.
“I was keen to learn new techniques and have a change and break from my usual routine. And there are practical things I will definitely take away from today and implement in the practice.”
For more information visit www.realgooddental.com