Healthcare burnout is a rising trend. However, it’s important to know that being a little worn out at the end of a hectic day is not the same as having experienced work burnout. The body and mind are constantly worn out because of the extreme stress it causes.

As a result, one may experience stress, depressed mood, and negative feelings toward one’s employer. Burnout can happen in the majority of jobs, if not all. However, the high levels of dental stress put dentists at exceptionally high risk.

84% of dentists surveyed in one study said they felt burned out. Dental professionals face psychological difficulties related to the pandemic, just like all other healthcare professionals. These difficulties can hurt their mental well-being.

To be successful as a dentist, you must establish a positive work-life balance. Additionally, our ingrained desire for excellence in our work increases the tendency to burn out. Hence, the first step begins with identifying the symptoms of burnout and then resolving them. Here are a few tips to prevent burnout and stress in the dental industry.

Workplace Empowerment

Lower levels of burnout have been strongly correlated with workplace environments characterized by a high degree of civility and a climate where teams feel comfortable speaking up. But unfortunately, many workplaces still uphold a conventional top-down hierarchy and frequently treat employees in a way that’s not conducive to a good work environment. 

According to research, team members and doctors experience less burnout when ineffective communication is discouraged and productive communication is promoted. Create a workplace where communication is transparent and encouraged from all angles.

Make sure there’s no room for rumors or unfavorable speech in the workplace. It will help if you focus more on creating a peaceful and healthy environment that will keep your patients and you happy. Your burnout will be significantly reduced as a result.

Following a Schedule

A schedule is essential for dentists to have and follow. Your plan can assist you in remembering your significant commitments. Having it on paper or setting reminders on your phone depends on you. You can prevent overbooking yourself by being aware of your availability for patient appointments, attending conferences, having time to hang out, and continuing education classes. 

 Sometimes, not following a schedule leads to missing out on fixed appointments and lining up too many patients for yourself, which becomes difficult to handle. Set a program that’s ideally unrelated to work as an incentive for yourself to adhere to it. 

For instance, consider going out with friends or family if you can leave work on time every day for a week.

Diversification of Your Dentistry

The professional lives of many dentists have been reenergized by learning a new skill or attending a training program; the idea is supported by several types of research carried out on burnout. 

 Additionally, a diversification of your dentistry by surrounding yourself with people from different backgrounds leads to a better practice and work environment. You can diversify your dental practice and actively participate in your field by rekindling your passion. 

 The field of dentistry is fantastic; however, you must constantly remind yourself of this fact to reduce your risk of dental stress.

Create Meaningful Connections

Peers can be an effective preventative measure for burnout, so attending dental conferences or education events is an excellent opportunity to network with new people. To learn something valuable, connect with the relevant person from the dental industry or join with dental temps to gain connections.

 For both new and experienced dentists, the dental industry poses challenges. Hence, you can rely on someone to guide you in your job/profession by building a solid network of peers. Therefore, make an effort to have networking as part of your work life to have a fresh breath of air in your professional life.

 Work should never be an excuse to stop you from getting in touch with your peers or colleagues.

Many difficulties arise when running or owning a dental practice. Managing your precious assets, i.e., administrators, dental associates/assistants, etc., requires extra attention. In addition, it’s not easy to have a productive and efficient team. However, putting in the effort to build a work environment that’s positive and prevents burnout and stress will lead to you loving this amazing industry again.

We at TempStars know the industry well–1000’s dental offices like yours trust and rely on us to provide fast, easy and predictable dental temping connections. Contact us now to learn more about what we can do for you to prevent shortages in skilled dental temps and also prevent burnout and stress!