Have you registered for The Faculty of Dental Surgery Symposium in September? “Managing dental patients’ pain and anxiety: everyone’s challenge” will be a fantastic event organised by Dr Carole Boyle, member of Dental Council and former Clinical Lead for Sedation and Special Care Dentistry at Guy’ and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. As well as being the event organiser, Carole will speak on the role of inhalational sedation for medically compromised patients.
Our keynote speaker needs no intro and I had the pleasure of awarding Tim Newton, Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry, Honorary Consultant Health Psychologist and Dean of Research Culture at KCL with an Honorary Fellowship in Dental Surgery at our Diploma Ceremony in June. The Faculty does not award many people with Honorary FDS. Tim Newton is exceptional at making psychology in dentistry understandable to all. He is a giant in the field of the management of dental anxiety, and we are fortunate to welcome him to open our symposium and set the scene for an impressive speaker line up to follow.
The other speakers are also world-class, with an update on local anaesthesia by another of our Dental Council members, Dr Ian Corbett, Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Oral Surgery in Newcastle; orofacial pain by Emma Beecroft, academic Specialty Trainee in Oral Surgery also in Newcastle; a presentation of the new kid on the IV sedation block, Remimazolam by Bryan Kerr, Consultant in Special Care Dentistry at KCL and Chief Investigator on a trial called “Remident”. Finishing off the session is Nigel Robb, another member of Dental Council, who has a long and illustrious career in dental sedation. Nigel will speak on the new Faculty of Dental Surgery Diploma in Dental Sedation exam with the first diet having run earlier this month. He will be brimming with enthusiasm! As Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, it will be my pleasure to welcome everyone and, of course to learn more about the topic.
It is of course crucial that we focus on patient pain and anxiety, but what about the dental team? Anxieties are not solely the prerogative of our patients and whilst being an anxious person is an exclusive club that nobody wants to join, the majority of our patients have no idea how anxiety affects the dental team.
There are many sources of anxieties for the dental team and the usual ‘dentistry suspects’ are invariably at play: tightly packed work schedules, heavy administration and paperwork burdens, challenging patient encounters, other stressors in the workplace and, of course, the business side of dentistry. The threat of litigation is now known to be a major stressor in dentistry, complicating the situation. Thrown into the mix for many are domestic and caring responsibilities, and in the background mental health challenges. All of this provides an unnecessarily rich opportunity for stress, anxiety and of course burnout. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stressful time for all in dentistry and our profession lost many people during the pandemic who decided that there was more to life than dentistry and either retired or moved to alternative careers. The world can ill afford to keep losing more dental health professionals to anxiety.
The physical and emotional toll is not to be underestimated. Anxieties in the dental team can lead to excessive worry, distress, restlessness, fatigue and sleep impairment, concentration difficulties, mood changes, somatic pain and at worst, negative thoughts about self-worth, including suicidal ideation. In addition, these impact the quality of care we provide for our patients.
So, how can we help anxiety in the dental team? The first aspect is to be open about mental health, the prevalence of mental health issues, along with the risk factors and triggers. Next is to develop a personal strategy for coping with anxiety. This is easier said than done and needs a combination of introspection and external input. Education is of course a key part of mental wellbeing, and teaching ourselves good mental health routines is an essential as well as peer support, and professional mental healthcare provision for those who need it. The challenge, however is that resources for mental healthcare within publicly funded healthcare systems are under severe strain and unfortunately, help is often only available for those in the direst need of help.
Whilst it is our responsibility as members of the dental team to look after our own mental health, we are also duty bound to look after the mental health of others, and when we suspect a colleague is under significant stress and anxiety, it is our responsibility to help them find the help and resources they need. Not only will this help the person at the centre of the anxiety and stress loop, but you will also be helping their family and arguably, most importantly their patients.
Anxiety is a paramount issue for all of us in dentistry, and affects not only our patients, but the whole dental team as well. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has launched the RCSEd SupportEd Hub which is the platform for those working in dentistry and surgery. The dedicated website provides a wealth of information and resources to help all of us involved in healthcare to cope with the pressures throughout our careers. From mental health support to work-life balance information along with confidential support, expert guidance and a sense of community, the SupportEd hub is available to all to help develop a culture where everyone feels valued and supported. You will be amazed at the content and range of resources, even if you are ‘worried but well’.
If you haven’t registered for the September symposium, then to save you any anxiety in hunting for the link online, here it is: Online Afternoon Dental Symposium - 'Managing dental patients’ pain and anxiety: everyone’s challenge' | RCSEd I look forward to seeing you there.
If you have any ideas for future symposia, please get in touch. I am always delighted to hear from members and fellows dental@rcsed.ac.uk.