Creating a Dental Care Professional Wellbeing Community for Dental Professionals

After facilitating their first Dental Care Professional (DCP) wellbeing advocates online roundtable, Dental Therapist and Yoga Instructor Victoria Wilson and Dental Consultant Claire Frisby have scheduled a second to address the stigma of mental health and expand their fledgling DCP wellbeing community.

Here they answer questions about the new initiative and invite DCPs to join the next roundtable taking place on 10th September

You staged the first wellbeing roundtable recently, what was the response to it and what tangible steps are you putting in place to create a safe community?
VW: We had a lot of interest, with so many people registering and attending our first roundtable, we knew that we were catering for an unmet need. What was most gratifying was that 100% of the people who participated asked us to continue our mission to create a community of wellbeing advocates. The word also spread and we were subsequently contacted by so many more people asking to join our next roundtable discussion.

The feedback we had was that people wished that such a community had been formed years ago. The need for a safe place to talk openly was highlighted as a really important service for the profession. It also came to light that many people have already informally taken on the roles of wellbeing advocates or mental health first aiders but felt that implementation of this support service in a practice setting was a real challenge.

This aspect is something we hope to address in the next roundtable, and we will discuss the challenges, explore what has worked and what has not, understand why there have been some pull back or resistance from principals on implementing plans to support wellbeing, and see how we can make improvements and positive changes for everyone involved.

How can dental professionals realistically become architects of their own wellbeing? And what practical tools can they be provided with?
VW: Beside working on a wellbeing toolkit, Claire Frisby and I are building a system which will include personalised reports for DCPs based on their needs. After an assessment, we can then draw up a plan to support them; I will look after the wellbeing elements whilst Claire will focus on interventions within their career pathways and clinical settings, something that has been dear to her heart for many years.  It is something we will be announcing later this year.

CF: I have been in dentistry for over 30 years and worked with a large number of dental teams and lots of different personalities. Having trained a lot of people and worked with many principals and practice managers, I really feel I can bring a lot to the table and help make valuable changes. Some practices have already come to the realisation that having mental health first aiders and wellbeing advocates is of essential importance in the clinical setting, often they just need a little help fine tuning what works, help individuals who may be out of their depth or bond members of staff back together. It is about encouraging wellbeing across the board that will ultimately benefit everyone.

Are you planning to have male ambassadors too?
VW: The group is fully open to all genders. I would like to put out a call to males to join in as we definitely need their input and involvement as much as women’s. We have a vision of universal wellbeing, translating into equal opportunities for all to reach the highest possible levels of good health and emotional security.

Can non work-related issues be discussed in a professional environment without worrying about the impact on jobs?
VW: First of all, everything discussed in our community remains confidential, as we want people to feel they can reach out to us safely. Despite the fact that we are, of course, encouraged to separate our personal life from our professional life, the two are often interlinked - so we are open to discussing wellbeing issues relating to both. We also understand that if an individual is reluctant to open up amongst the group, a complimentary one-to-one session with Claire or myself is available. I would like to emphasise the fact that we are not psychologists or counsellors, I am a mental health first aider and we are merely there to listen, offer support and signpost to places to seek further help if a need is identified, and to offer a safe and non-judgemental place for open discussion.

Are you getting any corporate support?
VW: Over the years, many of my initiatives have been validated and supported by dental companies and I have been very appreciative of them. Philips, in particular, has placed a lot of importance and value on advancing the development of the profession. The company’s commitment to constantly improving levels of service and care to patients is very impressive.  

Philips has shown great support for the development of this wellbeing community and I am grateful of all the publicity and awareness that it has generated for it, as well as the Sonicare toothbrushes it has generously provided. The company has always demonstrated the value of making positive changes in dentistry and ultimately for patients.

CF: I was delighted to see a big company like Philips help us raise awareness to our initiative. This shows how forward thinking they are and reassures me that our voice will be heard a lot more as a result of their support.
 
What can you tell us about your next roundtable?
VW: Our next roundtable is scheduled for Tuesday 10th September between 6.30 pm - 7.05 pm. Whilst the first event was a generic discussion about wellbeing, this second session will be an opportunity to explore different topics and take a more in-depth look at subjects including the physical manifestation of pressure in the dental workplace including neck pain, mobility, carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as stress and burnout, with a discussion on optimising support pathways within the dental setting.

We would like to encourage more principals to join us as we recognise how taking a leadership approach leads to the success of a healthier wellbeing culture within a dental setting.

For more information, please click here https://form.jotform.com/242283612812351

For more information about the support community:
Victoria - [email protected]  www.smile-revolution.net
Claire - [email protected] www.click-nik.com

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