Posted by Amy Carbone on Nov 11, 2024 12:30:22 PM
Between juggling a demanding schedule, the challenges of working with a wide range of people and concerns, administrative tasks, continuing education, and balancing those work obligations with home life, you may feel stressed. You may even be approaching burnout.
A survey by the American Dental Association reports that “more than 40% of dentists felt defeated, wanted to quit dentistry, or did not want to go to work at least monthly in the six months leading up to the survey.”
What is burnout, and what can you do to prevent becoming another “unsatisfied” statistic? Read on.
Dentist Burnout: What Is It?
Work burnout is more than feeling a little tired at the end of the workday. More than the day-to-day stress most dentists face, it's a state of excessive stress where the mind and body are constantly exhausted. This can lead to anxiety, depression, resentment, and hostility about the job.
Most, if not all, professions can lead to burnout. However, dentist burnout rates are especially high due to the high amount of physical and mental stress they experience as associate dentists, practice partners, or owners trying to build dental practice success.
Therefore, it's important for dentists to maintain a good work-life balance that promotes healthy personal and professional boundaries.
Common Signs of Burnout for Dental Professionals
Dentists who are struggling with high practice stress may experience any combination of the following symptoms or signs of burnout:
- Chronic fatigue or frequently feeling tired
- Difficulty getting up and going to work for the day
- Difficulty concentrating
- A decline in social activity
- Decreased interest in hobbies
- Frequently working late or skipping lunch to get things done
- Decreased appetite or irregular eating patterns
If you or a colleague notice an increase in one or more of the above, the diagnosis may be burnout.
How to Avoid Burnout in Your Dental Practice
Creating a healthy work-life balance is critical to your success as a dentist. If you wondering how to reduce burnout in the workplace, try these tips:
1. Give Yourself Time to "Switch Off"
If you're constantly in work mode, your mental and physical energy reserves will quickly deplete.
It's important to make sure you have regular time off the clock to mentally disengage from work. Pursue hobbies that you enjoy, such as sports, music, or art. Or, set aside time to travel a couple of times a year, even if it's not far from where you live.
However you choose to use your free time, try to keep work completely separate. Don't work or talk about work (even checking emails). And if you can help it, don't think about work. This allows you to separate yourself from your professional role and see yourself outside your lab coat.
Without time away from your dental practice to engage in other activities, your brain never gets a chance to recharge, leaving you exhausted.
2. Create and Stick to a Schedule
As a dentist, having (and adhering to) a schedule is likely critical.
Whether you use a paper-and-pen calendar or a time management app on your smartphone, your schedule can help you keep track of your important commitments.
By knowing when you're booked with patient appointments, have dedicated free time, or attend CE classes and conferences, you can avoid overbooking yourself.
Without a 30,000-foot view of your availability, you run the risk of committing yourself to too many patients in a workday, too many after-work commitments, and not enough time off to recuperate.
Give yourself an incentive to stay on a schedule that ideally isn't work-related. For example, if you're able to leave the office on time for a week, treat yourself to dinner, a gift, or something else you've had your eye on.
3. Delegate When You Can
One of the most important ways to boost overall practice productivity is with dental software automation tools. However, there are still many tasks that you or someone else must do.
Hiring, training, and keeping employees who help you run your office smoothly and efficiently are valuable. Beyond that, it's also likely critical that once they're trained, you're able to delegate things on your plate that can be done by someone else. This keeps you focused on things that truly only you can do while freeing up time spent on non-critical activities that don't require your time or skillset.
Make sure to hire qualified, skilled, and trustworthy staff. Put time and effort into preparing them for the job, and when they demonstrate ability, create a plan to delegate as needed. You should ideally have more than one staff member at your dental practice who can take on some of your own tasks.
4. Continue Your Education
It's easy for dentists to experience burnout when doing the same procedures day in and day out. If the majority of your time is being spent doing basic exams and fillings, your mind isn't being challenged.
To stay passionate about dentistry, it's important that you pursue opportunities to grow and expand your knowledge throughout your career.
Continuing education is an excellent way to do this and is required for many types of dental certifications. Not only does CE allow you to meet certification criteria, but it also helps keep you challenged and excited about where the dental industry is headed.
5. Connect with Your Peers
Your peers can be a valuable tool for avoiding burnout. Make a point to meet new people when you attend continuing education events or dental conferences. Connect with them often to share knowledge and spend time with someone else who "gets it."
The dental industry can be challenging for both new and established dentists, and developing a strong network of peers on whom you can rely can help you feel more grounded in your profession. Don't let a perceived lack of time prevent you from reaching out to colleagues — you should include networking in your schedule and make a point to stick to it.
Mentoring a dental student lets you spend time with someone who will soon become a peer and is enthusiastic about the profession. Before you commit, evaluate your work calendar, your activity schedule with family and friends, and your downtime to make sure you have both time and energy to take on one more thing.
Create a Healthy Work Culture in Your Dental Practice
To reduce the trepidation you and your team may feel before the beginning of your week — sometimes referred to as the “Sunday Scaries” — you need a healthy work culture and the right team.
Learn how to attract, hire, manage, and retain the best candidates with our complimentary eBook, Managing People In Your Dental Practice.
Download your copy here.
About Treloar & Heisel
Treloar & Heisel, an EPIC Company, is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.
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