#10 - STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH in Dentistry with Dr. Annalene Weston

Given the year we had in 2020, I thought it only made sense to address a topic that would resonate with us all - Stress and Mental Health. 

Stress and Burnout can affect all of us. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN we’ll find ourselves in a stressful situation. Whilst stress can’t be avoided completely, gaining a better understanding of what stress and burnout actually are can allow us to identify it in our own lives and hopefully equip us to deal with it better. Dr. Annalene Weston knows all about stress: In her role as dento-legal consultant for DPL Annalene regularly assists dentists who find themselves in very stressful situations. This interview was incredibly eye opening for me on multiple levels and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from our chat as well. We touch on topics of Burnout, Moral Distress, Moral Injury, and how to recognise and potentially prevent them occurring. Annalene’s own story gives us a lot of insight into these concepts and really helps us to breakdown these issues. Whether you are a dental practitioner or not, Annalene’s insights will benefit all!

Thanks Annalene for joining us on the show!

TIME STAMPS

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:42 - From English Literature to Dentistry (Annalene’s Story) 
00:03:10 - NHStress
00:05:50 - Adventures in Regional Victoria
00:07:30 - Feeling Lucky with Google (Journey to Dento-Legal Advisor)
00:10:28 - Annalene asks about my own journey to dentistry 
00:15:21 - Stress in Dentistry 
00:16:10 - Burnout
00:17:20 - Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation, Decreased Sense of Personal Accomplishment (Components of Burnout)
00:19:37 - Burnout is Dangerous (Mashlach’s Triad)
00:21:35 - Burnout now recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
00:25:20 - Breaking the Burnout Cycle (Changing the Workplace Environment)
00:29:19 - Recognising your own Burnout, Take a Break
00:32:04 - Preventing Burnout
00:40:14 - Moral Distress and Moral Injury 
00:52:50 - Developing Resources and Teaching 
01:00:39 - Talking about Failures 
01:09:40 - Communication and Developing Soft Skills
01:13:13 -  Tricky Complaint Situations 
01:17:08 - Valid Consent 
01:24:10 - Final words for dentists considering a change of career