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How has the pandemic impacted the mental health of dentists in Wales?

BDJ In Practice volume 35, pages 24–25 (2022)Cite this article

The mental health of dentists has been a priority for the BDA from before the pandemic. The BDA 2019 Stress and Burnout Survey demonstrated the stress many dentists were under, with almost half feeling unable to cope.1 BDA Wales looked into support services provision for GDPs in Wales in early 2020.2 Anecdotal reports early in the pandemic suggested conditions were worsening, so we conducted the first survey into the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2021. The results of this survey were deeply concerning, with 82% of respondents saying stress levels in the dental team increased noticeably.3 The stress caused by working conditions and financial pressures had led to an increase in both adaptive coping methods, like meditation and taking walks, and maladaptive coping methods, such as an increase in alcohol consumption and tobacco products.

Working conditions worsened in the second half of last year, with breaks becoming more difficult to take; just 8% of respondents were able to take regular breaks. Dentists were asked how they had found working in advanced PPE, particularly in the hot weather. The most commonly used words in responses include terrible, uncomfortable, unbearable, horrible, tiring and exhausting. A massive 98.2% of respondents had noticed an increase in administrative tasks which nearly all found at least mildly stressful.

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References

  1. Toon M, Collin V, Whitehead P and Reynolds L. An analysis of stress and burnout in UK general dental practitioners: subdimensions and causes. Br Dent J 2019; 226: 125-130.

  2. Seddon C, Owen C. Mental health support in Wales. BDJ In Pract 2020: 33: 4.

  3. Owen C, Seddon C, Clarke K. et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of dentists in Wales. Br Dent J 2022; 232: 44-54.

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  1. British Dental Association, Cardiff, UK

    Christie Owen

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  1. Christie Owen
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Correspondence to Christie Owen.

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Owen, C. How has the pandemic impacted the mental health of dentists in Wales?. BDJ In Pract 35, 24–25 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-022-1152-x

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