Volume 8 • 2021 • Issue 1

To improve communications with her patients, Dr. Morales made a video that included a tour of the renovated office and changes that had been made to make appointments safe. Dr. Angela Morales Dentist, St. Andrew’s Dental Centre, Aurora, ON. Reach Out for Support CDSPI’sMembers’ Assistance Program (MAP) provides access to a wide variety of resources to help you deal with life’s challenges—big or small. The program provides clinical counselling, professional guidance and wellness resources. It’s strictly confidential and available to dentists, dental office staff, dental students, and their immediate families. MAP services and resources are offered through Shepell, Canada’s largest provider of Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Call 1-844-578-4040 or visit workhealthlife.com References: 1. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. CAMH's 13 Reasons Why Not . Sep 7, 2017. Available at: camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/camhs-13-reasons-why-not 2. Rosenbloom J, Kim B. Helping dentists provide care for patients with mental illness. CDA Essentials 2018;5(8): 28-31. Available at: cda-adc.ca/en/services/essentials/2018/issue8/29/ 3. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health . Mental Illness and Addiction: Facts and Statistics . CAMH. Available at: camh.ca/ en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics 4. Puriene A, Aleksejuniene J, Petrauskiene J, Balciuniene I, Janulyte V. Self-perceived mental health and job satisfaction among Lithuanian dentists. Ind Health . 2008 Jul;46(3):247-52. 5. Mental Health Commission of Canada. New survey finds employment status, income, key factors impacting mental health of Canadians during COVID-19 . June 23, 2020. Available at: mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/news-article/13967/ new-survey-finds-employment-status-income-key-factors- impacting-mental-health When asked how she takes care of her own wellness, Dr. Morales sighs. “I don’t,” she says. “That’s always been a struggle, regardless of COVID. I’m a dentist and I’m a mom. I don’t have a whole lot of time for myself.” She tries to do at least one fun activity each weekend. She enjoys skiing. “But I think of it as a season of life when the children are young, and it has its own joys.” To support her staff, she has an open-door policy. “I’m available to talk with my staff whenever they might need,” she says. She aims to provide flexibility to the workday and foster a friendly and cooperative practice environment. “Just yesterday,” Dr. Morales says, “we had a team conversation about guiding principles.” She also has a rule against gossip and encourages conflict be handled directly. “I like to lead by example and I never come to work grumpy,” she says. Dr. Morales says her religious faith grounds her. “My personality is extroverted and optimistic,” she says. “And I love dentistry genuinely. There is always more to learn so it never bores me.” families. They know about our lives,” she says. But once she was dressed in her PPE, her patients couldn’t tell her apart from her team members. To improve communications with her patients, Dr. Morales made a video that included a tour of the renovated office and changes that had been made to make appointments safe. “The video also showed that underneath all our PPE, it was still the same welcoming dental team they’ve grown to know,” she says. I ssues and P eople 25 Issue 1 | 2021 |