CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 4

9 Issue 4 | 2018 | CDA at W ork A s an experienced dentist, I’ve come to appreciate that we work in environments that can be challenging and that most dentists are perfectionists. The potential for a stressful situation is always there. Although we’ve probably all developed our own approaches to handling stress in the office (mine was to take a quiet five-minute timeout outside the treatment room after finishing a difficult case), strategies that help us mentally prepare for life’s psychological stressors may not be as obvious. A one-day conference, Enhancing the Wellness of Canadian Dentists, jointly organized by CDA and CDSPI (p. 21) included presentations from wellness experts which opened my eyes to many new concepts. I learned that mental health exists in a continuum, ranging from healthy well-being to severe functional impairment or mental illness, and that recognizing the signs within this spectrum can encourage people to seek help. I also gained a new understanding of mental health through the lens of other similar professions which, like dentistry, demand consistently high levels of individual performance under potentially stressful conditions. For instance, the Canadian Armed Forces has a wellness training program that reinforces the concept of resilience as a skill that can be improved through education and by developing skills for reducing stress. And in medicine, a recognition that physician wellness is affected by both individual and external factors has led to the development of resources and tools targeted to the individual, team, and institution. Dentist wellness is influenced by many factors. Whether it’s learning more about skills for developing personal resilience or building the foundation for a psychologically healthy and safe work environment, there are things we can all do to make a positive difference. Understanding the different strategies for promoting wellness showed me that dentists have opportunities to support our own mental health and, as the leaders of a dental team, that of our staff and colleagues as well. The well-being of health care workers is increasingly important, because our levels of wellness can influence the quality of care we provide. However, the dentists in attendance at the conference noted that seeking treatment for a mental health problem may be difficult. Some of these difficulties include the challenge of keeping a practice viable during an absence for mental health treatment and the real fear of a tarnished reputation or ruined career. But dentists can, and do, successfully return to practice after treatment for a mental health issue. Dentist wellness programs should be designed to meet the specific needs of dentists and be embedded into the culture of our profession. In speaking with the dean at my dental school (University of Saskatchewan), I was pleased to learn that wellness skills are now being taught to dental students. Dentistry leaders attending the conference engaged in thought- provoking discussions about what is currently being done, and what more could be done, to promote wellness in our profession. CDA, in collaboration with key stakeholders, will explore how to implement strategies discussed at the conference and continue these important conversations about dental wellness. From the President Michel (Mitch) Taillon, dmd president@cda-adc.ca Dentist Wellness: More thanpersonal resilience