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How to deal with burnout

Being a dentist can be stressful.

Some of the reasons include: working alone, working in a confined area, trying to provide perfect treatment all of the time, dealing with the financial pressures of running a business and being around apprehensive patients.

Burnout is a legitimate concern for dentists but it can be prevented using some the approaches outlined in this post.

Embrace your role as a leader

Running a dental practice can be expensive but trying to cut costs by doing everything yourself is a failing endeavor.

Learn to delegate and to let go of control. Hire staff you can trust and then trust them to do their job. From bookkeeping to marketing to janitorial services, the more you outsource the more you can focus on being a dentist.

Educate patients on the value of hygiene

Uninformed patients may be willing to cancel their hygiene appointments when the slightest inconvenience crops up. Push the importance of hygiene and explain how hygiene plays an important role in long-term oral health. Driving more profit through hygiene production can take some of the load off your shoulders.

Improve treatment presentation

If too many patients are refusing to move forward with suggested treatments, you may need to reevaluate how you are presenting care options.

Try to avoid giving patients an excuse to procrastinate. Don’t imply that a treatment is urgent when it’s not but try to avoid giving them the impression that it’s OK to wait.

Find an outlet

Joining a professional association is a great way to let off some steam to other dental professionals who know what you’re going through. Online portals such as LinkedIn can be great as they provide an opportunity to connect with dentists who don’t operate in your territory.

Take care of yourself

Dentists and medical care professionals are notorious for taking better care of their patients than they do themselves.

A healthier diet and a regular exercise routine can work wonders for your work/life balance. Look for ways to rein in your overtime and settle on a reasonable work week.