{"id":12667,"date":"2025-08-12T22:12:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T19:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/otexe.com\/?p=12667"},"modified":"2025-11-05T22:40:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T19:40:42","slug":"self-care-in-dentistry-a-necessity-not-a-luxury-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/otexe.com\/en\/self-care-in-dentistry-a-necessity-not-a-luxury-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Care in Dentistry: A Necessity, Not a Luxury"},"content":{"rendered":"

Self-care in dentistry is not a luxury, but a vital measure to ensure the well-being of specialists and improve the quality of patient care.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>

It’s all too easy to romanticize burnout or constant workload as if it’s something admirable. But burnout is a scary reality, and there’s nothing delightful about it. It leaves doctors exhausted\u2014mentally and physically, lazy, apathetic, uninspired, and depressed. <\/p>

It is crucial for healthcare professionals to learn to appreciate the ability to find a healthy work-life balance that will energize us. We must learn to set boundaries that protect our emotional and mental health and ensure long-term well-being. <\/p>

It is necessary to extol the priority of rest, recovery and health care. Doctors must remember that while it’s great to be passionate about your profession, we’re human beings first, and employees second. <\/p>

What is professional burnout?<\/strong><\/h2>

Professional burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that occurs as a result of prolonged or excessive stress at work. It manifests itself in a feeling of emptiness, detachment from work and a decrease in efficiency. Although it is not a medical diagnosis, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon. <\/p>

In this context, self-care is an action aimed at restoring and strengthening the physical, mental and emotional state. Developing these habits, whether at work or in your personal life, can help you manage the symptoms that lead to anxiety and depression. <\/p>

By embedding self-care into everyday life, we become more successful not only in our profession, but also in relationships, health, and overall quality of life.<\/p>

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Requirements of dental practice<\/strong><\/h2>

Dentistry is a physically and emotionally demanding profession. Long hours of work, high concentration, physical exertion and the pursuit of perfection in their work sooner or later affect the condition of the doctor. Over time, this leads to an accumulation of stress and, if self-care is ignored, to serious mental and physical consequences. <\/p>

A study published in the Faculty<\/em>of<\/em>Dentistry<\/em> Journal<\/em> in October 2021 found that burnout is so common among dentists that more than 84% of doctors and 26% of assistants experience it at least once a year. This applies to everyone \u2013 regardless of gender, age or experience. No one is immune. <\/p>

Studies confirm that the well-being of the doctor is directly related to the quality of clinical decisions, communication with patients and the final results of treatment.<\/p>

A decrease in professional efficiency is a key sign of burnout. In dentistry, this can mean a deterioration in the quality of work, loss of confidence, irritability towards patients, physical ailments, and so on. <\/p>

Stress and cortisol<\/strong><\/h2>

Stress is the body’s natural response to difficulties and challenges, a survival mechanism. It triggers an instinctive fight-or-flight response, accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, and a surge of energy. In moderation and under the right conditions, stress can play a positive role in helping to mobilize and cope with tasks. <\/p>

But with chronic or excessive stress, the body does not have time to recover. Burnout is a severe form of chronic stress accompanied by the release of cortisol, a hormone that plays an important role in regulating sleep, digestion, and the immune system. <\/p>

Every dentist has faced stress, often due to their own mistakes, such as not respecting personal and work boundaries or inflated expectations of themselves.<\/p>

Invisible pressure<\/strong><\/h2>

Think about it: how often do we create an excessive load for ourselves? For example, let’s say you worked all day from nine to five, while: <\/p>