The pandemic is on the way out – but what about the stress it leaves behind?
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 24th July 2022
The last two years have felt like somewhat of a fever dream. No one could have guessed that a virus would have caused such absolute havoc across the globe, shutting down dental services, putting thousands of people at odds and leaving many with uncertain futures.
However, as the time has gone by and things have generally started to improve, we’re now faced with a different challenge – the long-term impact the pandemic has had on our stress levels. In dentistry this is particularly pertinent, and as I was looking through the news recently, I came across a survey that suggests up to 70% of Welsh dentists are now exploring alternative career options due to the high-pressure stress they’re under.[i]
This, unfortunately, comes as no surprise. It joins a host of other surveys and reports that paint the same picture – dentists are reaching their limit.
But what are some of the main stressors affecting the profession?
The pandemic in current numbers
First of all, we need to address the fact that the pandemic is far from over. Although the UK is now living without restrictions, the virus is still among us, and numbers of infections are still unexpectedly high. At the time of writing, it is estimated that 1 in every 23 people has the virus, while the latest death toll states that 1,560 people have died in the most recent 7-day period.[ii] While a far cry from the tragic numbers at the height of the pandemic, these figures are still not to be sniffed at.
New research into the virus has also continued to unveil some interesting long-term effects. For example, a recent study suggests that those who have contracted the long version of the disease could end up becoming less intelligent, as brain fog prevents them from fulfilling problem-solving tasks that they usually would have been able to perform.[iii]
Other long-term effects linked to the virus include tinnitus, depression and anxiety, insomnia, extreme fatigue and more – all of which could be life-changing for those suffering from them.[iv]
From these figures alone, it’s easy to see why many people are still stressed about the dangers surrounding Covid-19. For dentists, a lot of this fear is likely to be compounded by the fact that we are in close proximity to people throughout the day – dental practices are safe environments for the most part, but it’s still a great concern.
Extra pressure in practice
Although burnout is no stranger to the dental profession, we’re only now seeing the full effects that the last two years have had on mental health across the board. The same survey that spoke to Welsh dentists found that 83% of respondents had still gone to work in practice, despite not feeling mentally well enough to do so.[v]
There are many potential reasons behind the plummet in mental health that many are experiencing. Catching up on the huge patient backlog, stressful safety measures, unhappy patients who haven’t been able to find care during recent months – there’s a lot of extra pressure to our positions that didn’t exist to quite the same extent before the pandemic.
Interestingly, one aspect of our jobs that continually ranks high in the extra stress department is the increase in administrative tasks that have been made necessary following the resumption of services. One survey found that a staggering 98% of dentists stated that admin was responsible for rising stress levels in practice – again, perhaps no surprise as the ever-changing nature of guidelines, protocols and necessary patient screening is a time-consuming and sometimes confusing affair.[vi]
NHS services, in particular, are also considerably underfunded at this time, leading to many dentists deserting NHS dentistry as they believe the stress isn’t worth it. Indeed, a report states that 2,000 dentists quit the NHS in 2021, which has left many areas in the country without NHS services and piling extra pressure on those who have retained their NHS contracts.[vii]
A dire shift
So, with stress levels so high, burnout imminent for many and no particular relief in sight, it’s easy to see the shift this is having in UK dental services. As well as leaving the NHS, figures suggest that two thirds of dentists are now looking towards early retirement.[viii]
What this means for the fate of dentistry in the UK in the long-term is unclear, but it’s obvious that it will take a long time for dentistry to bounce back, especially if so many professionals are no longer finding the industry an environment they can thrive in.
Ultimately, the cost of weathering the pandemic has been the emergence of a new epidemic – a stress problem that needs urgent attention.
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[i] Nation. Cymru. Dentists in Wales report high levels of stress with many facing ‘complete burnout’. Link: https://nation.cymru/news/dentists-in-wales-report-high-levels-of-stress-with-many-facing-complete-burnout/ [Last accessed May 22].
[ii] BBC News. Covid-19 in the UK: How many coronavirus cases are there in my area? Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51768274 [Last accessed May 22].
[iii] Web M. Study Finds Covid-19 May Lower Intelligence. Link: https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210730/study-finds-covid-19-may-lower-intelligence [Last accessed May 22].
[iv] NHS. Long-Term Effects Of Coronavirus (Long COVID). Link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/long-term-effects-of-coronavirus-long-covid/#:~:text=depression%20and%20anxiety,sense%20of%20smell%20or%20taste [Last accessed May 22].
[v] Nation. Cymru. Dentists in Wales report high levels of stress with many facing ‘complete burnout’. Link: https://nation.cymru/news/dentists-in-wales-report-high-levels-of-stress-with-many-facing-complete-burnout/ [Last accessed May 22].
[vi] Nation. Cymru. Dentists in Wales report high levels of stress with many facing ‘complete burnout’. Link: https://nation.cymru/news/dentists-in-wales-report-high-levels-of-stress-with-many-facing-complete-burnout/ [Last accessed May 22].
[vii] The Guardian. ‘Dental deserts’ form in England as dentists quit NHS, experts warn. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/01/dental-deserts-form-in-england-as-dentists-quit-nhs-experts-warn [Last accessed May 22].
[viii] Nation. Cymru. Dentists in Wales report high levels of stress with many facing ‘complete burnout’. Link: https://nation.cymru/news/dentists-in-wales-report-high-levels-of-stress-with-many-facing-complete-burnout/ [Last accessed May 22].
