Feed

The mental health and wellbeing of the dental team is of paramount importance in ensuring the delivery of oral healthcare. This perspective emphasises the importance of developing mechanisms of supporting the oral healthcare team. We propose a tripartite approach: a practitioner support network; a mechanism for support of members of the dental team who are referred to the General Dental Council; and crisis support for those facing severe mental health challenges. A practitioner support network would build on the known efficacy of mutual support in addressing the ongoing stress of delivering patient care. Referral to the General Dental Council has been identified as a major source of stress, and a support mechanism providing guidance and realistic discussion of likely outcomes would be of great benefit. Finally, as with all professions, some individuals will need more intense support as a result of mental health crises. We suggest that these three approaches could build on and co-ordinate existing initiatives to support the wellbeing of the dental care team.