1. Stress prevention
As we all know, stress can be part of everydaylife,especiallywitha team to manage, a businessto
run, and fitting ina life and family.It can drive us, motivate us and evengive us energyto fit it all
in, but it can also cause us harm. Wouldyoutake some time out of your day if it could actually
helppreventthe negative impacts of stress?
Your profession
Dentistryiswidelyconsideredtobe a stressful profession. Youwork inthe confinementof asmall
surgery,meetingthe healthneedsof anxiouspatientswithhighexpectations, all alongside the
responsibilitiesof managementandthe increasingmountainsof paperwork.
Stressisa well-documentedproblem,findingsfromarecentTUC survey1
publishedonWorldMental
HealthDay inOctober,foundstresstobe the top healthandsafety concerninUK workplaces.Last
year,research2
bythe BritishDental Association(BDA) intothe workpressuresof dentistsworkingin
primarysalariedcare,suggestedtheywere twice aslikelyasotherworkerstoexperience highlevels
of job-relatedstress.
In 2013, psychiatricdisorders represented around 15% of the claimspaidto our members,including
a total of £270,000 for depressionandmore than£45,000 forwork-relatedstress.
Preventionisbetter than cure
Managing stressisa term we have all heardand thisisimportantto helptokeepyourstresslevels
‘incheck’,butwouldn’titbe betterif we couldactuallydosomethingevery day tohelptoprevent
it?Afterall,like oral care itself,preventionisbetterthancure.
In Dental Protection’s 2014 annual review3
,the observationsweremade that‘Asdental
professionalswe extolthe benefitsof preventive dentistry,butwe sometimesoverlookthe
preventivestepswe cantake to try to avoidinjuringourselves.’and‘Asdental professionalscaring
for others,itiseasyto forgetaboutthe impactthat the care we provide mayhave onour own
health.’
In a 2011 study JoannaTaylor, a dental practice manager,accreditedclinical hypnotherapist,trainee
psychotherapistandstress managementconsultant conducted asurvey investigatingsome of the
majorcausesof stressand stressmanagementinthe dental team4
.She foundthat, outof the 178

2. principal and associate dentistswhotook part,more thanone third(36%) statedtheywere stressed
abouttheirworkmost workingdays.
Stress management
The StressManagementSocietyisrecognisedasaleadingauthorityonstress managementissues
and suggests thatyoga can reduce stress,lowerheartrate,lowerbloodpressure,reducetensionin
muscles andreduce anxiety.Massage canalsobe effective intreatingstress,asitreleasestensionin
muscles andcan energise you.5
The AlexanderTechnique (AT)
Researchsince the 1960s has demonstratedthatthe AlexanderTechnique hascertainstress
relievingproperties,aswell asimprovingstrengthandstamina.
JuliaWoodmanBSc,PhD, fromthe ScientificResearchGroup of the Societyof Teachersof the
AlexanderTechnique(STAT),explainsthe principlesbehindthe technique,andsays:‘Atabasic level
we all knowthat the mindand bodyoperate together,influencingeachother.Forexample,if we're
stressedourneckand shoulderstightenandthis,inturn,contributestofeelingmore stressed. If you
tendto react inan automatic,habitual waytowhat life throwsatyou,thenyouare likelytoendup
feelingmore stressed.Withthe AlexanderTechniqueyoudevelopthe abilitytoconsciouslyprevent
unwantedhabitual reactions,eitherphysical oremotional.”
Meditation
Meditation canbe an effective stressrelievingandpreventivetechniqueandhasbeenaroundfor
thousandsof years.LorenW ChristensenaVietnamwarveteran, martial artistandretiredstreet
‘cop’,demonstrates inhisbook‘meditationforwarriors’ thatmeditationcanbe foreveryone from
everywalkof life,he says“Youcan meditate andstill ownapit bull,drive aHarleyandshare lies
withyourdrinkingbuddies.”
Meditationisbecomingmore recognisedinthe westernworldasa simple andeffectivemethodof
relaxationthathasthe flexibilitytofitintoyourworkingday.Itgivesyoua breakfrom everydaylife
and isa straightforward processthatrequiresnospecialsskillsorexperience - soanyone canhave a
go. It can quietenyourmindandallowyourbodytosinkintoa state of rest, helpinggetridof deep-
rootedstressandtension.
Stresshas an impacton our physiologyandournervoussystemsand whatnone of us wantis for
that stressto stayand become imbedded inoursystems.
There are variousmeditationtechniquesfromsimplyfocusingonanobjectorsound,to more well-
knowntechniques like Transcendental Meditation,whichseekstoeliminate stress,fatigueand
tensioninthe mindandbody.Thisis promotedbycelebrities andfeaturesperiodicallyinthe media;
it followsasetroutine anda large numberof research studiessupport itseffectiveness.
Transcendental Meditation(TM)
Thisis a relatively simple,easytolearn,natural technique of the mindand,once youhave learntit,
youget the most outof itby doingit twice a day for 20 minutesbysimplysittingcomfortablywith

3. your eyesclosed.Evidence hasshownthatitcan helpreduce stressandanxiety,reduce insomnia,
improve yourphysical health, raiseyourenergylevelsandenhance yourcreativity, byrecharging
youmentallyandphysically.
KevinEsplin,aDentists’ProvidentmemberandspecialistprosthodontistatDevonshire House Dental
Practice inCambridge,says‘Itook upTM in 1985 as a way of managingstress at work.It helpsby
managingthe general wearandtear onmy mindand body.I getbetter sleepandalwaysfeel
refreshedafterwards.I oftenrecommendthisforpatientswhocomplainof life'sstresses aswell.As
can happenineverydaypractice,thingscango wrong and the unexpectedhappensbut Ican now
take it inmy stride more easily.’
A Summaryof ScientificResearchonTranscendental Meditation byDrRogerChalmers6
,reported
that researchand/orclinical experience have identifiedbenefitsof Transcendental Meditationinthe
managementof a range of common clinical problems,includinghypertension,sleepdisturbance,
occupational stress,anxietyanddepression.
The VedicTechnique
The VedicTechnique isamore recentand independentincarnationof TMthat alreadyhasa
substantial following.MaguyOuvrard a Vedicteachersays“There are over500 researchpapersthat
provide evidence of howTranscendental Meditation andtherefore the VedicTechnique,canhelp
our mindto relax andgetrid of the stressesof the day,ina simple,calmandeasyway. It can leave
youfeelingfreshandcreative inthe morningreadytotackle yourday,on topof thingsduringyour
workingdayand refreshedandrejuvenatedafterwork.”
PhilipMcCauley,aDentists’Providentmemberandimplantologistinthe SouthWestof England,isa
keenadvocate of the VedicTechnique. He says:“I don’tthinkanyof usrealisedjusthow stressful
beinga dentistwouldbe whenwe weretraining.The realityis,we spenddays,uponweeksupon
monthsand yearsina confined,intense environment,dealingwithemotionallydrainingpatients,
plusoftenissueswith staff.Coupledwith the monotonythe jobcanbring,the addedpressure of
runninga businessandtickingall the governmentboxesrequired,itreallyisnosurprise thatmany
dentistssufferfromstressrelatedproblemsintheirphysical/mental health. Ifoundthistechniqueof
the mindand haven’tlookedbacksince.Itgivesme apricelesstool tobe able tocope withthe
challengesof the joband,mostimportantly,still feel refreshedatthe end of my workingdaysand
week.”
Withthe NewYearclose by, now may be the time forlookingintohow these techniques couldhelp
manage,or evenprevent,the stressesinyourlife foramore relaxingyearahead.
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References
1. www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/stress/stress-uk’s-top-health-and-safety-
concern-say-workplace
2. https://scotland.bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/46742-high-stress-levels-among-primary-
salaried-care-dentists-must-be-addressed-bda-warns

4. 3. www.dentalprotection.org/annual-review-2014
4. www.joanna-taylor.co.uk/stress-in-the-dental-practice.html#.VEU1b2ctApF
5. www.stress.org.uk/Yoga.aspx andwww.stress.org.uk/Massage-tips.aspx
6. http://uk.tm.org/documents/12132/2642888/TM+Research+Summary+-
+Chalmers+16+April+2014.pdf/ea9f914b-6a4f-4a26-b754-ef19d1e2e36e
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Notes to Editors
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