The course offers strategies and resources to support well-being for dentists and their teams, coinciding with Health Workforce Well-Being Day.
The American Dental Association has introduced a new continuing education course designed to provide dental professionals with strategies for supporting mental health, reducing burnout, and promoting resilience.
Course Details and Objectives
The one-hour course, titled “Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First: Prioritizing Health and Well-Being in Dentistry,” provides one CE credit. It explores current data on the wellness of dental professionals and highlights available resources. According to the course description, participants will learn to recognize the importance of safeguarding their mental and physical health and examine the association’s advocacy efforts in this area.
“Dentistry is an incredibly rewarding profession, but it can also be demanding. To ensure safe, high-quality patient care and maintain a strong, stable workforce, dentists and their teams must prioritize their own well-being,” Jennifer Thompson, DDS, chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice and course co-presenter, told ADA News. “This ADA CE course highlights why intentional self-care is essential in daily practice and connects dental professionals with ADA and national resources designed to support their health and resilience.”
Featured Resources and Presenters
The course discusses the Dental Well-Being Index, an anonymous tool developed by Mayo Clinic to assess well-being across six domains. The index is available at no cost to dentists, dental students, and team members. Other ergonomic and mental health resources are also highlighted.
The course is co-presented by Thompson and Subha Giri, BDS, a researcher at Mayo Clinic and the lead author of the validation study for the index.
Context and Availability
The course launch on March 18 coincides with Health Workforce Well-Being Day, which marks the anniversary of the passage of the Dr Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. The federal law is dedicated to preventing suicide and reducing occupational burnout and stress for health care professionals.
Registration is available on the ADA website. Member dentists can use the code WELL26 for complimentary access during the month of March.
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