Self-care isn't selfish—it's clinical

According to the 2024 ADA Council on Communications Trend Report, more than 82% of dentists report major career stress.¹ Fatigue and stress can impair a health-care worker’s ability to concentrate, make accurate diagnoses, and provide attentive care, which can lead to higher error rates. Burnout among health-care providers is associated with higher rates of medical errors and infections. Studies show that health-care workers who are well-cared for physically, mentally, and emotionally are less likely to experience fatigue, stress, and burnout.² Simply stated, self-care is not selfish, it’s essential to your health and well-being.

Most of us were never taught to take care of ourselves beyond the basic Eat your veggies and Brush your teeth before bed kinds of things. But to take care of your patients, your team members/practice, and your loved ones, it’s essential to first take care of yourself. As the sayings go, you can’t draw water from an empty well, and you can’t drive cross-country without refilling your gas tank (or recharging your electric vehicle). If you’re running on empty, you have less patience, less clarity, and less capacity to perform at your best and live life to the fullest. Working long hours while maintaining static and compromising ergonomic positions, alleviating patient fears and discomfort, adhering to a rigorous schedule that often necessitates ignoring your own needs (to rest, drink some water, stretch, or use the bathroom), and navigating work-life balance all contribute to burnout in dentistry.

The physical and mental toll of burnout in dentistry

In my original surveys and interviews of health-care providers conducted in 2023, respondents reported that their work contributed to physical pain in the shoulders, neck, back, hips, joints, and feet. Almost one out of five of those surveyed said that their work contributed to stress/frustration, worry/anxiety, loss of ambition, depression, and mental exhaustion. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

In the same surveys, nearly one third of participants expressed that their work as a health-care provider positively impacted their health. They shared sentiments like, When you see patients, this prompts you to take better care of your health and [working in health care] motivates me to do some of the things I tell my patients to do. Personally, I don’t always feel like flossing my teeth at night, but when I consider that I expect my patients to floss, I’m obliged to do so myself.

Why dentist self-care directly impacts patient care

A career in dentistry allows you to positively impact the physical and emotional well-being of thousands of people—what an honor and privilege! Patients notice cues in health-care providers that they interpret as signs of wellness or unwellness, and these judgments impact how they view their care and feel about the encounter. If you’re not taking adequate care of yourself, the resulting burnout can erode communication between patients and clinicians, negatively impacting patient experience. Providers with higher levels of work satisfaction are more likely to deliver better patient care, possibly because they are more motivated to make every effort for their patients.³

Getting started with self-care

So, how do you get started? Arguably the term self-care has become a bit overused and misused these days. You can think about self-care stemming from the seeds of your thoughts. Acknowledge that you deserve time, care, and attention, and notice your self-talk. If you habitually put others’ needs before your own, you’re setting yourself up for resentment and burnout, neither of which is helpful to your patients, your work team, or your loved ones. Instead of telling yourself that you’ll exercise tomorrow (or worse yet, someday), make a commitment to yourself that you are confident you can keep. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you’re worth it. When time does not allow for you to go to the gym for an hour before or after work, can you at least stretch for five minutes before leaving your home in the morning, take a short stroll over your lunch break, or take a few minutes to breathe mindfully at any time of day? Making a promise to yourself and following through is a simple way to boost your own trustworthiness and self-confidence.

While receiving regular professional massages, pedicures, and pampering can be part of your self-care regimen, taking care of yourself doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming. Self-care starts with self-awareness. If you’re disembodied and disconnected from yourself, it’s hard to even recognize what you actually need. Ask yourself, What do I need right now? If you’ve just completed a difficult dental procedure for a patient who required extra TLC, you might need to stretch, get a drink of water, walk around your building, cover your closed eyes with your hands for a minute, or eat a nourishing snack. When you take a meal break, rather than grabbing convenient fast-food and stuffing it down while scrolling through social media or answering emails, self-care looks like planning ahead to pack a nutritious meal and taking time to eat mindfully. At the end of the day, instead of reaching for a cocktail to wind down as soon as you walk through the door, self-care might include hydrating with a glass of water, getting outside for some fresh air and movement (since we spend most of our waking hours practicing dentistry indoors with artificial light), and perhaps playing with your children or pets or even having a phone conversation with a friend as you wind down from the day’s activity.

Building a sustainable self-care routine

Creating a self-care routine may be simpler than you think. You can consider self-care in four facets of your life: physical, mental/emotional, social, and spiritual. In addition to regular exercise and movement, nutrition and hydration, physical self-care strategies include prioritizing quality sleep and rest. Practice good sleep hygiene: no alcohol or vigorous exercise three to four hours before bed (especially not at the same time!), stop eating two to three hours before sleep, limit drinking one to two hours before tucking in, and avoid blue light/screen time an hour before shuteye. Keeping the same bedtime and waketime, even on weekends and days when you’re not working, helps your body and mind recognize when it’s time to rest and digest.

When it comes to mental and emotional self-care, sleeping for seven to eight hours per night without interruptions allows your parasympathetic nervous system to process the stresses of the day. Restorative sleep minimizes the impact of anxiety and depression and allows you to focus optimally. Reserving time in your day for enjoyable hobbies and leisure activities enables you to channel the intensity of being a dental professional into mindfulness that simultaneously releases stress and soothes you.

Social self-care involves building connections and relationships both inside and outside of the dental office. When you make time for regular dates, whether with your partner, your family, or your friends, you’re demonstrating through your actions that they’re important to you. At times practicing dentistry can feel a bit isolating for those who practice solo. Feeling connected to others is a means of mutual support and validation. Taking this further, giving back to community through donating time, skills, and talents, is a wonderful way to find meaning outside of the operatory.

Additionally, spiritual self-care refers to setting aside time to nourish your soul, whether in a place of worship, outside in nature, or any other space that feeds your spirit. For me, moving in nature and fresh air helps me to restore myself and stimulates new insights and creativity. You might boost your energetic reserves through regular reflection by journaling and practicing gratitude. In less than a minute, you can write at least three things for which you’re grateful every day.

In short, self-love and self-care are not selfish, they’re essential. When you’re traveling on an airplane, there’s a reason that the flight attendants instruct you to place your own oxygen mask first in the event of an emergency before helping others. With a little creativity, you may find that taking care of yourself throughout the day—even in as little as a few minutes at a time to take a break, hydrate, stretch, breathe, practice mindfulness—is easier and more accessible than you thought possible. You already have the resources you need. Break out your calendar and set aside time for yourself. Consider this a gentle reminder to make yourself a priority in order to live your best life and bring your best self to the rest of the world.

Editor's note: This article appeared in the February 2026 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.

References

1. ADA Communications Trend Report: 2024. American Dental Association Council on Communications. https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/about/press-releases/2024_trend_report.pdf
2. Plessas A, Delgado MB, Nasser M, Hanoch Y, Moles DR. Impact of stress on dentists' clinical performance. A systematic review. Community Dent Health. 2018;35(1):9-15. Published 2018 Mar 1. doi:10.1922/CDH_4118Plessas07
3. Linzer M, Manwell LB, Williams ES, et al. Working conditions in primary care: physician reactions and care quality. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151(1):28-W9. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-151-1-200907070-00006