Preventing WMSDs and Pain in Dentistry: Tip 5

This chapter focuses on the fifth tip to manage some of the risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders detailed in the What are Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders? chapter. Additional tips can be found in the previous four chapters.

Tip 5: Engage in Stress Management Techniques

Being a student in the School of Dentistry is demanding and requires a lot of time, energy, and intellectual power, thus leading to increased psychological stress. Stressors that you may experience include increased financial stress due to limited ability to work, decreased opportunities for social engagement with family and friends due to devoting much of your time to your studies, and the heightened expectations or learning curve that you might experience as you enter the School of Dentistry.

Even beyond school, additional stressors will likely be present due to the demanding nature and working conditions of this field. If left unmanaged, this stress may lead to further psychological consequences including tension, depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and demotivation.^[1]

To prevent this, it is critical that current and future students in the School of Dentistry become familiar with stress management techniques to address this. Listed below are several different ways that one can engage to help manage everyday stress:

1. Engage in daily mindfulness activities (e.g. yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, going for walks, etc.). Mindfulness is an effective stress reduction practice that can be performed using a variety of different methods. Mark Abramson, D.D.S., founder and facilitator of Mindfulness-Meditation Based Stress Reduction programs, describes the state of mindfulness and how to overcome fears in the field of dentistry. This series of videos can be accessed here.
2. Practice self-care (e.g. eating healthy, completing an activity that interests you, exercising, etc.). Engaging in daily self-care activities is critical for students due to the increased stressors associated with being a full-time student as noted above. It is important to choose self-care strategies that positively impact your physical, mental, and emotional health. Creating a daily work (or school) routine with self-care embedded into it will contribute to less stress and anxiety, thus creating an environment that is more relaxed and stress-free.
3. Take frequent breaks during your daily routine. Incorporating frequent breaks into your school (or work) routine allows you to take time to yourself to move, rest, and engage in mindfulness practices or stretching exercises which has been shown to improve anxiety.
4. Build connections with classmates, faculty, and your patients. Connecting and building relationships with classmates and faculty can help reduce fear and anxiety associated with coursework and can be a resource for you throughout your time in the curriculum. Establishing a positive connection with your patients may improve patient communication and help to establish a trusting relationship, thus improving stress and anxiety levels as you enter the clinical portion of the curriculum.