Strategies for Mental Resilience and the Science of Well-Being for Dental Professionals

A positive masterclass aimed at helping dentists and DCPs cope with common dental challenges, build a fulfilling dental career, and live optimally, both with patients and at home.

The course will be split into two main talks with Q&A for each session.

CONTENT

PRACTICAL RESILIENCE FOR DENTAL PROFESSIONALS

This session will help dental professionals learn how to apply the science of well-being to manage complaints, navigate imposter syndrome, feel more self-confident, and prevent burnout. By the end of the course, you will be equipped with mind tools to help you flourish in your dental career and personal life.

The session will address the following key areas:

• How do I minimise complaints and manage complaints?
• How do I navigate imposter syndrome thoughts?
• How do I prevent burnout?
• How do I become more self-confident?

 Benefits for delegates:

• An in-depth understanding of the science of well-being, resilience and flourishing
• Practical knowledge to apply Positive Psychology
• A toolkit of evidence-based practices

Learning objectives

• Apply positive psychology and its role in prevention of negative well-being states, positive leadership and thriving as a dental professional
• Understand what resilience is and the evidenced based interventions that boost it
• Learn how to manage specific challenges faced by dental professionals, including patient complaints, imposter syndrome, loss of confidence and burnout
• Apply evidenced-based strategies when with patients and at home, including mindfulness, Compassion Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Training, strengths and mindset

This talk satisfies the GDC’s learning outcomes:

A – Effective communication with patients, the dental team, and others across dentistry, including when obtaining consent, dealing with complaints, and raising concerns when patients are at risk

B – Effective management of self, and effective management of others or effective work with others in the dental team, in the interests of patients at all times; providing constructive leadership where appropriate

D – Maintenance of skills, behaviours and attitudes which maintain patient confidence in you and the dental profession and put patients’ interests first

Dr Mahrukh Khwaja BDS, BSc (Psychology) MAPP PGCert (Aesthetic Dentistry)

Dr. Mahrukh Khwaja is a dentist, positive psychologist, accredited mindfulness teacher, and the founder of Mind Ninja

THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS – STRESS, WELL-BEING, AND SELF-MASTERY

People often misjudge what will make them happy. It’s not just about pleasure, but also about living a meaningful life. Raj will explore the psychological aspects of happiness and how these can be applied in everyday life. He will explore the difference between happiness and contentment. Raj will apply the lessons learnt over his long professional career and share his views on what it means to be a successful and happy dentist in today’s world. He will explore the impact of social media, how to manage micro-stress, and discuss how cognitive bias impacts our view of the world. Apart from dentistry, Raj has recently studied philosophy, enjoyed a portfolio career and is uniquely placed to discuss the notion of success and happiness from many different perspectives.

Learning objectives

• Understanding the root causes of stress
• Applying and recognising the 5 strategies to control stress
• Understanding resilience and antifragility – what does it mean and how do we achieve it?
• Rediscovering happiness – philosophical and research findings
• Applying the principles of self-mastery

This talk satisfies the GDC’s learning outcomes:

A – Effective communication with patients, the dental team, and others across dentistry, including when obtaining consent, dealing with complaints, and raising concerns when patients are at risk

B – Effective management of self, and effective management of others or effective work with others in the dental team, in the interests of patients at all times; providing constructive leadership where appropriate

D – Maintenance of skills, behaviours and attitudes which maintain patient confidence in you and the dental profession and put patients’ interests first

Raj Rattan MBE BDS MFGDP FFGDP Dip.MDE FICD FFLM