Dental mythbuster 32: Support and wellbeing of dentists and the dental team

Page last updated: 19 November 2025
Categories
Organisations we regulate

We have updated this guidance to include further sources of help and support.

This box only lists significant updates, for example where we are updating the factual content of our guidance. We do not include minor changes, such as editorial corrections.

This guidance highlights areas where practitioners may need support and how to access it.

Wellbeing and support for dental practitioners

Dental practitioners may have to balance their clinical and professional duties alongside being an employer. They must also maintain a business.

Professionally, we must put the interests of patients first. This can make dentists anxious about whether their professional behaviour might come under scrutiny. Opportunities to seek support and guidance may not always be obvious.

Society is also becoming more litigious which can add to anxieties for dental professionals.

Wellbeing and support for the whole practice team

Dentists and practice teams may need support in areas, such as:

  • clinical and ethical decision making
  • practice management
  • health and wellbeing.

Where can you get support?

Dentists may feel professionally isolated even in a large dental practice. That’s why it’s important to form positive, helpful relationships with colleagues for mutual support.

This list is not exhaustive, but provides sources of help and support:

When we inspect

We will review the culture of the organisation when we assess the Well-led key question. This relates to: