On record, you’re a dentist. To your patients, you’re a therapist. To your landlord, you’re a business owner. Dentists are wearers of multiple hats. It’s no wonder that the juggling act can sometimes bring on high levels of stress and anxiety. This week, we’re joined by Dr. Eric Block, a practicing dentist, author of The Stress-Free Dentist and founder of Deals for Dentists (talk about many hats!), to share his insight on how to minimize stress and increase work enjoyment.
Q: What trends are you seeing in the stress levels and mental health of dentists?
A: Stress is at an all time high with dentists. We went through covid and all of the stress that went along with that craziness but now we are dealing with staff shortages. There is pent up patient demand and patients are very available since they work from home and can come in for dental treatment but most offices are short on assistants, hygienists, and admin. Offices are busy but dont have the personnel which creates high tension as everyone has to work harder.
Q: You’ve opened up about your personal journey and interviewed many others in your book, The Stress-Free Dentist. What are some highlights you’ve found on how to minimize stress at work?
A: 1. Reduce physical pain. A lot of dentists have physical pain which causes emotional stress. Now I stand while I work and use isolation devices and have greatly reduced back/neck pain.
2. Case and patient selection is so important. I no longer work on patients or cases that are out of my comfort zone. I will refer those to colleagues.
3. Find clinical game changing products and workflows that help you get efficient and predictable results. I speak about this in my “Game Changers” lectures.
Q: For those who are feeling stretched thin, stressed out, and just overall overwhelmed – where can they go to get help? Therapists, personal development reading, etc.?
A: All of the above are wonderful. But the important thing is to realize that you need to reach out for help. These problems aren’t going to magically go away on their own. A lot of dentists are solo practitioners and may feel isolated in a bubble and need to reach out for help. For me it was therapy but for others it could be mentors, peers, social media groups, coaches, consultants etc.
Q: What did you learn while researching and writing The Stress-Free Dentist that came as a surprise?
A: Surprisingly just writing the book was a stress relief. It was a lot of hard work but was a great distraction from the rigors of the day to day clinical office. Dentistry is a grind but having other things going on like my book, podcast, blogs, websites, and social media groups gives me something to constantly do and look forward to. I used to get frustrated when a patient would no-show but now it's actually relieving and I can focus on some of my other side hustles. I am actually wrapping up my second book titled “Stress-Free Dental Implants: Re-energize your career by adding Implants”
Q: How do you think a cloud-based, user-friendly practice management software like Asprodental could help alleviate stress at work?
A: Introducing something new can be re-energizing. A lot of dentists can get stuck in the hamster wheel of doing the same old thing over and over again. But trying new treatments and technology can be a great shot in the arm to avoid burnout and help them to look forward to going into work everyday.
Dr. Eric Block is a full-time practicing dentist in Acton, Massachusetts, husband, and father of two kids. He graduated from the Nova Southeastern College of Dental Medicine in 2002 and then completed a 2 year Implantology Residency at Boston University in 2004. He is certified by the American Association of Dental Boards for continuing education and lectures nationwide helping dentists to become more efficient, productive, and less stressed.
He is the founder of the digital marketplace www.DealsforDentists.com, host of the Deals for Dentists Podcast, host of “Live with Blocky” on iLoveDentistry Facebook live, In 2021 he authored his first book titled “The stress-free dentist: Overcome burnout and start loving dentistry again.” and hosted The Get Stress-Free Dentistry Summit in Hollywood, Beach Florida, and founded The Stress-Free Dentistry Facebook Group. He is both the chairperson for the Member Communication Committee and a member of the Health and Wellness task force for the Massachusetts Dental Society as well as a member of the American Dental Association and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is a fellow of the international congress of oral implantologists and former instructor at the Boston University department of implantology
He is the co-founder of The Dental Industry Academy and Podcast where CEOs and leaders of dental companies come together to network, learn, and thrive.
Coming soon: Dr. Block’s second book “Stress-Free Dental Implants, Re-energize your Career with Dental Implants”
