Whole-Body Health Symposium 2026

Abstract

Mental and oral health are closely connected. People with severe mental illness have 2.8 times the odds of complete tooth loss, while dental fear and anxiety affect an estimated 15% of adults worldwide and are linked to care avoidance, poorer oral health and lower quality of life. The other side of the chair is also under strain. Anxious patients are among dentists’ most intense stressors. Burnout is estimated to affect about one in eight dentists, with high emotional exhaustion affecting one in four. Dental nurses and hygienists also report distress and burnout, but the wider dental team is often overlooked.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how mental health, oral health and dental team wellbeing are interconnected; 
• Use dental anxiety assessment tools to identify anxious patients; 
• Give anxious patients and practitioners a greater sense of control; 
• Manage dental anxiety or refer patients when appropriate; 
• Consider burnout and psychological distress in themselves and colleagues.