Expanding the approach to mental health: Australian Dental Association Victoria Branch (ADAVB) 

Matthew Hopcraft, CEO of ADAVB, acknowledges long-standing anecdotal evidence that dentistry is a stressful industry. And the past few years only exacerbated the situation. COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 meant dentists were effectively not working, which placed enormous pressure on them. Businesses were impacted and dental practitioners were restricted in the care they could give their patients.   

The ADAVB offers an employee assistance program (EAP), but uptake among members was relatively low. Even though members anecdotally reported higher stress and other mental health concerns during 2020 and 2021, EAP uptake did not rise in line with this increased need for mental health support.   

To better understand the situation, the ADAVB surveyed the mental health of dental practitioners across Australia. A high percentage of dental practitioners reported poor mental health, increased stress and suicidality. This research, coupled with comparatively low engagement with current mental health resources, led the ADAVB to expand its approach to mental health and wellbeing.   

A funding grant from Business Victoria allowed the ADAVB to pilot a Certificate in Creating Wellbeing in Workplaces for dental team members across Victoria, in partnership with Wellbeing Lab. Participants implement wellbeing initiatives in their practice and then come together to showcase their initiatives and learn from other practices.   

While still in its initial stages, the program aims to develop a whole-of-practice approach to wellbeing, fostered by a network of wellbeing champions embedded in dental practices across Victoria.   

“The research and wellbeing initiative undertaken by ADAVB is a change in thinking about wellbeing working from the ground up, rather than us as an organisation saying you all need to do these things to improve your wellbeing.” Matthew Hopcraft, CEO  

About a third of program participants have been dentists, with the other dental team members – receptionists, dental assistants and practice managers – making up the remaining participants.    

ADAVB will continue to be guided by experts to find ways to support their members’ mental health. The organisation also recognises the value of tailoring an approach to meet specific industry needs.  

“We know that it's[challenges to mental health and wellbeing are] such a significant problem across the entire community, and there's not a workforce or a group of people that aren't affected by it. It's really about trying to find the bit that suits your workplace or business or industry to meet their particular needs.”  A/Prof Matthew Hopcraft, CEO  

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