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Banish Blue Monday Blues with our guide to better Wellbeing

Blue Monday, the third Monday in January, is said to be the most depressing day of the calendar year due to the post-Christmas financial and wellbeing hangover, and the fact that the dark nights are long. Summer seems a long way off.

But we have something to turn this day around and make it a day to focus on your wellbeing.

The Wellbeing Guide for Dental Teams was launched in January 2021, and since its creation, it has had over 10,000 page views and has been downloaded over 4,000 times. Feedback using the form on the site suggested adding more resources around menopause and so we’ve done exactly that. It was created for all dental team members and improved by users.

Wellbeing Guide for Dental Teams outlines how to assess your own mental health and wellbeing and provides resources for self-care, including the range of organisations available to support you.

For a variety of reasons, there has traditionally been a reluctance amongst the dental profession to speak about and seek support for their personal problems, including mental health. It is time to put an end to that.

Find out more and download the guide.

HOW TO USE

We encourage you to share the URL and link to it from your practice or organisation’s website.

The document is in mobile, tablet, and PC-friendly PDF format. It is available to download and print  (in colour or black and white).

Be sure to feedback on the support for dental teams website on any improvements or additions you would like to see, and you may get your ideas into the next version of the Guide.

The Wellbeing Guide for Dental Teams was made by:

  • John Cameron, Chairman, Dentists’ Health Support Trust
  • Laura Hannon, General Manager, BDA Benevolent Fund
  • Ros Keeton, NHS Chief Executive and Healthcare Leader & Chairman, BDA Benevolent Fund
  • Roz McMullan, retired Consultant Orthodontist and Past President of the British Dental Association
  • Shalini Nayee, Academic Clinical Fellow in Oral Medicine
  • Rory O’Connor, Clinical Lead for Dentists’ Health Support Trust.
  • Pepe Shirlaw, Consultant in Oral Medicine at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Trust
  • Sandra White, National Lead for Dental Public Health for Public Health England.

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Dr Austin Banner

Vice-Chairman

  • Trustee since 2010
  • Dental speciality – Retired consultant Orthodontist
  • County – Southern Counties
  • I am a Past President of the BDA Southern Counties Branch with extensive experience in committee, management, teaching, and training.

Dr Peter Crooks

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2020
  • Dental Speciality – General Dental Practitioner
  • County – Antrim, Northern Ireland
  • I am the representative of the Principal Executive Committee of the BDA on the BDA Benevolent Fund Board. I hope to continue and foster the close working relationship between the Charity and the BDA, of whose members are also members of the charity. I’m also a Director and Secretary of a charitable company – CHEERS Youth Centre

Dr Molly Deykin

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2020
  • Dental speciality – General Dental Practitioner
  • County – London
  • I have been involved in student support groups and I was elected British Dental Student Association President. I worked with the Sands Cox Charity when I was the Dental School Society Vice-President. After graduating I was the Foundation Dentist Representative on the BDA Young Dentists Committee.

Dr Allan Franklin

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2003
  • Dental speciality – General Dental Practitioner for 35 years
  • County – Oldham/ Rochdale
  • I am the Chairman of BDA Oldham & Rochdale Section (and previous Secretary). Chairman for the E.Lancs & E Cheshire Branch of BDA in charge of section regeneration. Previous Chairman of British Society for Dental Hypnosis (as it was then) and involved in Local Dental Committees.

Dr Alex Gormley

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2020
  • Dental Speciality – Academic Clinical Fellow at the University of Bristol
  • County – Bristol
  • I have worked in primary dental care and a maxillofacial unit since graduation. I am continuing my dental core training alongside academic training at the University of Bristol. I also serve as the Early Career Representative as an invited board member at the FDS at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Dr Chris Hayward

Treasurer

  • Trustee since 2013
  • Dental speciality – Associate Specialist in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Lead Clinician Dental Emergency Department Newcastle Dental Hospital, Honorary  Clinical Lecturer Newcastle Dental School
  • County – Newcastle/ Northern Counties
  • I have been active in the BDA at Section, Branch, and National Levels. I was a member of the Rep Board/Body; a former member of the BDA PEC; a Director of International Affairs; and the previous BDA Board.

Dr Philip Henderson

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2006
  • Dental Speciality-Principal Practice Owner and in General Dental Service for 37 years.
  • County – Antrim, Northern Ireland
  • I have been a Church Elder for 34 years with pastoral care responsibility Local Dental Adviser for Dental Protection including attending GDC Hearings and Probity work in NHS Current member “Probing Dental Stress” group in N.I.
  • Past: LDC Chair, N.I.DPC Chair, Northern Ireland Branch BDA President, Director of the BDA’s PEC for two terms

Dr Ros Keeton

Chairman

  • Trustee since 2008
  • Dental Specialty – Leadership and management of Dental Services
  • County – Shropshire
  • I am an experienced NHS Chief Executive and health care leader who combines a dental background with substantial leadership experience. I am also a Chairman of a specialist hospice and EOL charity Compton Care. I am a passionate and committed advocate for dentists in distress.

Dr Stuart Robson

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2006
  • Dental speciality – A General Dental Practitioner
  • County– North Yorkshire
  • Former President of BDA 1999- 2000, previous Vice-Chairman of BDA Council and also Dental Services Committee. On behalf of North Yorkshire LDC, was organiser and lead of the North Yorkshire PASS (Practitioner Advice and Support Scheme) preventing some dentist with problems having dire financial and professional difficulties.

Dr Bill Creedon

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2014
  • Dental speciality – GDP
  • County – Hampshire

  • I have been in general practice for over 20 years as a practice owner in Southampton. The last four years I have been also working at Kings College, London. I am Chair of the BDA’s Wessex branch and Vice Chairman of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight LDC.