“GRIN AND BEAR IT” IS NOT A WAY OF LIFE

By Katrina Klein RDH, CEAS, CPT

It’s that day. The one when the last straw has been pulled. When the constant nit-picking picks our last nerve, and we can’t bear the thought of continuing to work this way any longer. It can be the moment when the persistent dull ache at the base of the neck and spine turns into a sharp shooting pain down the side of the arm and then goes numb, a micromanaging order that sparks the search for ‘Help Wanted’. Or for many aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s the day when being someone’s employee is no longer viable. No matter the situation, it’s the same, and everything breaks or bends with enough pressure.

From there, it’s like a switch is flipped, and we go into solution mode. But first, to really solve the problem, we need to know how did it get this bad? If we’re being honest, the signs that this was coming were there all along.

As dental professionals, we are always “on”. We are the comforters, the counselors, the entertainers, the distractors, the chicken glove balloon makers, the treatment providers, the educators, and the leaders for the patients who need to feel safe under our care. They want to feel confident in our enthusiasm and knowledge of our craft. We don’t get the luxury of losing our grins in front of patients, in front of coworkers, and rarely to our bosses – no matter how real the angst may be. We feel compelled to smile and nod while the nagging ache eats away at the love we have for our profession.

25 years into dentistry, and I’m still a total dental nerd. I can’t help it, I love this stuff. When I graduated, my goal was to practice hygiene 3-4 days a week until my body forced me to change careers. So I had better enjoy it for the 7-10 years it was supposed to last! In a way, that threat of losing the career I worked so hard to get into, was a catalyst for making me take every precaution possible. I’m 15 years into full-time clinical hygiene and am certain I can practice without physical pain for as long as I want. I also recognize that this is less and less common.

42% of clinical hygienists leave the industry due to office culture and lack of advancement, according to a recent study put out by the ADA. As many as 96% of hygienists complain of physical pain. Studies show that up to 27% of dentists have suicidal thoughts in their careers. “Burnout” is such a common conversation in dentistry today that there are social media groups with 22K people trying to find a way out of the op because they feel trapped! The struggle of physical pain and emotional exhaustion is cumulative and very real - and this hygienist, ergonomics assessment specialist, and certified personal trainer feels it’s because we practice a little too much ‘grin and bear’ it rather than acting and practicing self-care. Putting the laundry away on the same day it’s washed doesn’t count as self-care, ladies.

I’ve been fortunate not to have pain from clinical dentistry, but I have had to grin and bear my way through more days than I can count. Many people don’t know that I started my dental career in the front office. I nearly left the industry altogether after 5 years of feeling the entire weight of the practices I worked for on my shoulders. If the schedule wasn’t full, was too full, if patients didn’t pay, if insurance didn’t pay – it was my fault. The constant pressure came from everyone, and rarely was everyone happy at the same time. I fled to Delta Dental (where I started my ergonomic training) and hid in a cubicle for 5 years, licking my wounds and wondering if I would ever get to live the glorious life of a hygienist. Stop laughing, you don’t know what you don’t know.

We experience this phenomenon as female dental entrepreneurs as well. I’ve felt the exclusion of the tightly knitted cliques, the sting of stolen materials, and the pressure to do things ‘the way we’ve always done it’. We smile and nod and hope and pray for the sponsor partnerships that come easier for our male counterparts. We trade in hours of leaning over patients for hours leaning over laptops, shoulder pain from chicken winging to hand strain from mousing for hours, and lunch breaks for zoom meetings. We spend nights creating content instead of sleeping and have self-development books in the queue for the occasional bouts of self-doubt. We are on a mission that we LOVE, but there is a cost.

It’s only when we start making costly travel mistakes or double book an event that we recognize that our grin has become a grimace and that it’s time to phone a nondental friend for a much-needed coffee date to talk about the world outside of dentistry. We refill our cups and begin the draining process again.

A day or week of neck/back pain or running on empty isn’t the problem. It’s seasons like that, when we take our hurt feelings or our body aches and empty them into glasses of wine for months at a time, that are the problem. When that cycle becomes the norm, like a 3-month PMT patient who practices inconsistent oral care. The chronic disease that erodes the supporting bone in their mouth is no different than the chronic cycles of lack of self-care that erode the supportive foundation that we use to pursue our dreams. The aches and pains we experience in our mind, body, and soul weigh on us when we shove them down and tell ourselves to ‘suck it up, buttercup’.

Why do we do that???

What if we stopped wearing exhaustion and pain like a badge of honor?

What if there was a way to honor our dreams AND practice self-care?

There is a way. I won’t pretend I’m at the top of my game 100% of the time, or that I’m so busy in my business that I know the Sacramento-based American Airlines flight crews by name, but 90% of the time, I maintain a decent balance. Since 90% is an A, I figure I’m doing alright and should share the basics of career longevity as I see them, which is, of course, the first step.

First thing is first, notice and then admit there is a problem. According to the Mayo Clinic, adults need 7- 8 hours of sleep. Just because you have learned to be “productive” in 5 hours doesn’t mean you should.

Correcting a hijacked circadian rhythm takes time but is doable. Turn off the phone an hour or so before bed, dim the lighting in the house, read a fictional book, and take a shower. Turn the phone face down and on silent while sleeping. Get a digital clock for the bedroom to eliminate the need to look at the phone for the time.

Nutrients are not optional, as many of us have come to believe. Waiting until our blood sugar level plummets to a point of shaking is counterproductive. Taking 15 minutes or an hour to prepare snacks and meals for the week is a game changer. Rather than taking on the entire diet beast, start with 1 meal for a couple of weeks. Once that meal is consistent, work on the rest.

We are 70% water. It’s not optional. Start with a glass of water first thing in the morning to boost your metabolism (especially if daytime water consumption is a struggle). Then a glass with meals and always bring water in the car. The goal is at least half your weight in ounces per day.

Wake and stretch. As soon as your feet hit the floor, take 30 seconds to reach for the sky and touch the floor. A little up/down dog and trunk twists won’t hurt either. Releasing the muscles before contracting them for 8-10 hours is basic injury prevention.

Resistance train. Lifting weights has a multitude of physical and psychological benefits. Everything from mood enhancement, increased quality of sleep, bone density improvement, increased energy, and more. It doesn’t take a gym membership or 10 hours a week, but you get out what you put in, nothing more or less. 15 minutes is always better than 0 minutes.

Step away from the laptop, ma’am. Allow the mind to relax every couple of hours. Allowing the eyeballs to relax every 20-30 minutes can reduce headaches, eye strain, and mental fatigue. Simply look out a window or close the eyelids and apply cool gentle pressure.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Look at your workspace and work ergonomically in that space. I’m talking to you leaners, hunchers, and laptop-in-the-bed users. Asking for help with posture or work makes you smart, so seek help when needed.

Be mindful. If your cup is less than half full, take time to refill it BEFORE it’s empty. The time required for refilling 30% of a cup is much less than refilling an entire cup. And it’s less messy. Planning time to refill your cup isn’t a luxury – it’s a requirement.

Remember that variety is the spice of life. Keep learning, exploring, and adventuring during and after business hours. As clinicians or business entrepreneurs, we are givers. When we grin and bear it for too many seasons, we can slip into depression, resent our work, or worse, tradein dentistry for real estate, so take care of yourselves, friends!

About the author:

Katrina Klein is a full time practicing registered dental hygienist of 15 years, knows firsthand the struggle of working in a stationary, inflexible environment. As a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer, national speaker, author and competitive bodybuilder, Katrina has attained a unique understanding of the biomechanics behind clinical ergonomics, which has given her the expertise and training to help provide safer means of delivering dentistry, through proper ergonomics and fitness.

Contact her at:

ErgoFitLife@gmail.com

@ErgoFitLife_Katrina,

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www.ErgoFitLife.com