Policy on Provider Well-being

Policy statement

The AAPD encourages increased provider well-being in order to maintain a sustainable workforce that cares for the oral health of all infants, children, adolescents, and individuals with special health care needs. ²⁶ To achieve a robust workforce, provider well-being and the risk and impact of burnout must be considered by individual providers, practices, health care institutions, and dental membership organizations. Additionally, the AAPD recognizes the value of its members beyond their professional contributions. To better understand the challenges and stresses that pediatric dentists face and to provide needed support and resources, stakeholders (eg, health care institutions, academic training centers/colleges, state dental boards, professional dental organizations) are encouraged to:

• collaborate in efforts to determine and address the systemic causes of burnout within the profession.
• provide evidence-informed programs, practices, and training on burnout prevention.
• promote access to and pursuit of confidential mental health and substance misuse programs for oral health care professionals who may benefit from such interventions. Additionally, individual oral health care professionals who experience burnout or other indicators of decline in well-being are urged to seek resilience-building interventions, pursue beneficial counseling, and connect with professional organizational resources.