Dental Protection and the MPS Foundation have become the first signatories of a pledge by FDI World Dental Federation to support the mental health and wellbeing of dental students, at the World Dental Congress in Shanghai, China.
Dental Protection is part of the Medical Protection Society (MPS), which launched the MPS Foundation in 2022. The foundation is a global not-for-profit research initiative investing in patient safety and healthcare professional wellbeing. It has supported more than 50 research projects worldwide, including an FDI initiative to raise awareness of mental health management and to develop tools for dental professionals and students.
Dr Yvonne Shaw, underwriting policy lead at Dental Protection and MPS Foundation board member, said: “I am proud to be the first signatory of the FDI Mental Health and Wellbeing pledge, on behalf of Dental Protection and the MPS Foundation. Over the years, our work has recognised the impact of stress and burnout on the profession and patient safety, and the risk that colleagues will leave the profession having invested so much in their training. We know that dental students are also exposed to significant pressures during their training and should equally be supported with tools and training tailored to promote their wellbeing.
We are committed to promoting the benefits of self-care and wellbeing to our student members and ensuring they have access to the necessary tools and guidance to help them navigate and address the increasing pressures they face throughout their training and transition into clinical practice. I encourage all stakeholders to join us and sign the pledge.
As a reminder, Dental Protection members facing mental wellbeing concerns can continue to make use of our 24/7 counselling service and wellbeing support available as a benefit of membership. The service is provided through a third-party partner and is confidential.”
The FDI Mental Health and Wellbeing pledge commits to:
- developing and sharing tools and information to help educators identify and address students’ mental health concerns;
- preparing dental students for the transition from university with strategies to manage stress and promote self-care;
- providing tailored support services to dental students;
- ensuring access to mental health resources for students on clinical placements.
The pledge is now open for signature on the FDI website.
