Episode #405: Mental Health in Dentistry, with Dr. Joshua Austin

Maybe not everyone needs a therapist — but every dentist needs a therapist. And to highlight the reasons why, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Joshua Austin to this COVID-19 Conference to talk about his personal mental health journey, the stigma around mental health in dentistry, and some sobering statistics you need to know about dentists. It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s time to be okay talking about it. To learn ways to protect your mental health, listen to Episode 405 of The Best Practices Show!

**If you or someone you know — in or out of the dental community — is struggling with depression or is in distress, please reach out today. Resources are linked below.** 

Main Takeaways:

• Dentists are at high risk for mental health crises.
• Every dentist should have a therapist.
• If not a therapist, have someone you can talk to.
• Find different ways to bring down your anxiety.
• It is okay to not be okay, and to talk about it.

Quotes:

• “I saw [Contagion in 2011], and I was in such a dark place in my life that I thought to myself multiple times watching that movie, ‘Wow, this would be great because this would mean I don't have to deal with this stuff anymore, and I wouldn't have to get up to go to work the next day, and I wouldn't have to get up to fake feelings in a relationship that isn't positive for me, and it would be a great answer to the problems of my life.’ And looking back on that now, that is so incredibly tone-deaf that it’s embarrassing to say. But what I think it highlights is that we can end up, as dentists, in dark places mentally and emotionally and it can make us think some thoughts that we’re not comfortable talking about because we are a surgical group.” (3:35—4:24)
• “I'm not saying everyone needs a therapist — just every dentist needs a therapist.” (9:29—9:34)
• “There's no reason why you couldn't do a video conference with a therapist and spend 30, 45 minutes, an hour — it costs you $150, probably — and be working on ourselves in a way that we should that we generally don't.” (14:21—14:38)
• “I became a dentist because of my dad. My dad practiced dentistry for 25 years in Amarillo, Texas, and he taught at the dental school here in San Antonio. And all my life, I wanted to make my dad happy. And honestly, that's what drove me into dentistry. I wanted to make my dad happy, and I wanted to hear my dad say that he was proud of me. There’s a problem with that. My dad died when I was 10 years old. So, no matter what I do in dentistry, I'm never going to hear that he was proud of me. That moment is never going to come. And what led me to realizing I needed a therapist started from that.” (23:26—24:09)
• “I come into the office one morning, and there's an email at our desk. It was from a guy named Chris, and it said he was seeking dental care elsewhere. And under “comments” it said, ‘Dr. Austin just seems so angry all the time.’ Which is one of those things that — I thought I was really good at hiding all of that and keeping that in check.” (25:35—25:58)
• “I think there are a lot of people out there who are like me that, yes, we all wanted to help people. But the reason they became a dentist was maybe a reason that they can never fully solve, or they can never fully get the validation that they need. And so, it becomes a 2,500 square-foot coffin every day. And I want people to know that the way out of that is not trying to find some MLM solution to sell CBD products or nutritional shakes. It’s not any of that. It’s coming to terms with what's in your brain and what's in your mind and seeking therapy to try to become a human being that copes better with the day-to-day stresses that we all have.” (27:42—28:35)
• “You've got to have a good life at home, and you've got to have a good partner. And sometimes, a good partner is no partner. There are times in our lives that we need that too. And so, that's something that we need to remember. I think those are things that we start with. And then, it becomes trying to build the practice that you want, whatever that means to you. I know the practice that I want. And some days it is that, and some days it’s not. We can't control it down to that granular of a level, but we really have to be willing to say, ‘Let me cut the things out of my practice that I don't want.’ And I'm not talking just about insurance, because it’s such an easy villain to make. It’s not so much about that; it’s about the procedures you want. It’s about the people you want. And try to build your life the way you want it.” (30:14—31:01)
• “There's a study done by the CDC that showed that dentists are two-and-a-half times more likely to die of suicide than the general public . . . The Journal of Deviant Behavior — that exists . . . this is a quote, ‘Being a dentist increased one’s risk of suicide by 564%.’ So, now, you've got 250% on one article, and 564%. So, let's just cut the middle of it and say 300% more likely, three times more likely, to commit suicide if you're a dentist than the general population. The ADA has an article that says dentists have double the rate of diagnosed depression, anxiety disorder, and panic attacks than the general population.” (39:50—41:04)
• “90% of dentists say that they're in some sort of musculoskeletal pain on a daily or weekly basis. That's from The Journal of British Osteopathy. The ADA has a study that shows 38% of dentists are frequently or always worried. Again, this is peace time [pre-COVID-19]. That number is 100% now. But when things are good, about 41% of dentists are always worried about something. And 35% of dentists are frequently or always physically or emotionally exhausted. Exhausted is the term that gets used — not tired, not fatigued. Exhausted. So, imagine being in pain, physically and emotionally exhausted, worried, having panic attacks, depression, and anxiety.” (41:16—42:10)
• “Whatever amount of time you take as vacation with your family, you should also take that amount of time as a social media vacation.” (47:26—47:33)
• “In dentistry, because of social media and because of how we have to position ourselves in our community, I think a lot of us feel that it’s not okay to be not okay. And that couldn't be anything further from the truth. It’s okay to not be okay.” (48:40—48:54)

Snippets:

• 0:00 Introduction.
• 0:35 Dr. Austin’s background and mental health journey.
• 5:44 Find someone you can talk to.
• 10:45 Now is the best time to start therapy.
• 14:39 Things Dr. Austin learned in this journey.
• 16:28 Refocusing with the Calm meditation app.
• 21:14 Why people become dentists.
• 25:04 You're not that good at hiding your emotions.
• 28:35 Therapy is just one spoke in the wheel.
• 31:01 Create an algorithm for a better day.
• 34:58 Practice gratitude for better mental health.
• 36:47 Learn to change your perspective.
• 38:16 Mental health statistics for dentists.
• 44:04 The toxicity of social media.
• 50:02 Conclusion.
• 52:39 Dr. Austin’s contact information.

Reach Out to Dr. Austin:

Dr. Austin’s email: [email protected] 

Dr. Austin’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaAustinDDS/

Dr. Austin’s social media: @joshuaaustindds

Dr. Austin’s dogs on social media: @grahamandfig

Resources:

Suicide Prevention Lifeline website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: https://www.aamft.org/

Vice article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/5344jz/are-dentists-really-more-prone-to-suicide

ADA resource guide: https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/health-and-wellness

ADA Dentist Health and Well-Being Survey Report: https://www.ada.org/publications/ada-news/2022/february/dentist-health-and-well-being-survey-report-finds-dentists-struggle-with-anxiety

The Journal of Deviant Behavior: https://www.tandfonline.com/action/doSearch?AllField=dentists+suicide&SeriesKey=udbh20

Dr. Austin’s Working Interferences Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7u0WGB4vnoDe0I7HmXSYmC

Talkspace online therapy: https://www.talkspace.com/

Calm app: https://www.calm.com/

Dr. Joshua Austin Bio:

Dr. Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD, FACD, is a native San Antonian. After attending San Antonio's Health Careers High School and the University of Texas at San Antonio as an undergrad student, Dr. Austin graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Dental School.

Dr. Austin is a member of the prestigious Seattle Study Club, which is a network of professional dental study groups dedicated to ideal comprehensive dental care. Dr. Austin's other professional memberships include the Academy of General Dentistry, the Texas Dental Association, American Dental Association, and the Rotary Club of San Antonio.

Dr. Austin is a published author and lectures nationally on restorative dentistry and reputation management. He has a monthly column and weekly e-newsletter in Dental Economics, the most-read dental magazine in the world.

In the past, Dr. Austin has served as a faculty member in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at UTHSCSA Dental School. Dr. Austin has received several awards during his dental career. In 2009, the Texas Dental Association honored Dr. Austin by naming him Young Dentist of the Year. In 2010, the Texas Academy of General Dentistry named him New Dentist of the Year, the most prestigious award it gives for dentists who have graduated in the previous 7 years. Dr. Austin has earned a Fellowship and Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry. In 2014, Dr. Austin was awarded with a Fellowship in the American College of Dentists for his outstanding commitment to ethics in patient care.