Unilever Professional Oral Care

Do you ever feel lonely or isolated at work as a dental professional? When you consider the challenge of short appointment times, solo practice (sometimes in remote areas), or the simple fact that it’s difficult for patients to talk back, it’s easy to see how dentistry can be lonely, and why building relationships as a dental professional can be challenging. The “Relationships” pillar of the PERMAH model explores how building quality social connections can help build resilience and combat stress and burnout in dentistry. Here, Dr Mahrukh Khwaja introduces this pillar of the PERMAH model. And in the coming days we'll share a series of Dr Khwaja's tips and activities on this topic. Stay tuned! #wellbeingatwork #wellbeingindentistry #permah #positiverelationships #communication

In our final instalment of tips focusing on "engagement", Dr Mahrukh Khwaja dives into the topic of "strengths", and how applying your strengths in novel and engaging ways may help invite greater meaning, connection to others and get you to ‘flow’ states. Follow us for more tips and information on Dental Professional Wellbeing. "Drawing upon the science of strengths, utilising our key strengths in our every-day in new and engaging ways can boost our well-being and build resilience. We can even use our strengths to overcome challenges at work.  And although generally a strengths-based approach is a new concept in Dentistry, research amongst medical and healthcare professionals show increases in positive well-being markers (boosting clinical wellness, work engagement and improved patient-centred care) when clinicians are trained in self-awareness of strengths and character building (Duan et al, 2014; Hausler et al, 2017). This is through several ways: 👉 It gets us into ‘flow’ states (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), otherwise known by athletes as ‘in the zone’ where we lose track of time, and feel really absorbed in the activity we are doing. 👉 We also increase our levels of positive emotions when we engage our strengths. 👉 And lastly, it invites more meaning, as we are using our values at work. That in itself, can be protective when it comes to burnout." Swipe or download to learn more about strengths, and how to practically apply this with patients, or at home. #wellbeingatwork #strengthsatwork #wellbeingindentistry #permah #positivepsychology

Today we continue our focus on how we can boost engagement at work. Here, Dr Mahrukh Khwaja spotlights how research and evidence from the science of well-being and sports psychology can help increase your confidence as a clinician. "It's natural for there to be times as dental professionals to feel low in confidence. This is especially true as we transition from dental student, to working, or upskilling so we can provide new treatments for our patients. For us to feel happy, and stay with the discomfort of transitioning or learning new things, applying the science of well-being can be really useful. Swipe or download to learn 7 strategies you can use to increase self confidence as a clinician, drawing upon the work of Bandura, sports and positive psychology." #selfconfidence #wellbeingindentistry #strengths #growthmindset #permah #mindfulness #selfcompassion

How can we increase engagement in day-to-day clinical practice? Here, Dr Mahrukh Khwaja introduces the concept of "flow", and how it can not only boost engagement, but also act as a buffer against stress. "Disney Pixar’s movie ‘Soul’ beautifully brings to life what flow looks like and feels like. It tells the story of Joe, a band teacher, whose life has not quite gone to plan. His true love is playing jazz music. But it isn’t until he travels into another realm to help someone else work out their true purpose that he discovers what it means to have a soul. When Joe talks about his passion for jazz, and starts playing, he has an out-of-body experience. He is transformed to another dimension, where it is just him and his music. The feeling of time changes. This film expertly illustrates the experiential quality of flow experiences. the altered perception of time, the high concentration and the melting together of action. These conditions draw upon research by the late Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi and his flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Making time for flow moments will bolster us against stressors and create a life that is rich and meaningful. In Dentistry, there are opportunities where we can zone parts of our diary for activities that bring us into flow states. This looks different for all of us, but could be for example composite bonding or orthodontics. We can also increase our flow moments outside work." Swipe or download to learn more about flow, happiness and how we can integrate this at work.  #flow #wellbeingindentistry #positivepsychology #permah #workplacewellbeing

Welcome to the second instalment in our Wellbeing series for Dental Professionals in collaboration with Dr Mahrukh Khwaja, dentist and positive psychologist. The second part of the PERMA-H wellbeing model focuses on "engagement". Watch Dr Khwaja's video to find out how channelling your strengths can boost engagement and "flow" at work. And stay tuned over the coming weeks to receive top tips and activities for how you can identify and harness your strengths for increased productivity and engagement in your day-to-day practice. #mentalhealth #wellbeingindentistry #positivepsychology

12th May is GUM HEALTH DAY! Organised by the European Federation of Periodontology, this annual event aims to increase public awareness about the importance of healthy gums. Studies show three out of four adults with gum disease do not know they have a condition at all. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss worldwide, and in addition, there is strong evidence for its connection to diabetes, heart disease and a range of other systemic conditions. This year's campaign is "Gums Rock! Keep them safe!" and you can find more details and downloadable resources here 👉 https://shorturl.at/lmzQR The role of at-home care using prevention techniques such as toothbrushing and interdental cleaning is of paramount importance to prevent gum disease. Here are some tips you can share with your patients to help maintain good gum health 👇 Vaidehi Ketkar Monika Fleischhacker Justyna Janssen Grace Choo Gem Laforteza

IN THE NEWS: "Teledentistry effectively aids dental referrals, early disease detection, treatment planning [AND] compliance.... Education on the capabilities and benefits of teledentistry should become part of the curriculum of future dental professionals and broadly leveraged on continuing education platforms." Goffin et al. 2024. Unilever is committed to breaking down the barriers to accessing oral health care around the world. Our teledentistry programmes in Indonesia and Vietnam have shown that an initial tele-consultation can act as a catalyst to accessing in-person care. The recently-published article in the British Dental Journal explains how teledentistry can expand the reach of care and calls for more, larger-scale standardised research in order to harness its potential. To read the full article, click 👉 https://rb.gy/t5kvx8 , or download it below. Vaidehi Ketkar Madhurjya Banerjee Oral Health Foundation Queenie Ou

Congratulations #Unileverinternational! #JATIN BATRA #

Today we continue our series on Wellbeing for Dental Professionals. Throughout the series, Dr Mahrukh Khwaja, positive psychologist and dentist, shares evidence-based guidance and tips for improving resilience and wellbeing, based on the well-established PERMA-H model. Our current focus is on the power of Positive Emotions. "With mindfulness being one route to increasing your levels of positive emotions, from serenity, self-compassion to gratitude and optimism, there’s never been a better time to explore this evidence-based tool in the workplace." Read this article by Dr Mahrukh Khwaja to learn how mindfulness can not only buffer us against dental stressors, and reduce our occupational hazards of burnout and compassion fatigue, but also help us feel happier, and healthier. #mentalhealth #positivepsychology #mentalhealthatwork #wellbeingfordentalteams #workplacewellbeing

Look what our incredible Dental Professional partners around the world achieved on World Oral Health Day! And this is just the beginning: 20th March marked the start of a campaign aimed at encouraging children across the globe to #TalkToADentist.  Watch the video for a snapshot of some of the activities organised by the Pepsodent teams, in partnership with dentists and government bodies. Read on to find out about each country's collaborations and achievements so far.   Ghana: activities involving the Ghana Dental Association and Ministry of Health plus free dental check ups for kids   Indonesia: Supporting the Muslim community with oral care during Ramadan. Free dental check ups and education in 65 cities involving 30 dental schools and 1000 dentists.   East Timor: celebrating their first year of WOHD activities with free dental check ups.   Vietnam: collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Odonto-Stomatology Association. Providing free dental check ups at 39 dental hospitals and 35 supermarkets.   Sri Lanka: Pepsodent launches the first ever teledentistry service in Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Health and the Dental Association joined the celebrations. A Dental Health camp gave free treatment to 2500 people in one day, attracting national TV and radio coverage.   In the coming weeks we'll share more stories from the Pepsodent teams around the world about their #TalkToADentist programmes.   We are hugely grateful to the committed dental professionals who have partnered with our teams to deliver free dental treatment to so many children around the world. Thank you! Monika Fleischhacker Vaidehi Ketkar Madhurjya Banerjee