Dental Protection and the MPS Foundation have signed a pledge by FDI World Dental Federation to support the mental health and mental wellbeing of dental students, at the ongoing World Dental Congress in Shanghai, China.
Dental Protection is a part of Medical Protection Society (MPS), which launched the MPS Foundation in 2022. It is a global not-for-profit research initiative that invests in research into patient safety and the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and teams. It has funded over 50 research projects from across the world, including an FDI project aimed to raise awareness of the importance of managing mental health and develop a range of 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 at Dental Protection and the MPS Foundation 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 the other 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 includes a commitment to:
- Develop and disseminate tools and information to help all educators identify and address students’ mental health concerns.
- Prepare dental students for the transition from university and dental school equipping them with strategies to manage stress and promote self-care.
- Provide tailored support services to dental students.
- Support students on clinical placements to ensure they have access to mental health resources.
Dental professionals and the dental community can now access and sign the Mental Health and Wellbeing Pledge on the FDI website here.
END
For further information contact [email protected]
About the MPS Foundation
The MPS Foundation is a global, not-for-profit research initiative that aims to shape the future of patient safety by investing in research, analysis, education, and training. The MPS Foundation is part of Medical Protection Society (MPS) – the world’s leading protection organisation supporting more than 300,000 doctors, dentists, and healthcare professionals around the world. The MPS Foundation
About FDI World Dental Federation
FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for over 1 million dentists worldwide. Its membership includes some 200 national dental associations and specialist groups in over 130 countries. FDI is the leading global voice of the dental profession and works with its members to improve oral health worldwide. FDI was founded in 1900 and is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. www.fdiworlddental.org
About Dental Protection
Dental Protection is a registered trademark and a trading name of The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”). MPS is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of more than 300,000 members around the world. Membership provides access to expert advice and support and can also provide, depending on the type of membership required, the right to request indemnity for any complaints or claims arising from professional practice.
Our in-house experts assist with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that arise from professional practice. This can include clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries.
Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We do this by promoting risk management through our E-learning, clinical risk assessments, publications, conferences, lectures and presentations.
MPS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MPS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.