ABSTRACT
The demands of practice management are second only to the clinical pressures of modern dentistry. The drive towards quality in all spheres of clinical and managerial practice places the dentist under considerable stress. The concept of stress in modern times implies unwanted reactions, but in physiological terms a certain amount of stress, or rather the physiological changes that result from the stimulus, is essential for survival. The work environment should be carefully studied and designed to reduce stress potential. Effective stress management relies on a systematic and integrated approach to controlling the personal, professional and work environment. The range of activities in each of these areas should combine to produce an effective stress management routine. Very few dentists set time aside for crisis management and therefore threatening situations have to be defused between consultations, or in the lunch hour, or at any other odd spare moments.
