Very Dental: How to Fix Burnout with Dr. Dawn Grimes

Sep 19, 2025

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Alan welcomes back Dr. Dawn Grimes to talk about burnout. Lately it seems like social media can't stop talking about it and they both have some things to say about it!

They define burnout as emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion from prolonged stress, arguing it's not unique to dentistry. Dawn asserts that a poor relationship with stress, a lack of resilience, and unrealistic expectations—often fueled by social media—are the real causes. They suggest that instead of quitting or hiring a coach, dentists should reframe their perspective, manage expectations, and take practical steps to improve their lives both in and out of the office.

Key Takeaways

Burnout is real, but it's not unique to dentistry. It’s the result of prolonged, unmanaged stress from any demanding part of life or work.
Social media can worsen burnout. The algorithm feeds you more of what you look at, so lingering on videos about burnout can make you feel worse. The constant comparison to a curated, glamorous online presence creates unrealistic expectations for your own life and career.
A "coach" may not be the answer. The hosts question the credibility of coaches who no longer practice clinical dentistry, suggesting that their advice may be disconnected from the day-to-day realities of the job.
The only thing you can change is yourself. Rather than trying to change your job or circumstances, you should focus on changing your reactions to problems. This is a core part of developing resilience, which allows you to let go of negative experiences and start over.
Rumination makes things worse. Dwelling on past mistakes or bad days (internal rumination) or consuming content about burnout (external rumination) reinforces negativity and prevents you from moving forward
Meditation is a powerful tool. It helps you train your brain to let go of unhelpful thoughts and focus on the present moment, which is the key to building resilience and managing stress.
Maintain perspective. Remember that dentistry is a well-paying profession and many other jobs are physically and emotionally harder. Accepting that life and work are often challenging is the first step toward finding peace.
You have control. You can manage your social media algorithm by engaging with positive content like dog videos, mountain bike content or clips of cooking very tiny food! Like and highlight the things that are joyful and light on social media and the algorithm will do the rest.

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