Established by the AAO Board of Trustees in November 2023, the AAO Mental Wellness Task Force has been planning mental wellness specific advocacy, education and partnership opportunities to provide resources and support to members.

The Task Force researched mental wellness online, through member surveys and by interviewing a board member of the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI). Among AAO respondents to member surveys:

  • 27% of orthodontists are experiencing burnout and 21% are on the verge of burnout
  • 29% of members and 19% of student members are experiencing high stress
  • 70% of members and 92% of student members believe AAO should provide mental wellness resources
  • 40% of members and 78% of student members would likely use these resources

Mental wellness has been identified as a severe problem among adults overall. According to a 2024 study by Mental Health America:

  • 23.08% of adults experienced a mental illness in the past year, equivalent to nearly 60 million Americans.
  • 5.86% experienced a severe mental illness.
  • 5.04% of adults reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide.

Using the above data as a rationale, the Mental Wellness Task Force has prepared and will soon launch a collection of online resources designed to help support AAO member mental wellness. The Task Force includes Drs. Kevin Kurtzner (Chair), Anil Idiculla and Michael Sherman (Trustee Liaisons), Kyle Fagala and Danielle Phillis (members) and Ms. Mindi Brothers, Ms. Libby Dischert and Ms. Gianna Nawrocki (AAO staff liaisons).

The Task Force’s overarching goals are to:

  1. Overcome stigma associated with mental wellness
  2. Provide access to mental wellness resources

What is Mental Wellness?
Mental wellness is a positive state of mind that allows people to cope with everyday stresses, work productively, and contribute to their community. It’s a dynamic process that’s more than just the absence of mental illness.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are six strategies to improving mental health that are universal to humans. The Task Force also added a strategy specific to orthodontists:

  • Build Resilience – People who are emotionally well, experts say, have fewer negative emotions and are able to bounce back from difficulties faster. This is called resilience.
  • Reduce Stress – Everyone feels stressed from time to time. But if stress lasts a long time—a condition known as chronic stress – it becomes harmful.
  • Get Quality Sleep – Sleep affects both mental and physical health. It’s vital to one’s well-being. Sleep helps one to think more clearly, have quicker reflexes and focus better.
  • Cope With Loss – The death of a loved one can feel overwhelming, affecting how one feels, acts, and thinks. There are healthy ways to grieve.
  • Strengthen Social Connections – Social connections might help protect health and lengthen life. Scientists are finding that our links to others can have powerful effects on our health—both emotionally and physically.
  • Be Mindful – Studies suggest that focusing on the present can have a positive impact on health and well-being. Mindfulness-based treatments have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. There’s also evidence that mindfulness can lower blood pressure and improve sleep. It may even help people cope with pain.
  • (Orthodontic specific) Cope with Perfectionism – Orthodontists are perfectionists by nature and may be likely to obsess over any imperfection in any aspect of their lives.

AAO mental wellness resources and other solutions will be based on these strategies. Members will be able to choose from created and curated content, recommended apps, screening tools, resources for finding therapists and more.

An existing resource incorporated into the resource collection is the AAO Well-Being and Self Care package of recent archived lectures, available to members at no cost and covering topics such as burn-out, stress management, interpersonal communication and other topics.

During January 2025, the eBulletin will roll out the available mental wellness resources with a focus on a different member demographic each week and a video provided by a member, sharing thoughts on this topic. Watch for the eBulletin in your in-box each Friday morning.