Hi there. Um, I am Pretty Hilton, president of the
British Association of Dental Nurses and a full-time practising dental nurse.
Today I want to discuss something really important with you.
So in the oral health profession we pride ourselves on care,
empathy, attention to detail, professionalism.
But we don't always openly talk about our own wellbeing, and today I want to shine a light on
something often hidden, domestic abuse and how it affects oral health teams.
So this is not just a policy issue, it's actually personal.
Um I've worked as a dental nurse whilst experiencing domestic abuse,
um, showing up to care for others in my workplace whilst managing fear.
And control at home and I know I'm not alone in this.
Domestic abuse affects every role. We're talking about dental nurses,
the admin team, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians,
and even dentists.
In the UK, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men experience domestic abuse.
Police respond to related incidents every 30 seconds, and every 5 days,
a woman is killed by a partner or an ex-partner in England and Wales in our own
workplaces. The signs in our colleagues can be quite subtle,
so we are able to notice frequent lateness, perhaps withdrawn and isolated behaviour,
sudden drops in confidence, and even visible anxiety.
And these are not just management issues. They're red flags for harm.
The impact isn't just personal, it's professional and economic.
Domestic abuse contributes to burnout and diminished focus in clinical settings,
all of which have a negative impact on patient care.
Let's go through some stats. The UK economy loses over 23 billion pounds
annually to domestic abuse, with 14 billion pounds attributed to lost productivity.
In a workforce already stretch, we cannot afford to ignore this.
And whilst we are. Not expected to diagnose or intervene
clinically, we are all responsible for fostering a culture of safety and
support in the oral health industry, and that starts with noticing,
listening with our judgement and having a clear path for support.
At BADN we've recently created a straightforward workplace policy when it comes
to domestic abuse, not as a sales tool, but As a resource to help dental practises respond
to those experiencing domestic abuse with compassion and clarity and anyone in the
profession who's living in fear.
I just want to say you're not to blame and you're not alone.
And for all of us, please, let's ensure well-being in dentistry means looking after one
another, not just as oral health professionals and as people.
Thank you very much for listening.