Adaptation to menopause in dental practice

BADN Chief Executive Pam Swain discusses the impact of menopause on dental professionals and explains what employers can do to help this Menopause Awareness Month.

What is menopause?

Menopause – from the Greek ‘burra’ (month) and ‘pausis’ (pause) – means the end of monthly cycles. Often referred to as the ‘change of life’ or simply ‘the change’, it is the time in a woman’s life when menstruation (periods) stops forever.

It is a natural part of aging and usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 55, although it can also be done with surgery to remove the ovaries or uterus (hysterectomy). A small number of people experience menopause very early, often in their late 20s.

As women age, the ovaries produce fewer eggs and the body produces less estrogen. These falling estrogen levels can have a huge impact on the body, which can start to behave very differently. Many women experience symptoms, such as hormonal fluctuations and heavy/irregular periods, long before they stop having periods, during what is called perimenopause. Perimenopause often begins around age 40 and lasts an average of four to five years.

In the UK, the average for women who reach menopause is 51. The average time for women to experience menopause symptoms is five years – although some people experience some of the symptoms for the rest of their lives.

Menopause symptoms

Physical symptoms may include (but are not limited to!):

• Hotness/night sweats
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration (brain fog)
• Headache
• Skin irritation
• Urinary problems
• Weight gain.

The negative impact of physical symptoms and/or hormonal imbalance can cause (again, but not limited to):

• DEPRESSION
• nightmarish
• Panic attacks
• Mood swings
• Nervousness
• Memory problems
• Loss of self-confidence.

Once a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, she is considered to be post (post)menopausal. People after menopause have an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Why is this important to dentistry?

Because, since 2021

• 99% of 60,000 dental nurses
• 96% of 800 orthodontic therapists
• 94% of 8000 dental hygienists
• 92% of 4000 dental therapists
• 52% of 43,000 dentists and
• 27% of 5,500 dental technicians

they are women!

This means that of the approximately 121,000 registrants at GDC in 2021, approximately 95,000 (or 78.5%) are women. According to data (Mireqenia e Grave, 2016), one in four menopausal women consider leaving work due to a lack of support and understanding from their employers.

Given the current recruitment and retention problems in dentistry – particularly regarding dental nurses – the impact of nearly 24,000 registrars leaving dentistry is unimaginable!

Increasingly, women who have left their jobs because of a lack of support from their employer are taking their case to industrial tribunals under the Employment Rights Act 1996. This gives dismissed workers two years’ service with the right to request unfair dismissal. Employees who resign can claim that their employer’s behavior and conduct prompted them to resign – in other words, constructive dismissal.

A recent case resulted in an employee being awarded £65,000 compensation after an employer failed to make reasonable adjustments when her role was affected by menopausal symptoms.

The Equality Act 2010 states that employees have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to an employee’s role or working conditions if they have a disability that puts them at a disadvantage. Menopause in itself is not a disability, but it can be considered one if it has a substantial effect on a woman’s ability to perform daily tasks and lasts for more than 12 months. And, of course, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which covers working conditions, must also be taken into account.

What can employers do?

Revise the practice environment to ease menopausal symptoms – for example:

• Provide cold drinking water
• Make sure bathroom facilities are easy to access
• Review uniform for comfort etc
• Provide fans and/or air conditioning.

Discuss the work environment with menopausal colleagues and make adjustments, which may include:

• Changing the work location to allow better access to toilet facilities or a more comfortable temperature
• Allow changes in uniform
• Allow extra breaks
• Estimate the workload at specific times of the day
• Allow flexible work hours.

Raise awareness:

• Organize menopause management training seminars
• Ensure that all levels of management are trained on the effects of menopause, how to have discussions with employees experiencing menopause, and on adjustments that can be made to lessen the effects of menopause on employees.
• Make advice from trusted sources available to your team
• Encourage a culture of awareness and support.

Review the practice policies:

• Sickness policies often include provisions for long-term sickness but not for regular short absences
• Performance policies should consider menopausal symptoms during performance reviews
• Include a flexible work policy to allow flexible working hours to accommodate sleep disruption, for example.

Appoint a menopause champion – a member of staff who will:

• Organize workshops to raise awareness among the team
• Liaison between employees and employers
• Check that health and safety risk assessments cover different stages of menopause
• Create support networks at home and locally with other practices
• Inform employees for further information and support
• Maintain the values ​​of dignity and respect and ensure that information is handled sensitively.

Adoption of a menopause policy

A final measure you can take is to adopt the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) menopause policy. It is approved by:

• British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT)
• British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT)
• British Dental Industry Association (BDIA)
• College of General Dentistry (CGDent)
• Dental Laboratory Association (DLA)
• Dental Technologists Association (DTA)
• National Orthodontic Group (ONG).

The policy is available to current BADN members to download from our website www.badn.org.uk. Hard copies are available by sending a stamped A4 addressed envelope with ‘meno’ written on the top left corner of the outer envelope to:

VERY,
Room 200,
Hillhouse International Business Centre,
Thornton-Cleveleys,
VF5 4QD.

Professional associations can also provide support for employees experiencing menopause. If the dental nurses in your practice are not current members of their professional association, employers can pay to join (it’s tax deductible!).

For email references (email protected).

Dental nurses can join their professional association at www.badn.org.uk/join. All members of the dental team can sign up to BADN’s e-newsletters at the top of the home page (www.badn.org.uk).