It’s Time to Talk Menopause: Eve Waters Joins Two Reds Are Better Than One
Some of the most important conversations in dentistry have very little to do with teeth.
Our Practice Manager, Eve Waters, recently joined Chris Barrow and Ashley Latter on the respected dental industry podcast Two Reds Are Better Than One for an episode entitled “It’s Time to Talk Menopause: Educating and Supporting Dental Teams.”
The episode explores something that affects many people working within dentistry, but which has historically not always been discussed openly enough: the impact of perimenopause and menopause in the workplace.
For Eve, it was a subject she felt would be useful for the profession to talk about more openly.
Why menopause is a workplace issue
Dental practices can be demanding environments.
Clinical sessions run to time, patients need attention, teams rely heavily upon one another and there can be an understandable tendency to simply keep going, even when somebody is struggling.
Perimenopause and menopause can affect people in very different ways. Symptoms may include changes in concentration, confidence, memory, sleep, mood and energy levels.
In a busy dental practice, those changes can have a very real impact on somebody’s working day.
That is why conversations about menopause should not simply be viewed as a personal health matter. They are also relevant to leadership, workplace culture and staff wellbeing.
Starting a useful conversation
Eve felt menopause was a subject worth discussing within dentistry and suggested it as a topic to Chris Barrow and Ashley Latter.
She subsequently joined them on the podcast alongside Poppy Dunton, certified Menopause Coach and founder of Hormones and Handpieces, bringing together professional expertise and real-world experience from within dental practice.
The resulting conversation is not simply about symptoms.
It is about how dental teams can better understand and support colleagues who may be experiencing significant changes during perimenopause and menopause.
Small adjustments can make a big difference
One of the themes discussed during the episode is that creating a supportive workplace does not necessarily require complicated policies or dramatic interventions.
Often, relatively simple adjustments can help.
That might mean allowing some flexibility around responsibilities on a particularly difficult day, giving somebody a few minutes away from a pressured situation or simply creating an environment in which team members feel comfortable saying that they are struggling.
The episode also discusses the idea of an agreed “safe word” within a team — a simple way for somebody to communicate that they need a moment without having to explain themselves in detail during a busy clinical day.
It is a small idea, but it reflects a much bigger principle.
People are more likely to ask for help when they know they will be listened to rather than judged.
Retaining experience within dentistry
There is another important reason why this conversation matters.
Experienced members of dental teams are enormously valuable.
Over many years, clinicians, dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, receptionists and managers develop knowledge and experience that cannot simply be replaced by recruiting somebody new.
If symptoms associated with menopause begin to affect somebody’s confidence or ability to cope with their usual workload, the answer should not automatically be for that person to struggle silently or reconsider their career.
Greater understanding and relatively modest workplace adjustments may help experienced professionals continue to thrive within dentistry.
That is good for the individual, good for the team and ultimately good for patients.
Leadership means understanding people
At Newcastle Advanced Dentistry, Eve has responsibility for helping manage a large team across our practices.
But effective practice management involves considerably more than rotas, policies and ensuring the day runs smoothly.
It is also about understanding people.
A good workplace should allow team members to speak openly when something is affecting them and should create an environment in which asking for support does not feel like a weakness.
The menopause conversation is one example of that wider approach to leadership.
Not every manager or colleague will have personal experience of menopause, but they do not need to.
They simply need to be willing to listen, learn and understand how they can support somebody who is experiencing it.
A conversation for the whole dental team
Although the episode focuses on menopause, it is certainly not only relevant to women experiencing it.
It is equally useful for:
practice owners
managers
clinicians
dental nurses
reception teams
colleagues and partners.
Better understanding helps everyone.
It can prevent genuine symptoms being misinterpreted as somebody suddenly becoming less capable, less confident or less engaged in their work.
It also helps create the sort of workplace culture where difficult subjects can be discussed openly rather than avoided.
Keeping the conversation going
Menopause is a normal stage of life, but for some people its effect on work can be significant.
Dentistry should be a profession in which experienced people can continue to have long and fulfilling careers while receiving appropriate support when they need it.
Eve felt this was a subject worth discussing more openly within the profession, and the Two Reds Are Better Than One podcast provided an opportunity to do exactly that.
If conversations like this encourage dental practices to think differently about how they support their teams, recognise when somebody may be struggling or simply make it easier for somebody to say, “I need a bit of help today,” then they are conversations worth having.
“It’s Time to Talk Menopause: Educating and Supporting Dental Teams” is available on the Two Reds Are Better Than One podcast.
Where to Listen
You can stream or download the episode on several platforms:
Listen on the Two Reds Are Better Than One Libsyn Page
Find it via Apple Podcasts
Stream it on Audible
Listen via Spotify
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