Whether you’re a general dentist, hygienist, assistant, or specialist, the dentistry profession often requires long hours and emotional investment. While the rewards of the profession can be great, the high-stress nature of dental practice can leave little energy for the people you care about most. Over time it can quietly take a toll on relationships with spouses, partners, loved ones, and family members.
Sustaining relationships while navigating a high-demand career is a real challenge. However, the good news is that, with care, intention, and the right kind of support, it’s possible to create balance where your relationships can thrive. Relationship wellness doesn’t have to be an extra task on your already full to-do list. Instead, it can be thoughtfully woven into your daily routines and professional life in a way that feels supportive, not overwhelming.
Understanding the stressors of dental professionals
Dentists and their teams often carry a heavy load with tight schedules, complex procedures, anxious patients, and high standards for outcomes. For those who also have to manage business ownership or management responsibilities, it can become all consuming. The stress can very easily creep into home lives.
Many dental professionals report emotional exhaustion at the end of the day, difficulty “turning off” work mode, feeling disconnected from their partners or family members, and guilt over missing meaningful moments or not being fully present.
The key is to recognize that these challenges are not signs of failure but indicators that some intentional recalibration is needed.
Read: What dentists never admit to their spouses (or even to themselves)
The foundation: Emotional presence
One of the most powerful gifts you can offer your relationships is your emotional presence. This goes beyond simply being physically nearby. Emotional presence means being truly attuned to your loved ones and making yourself emotionally available to them. Try to stay present in your interactions, rather than slipping into autopilot. A simple practice is using a quick “Name–Notice–Feel” check-in: name what you’re doing, notice one thing around you, and feel into your body. This gentle pause can reset your awareness in seconds by activating your prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for awareness and decision-making) and helps you re-enter your experience with more intention.
To bring more emotional presence into your daily routine, try creating small but meaningful rituals that help you transition smoothly from work to home life. This might look like a 5–10-minute shower to symbolically wash the day away, a few moments of mindful breathing in your car, or a short walk around the block before stepping inside. These pauses help you shift gears and show up more fully for the people who matter most. Once home, carving out just 15 minutes each evening for an intentional check-in with your partner or children can make a significant difference. During this time, ask open-ended questions and simply listen without offering solutions or jumping in to fix things. These quiet, present moments create emotional closeness and gently remind your loved ones, and yourself, that your relationships are a priority.
Communicating needs and boundaries
One challenge we often see in high-stress professionals is the internalization of stress without expressing needs or setting boundaries. This can lead to resentment or emotional withdrawal in relationships.
Proper communication is vital. One helpful practice is using “I” statements to express what you need (“I feel overwhelmed today and could use 20 minutes to decompress after work before we talk about our plans”), rather than statements that can create defensiveness in the other person (“You’re stressing me out as soon as I walk in the door!”).
Collaboratively create boundaries around work-talk at home if it’s becoming intrusive. For instance, you agree on a “no work talk after 7 PM” rule, unless there’s an emergency.
Turning off emails and using your personal time to focus on yourself, your family, your partner, or your loved ones is also important. So many of us complain of feeling constantly connected, and it’s a very valid feeling, especially when our work seems to follow us home on our cellphones. Turning off notifications and stepping away from work platforms not only helps to protect your own mental health and work-life balance but also communicates to your loved ones that you’re fully present for them.
Aligning values and vision
In the hustle of demanding careers, it’s easy for couples to drift into living parallel lives. You may function well as teammates managing tasks, schedules, and responsibilities, but start to feel more like roommates than romantic partners. This dynamic, although often unintentional, can erode intimacy over time. Realigning around shared values and long-term vision can help partners reconnect and rebuild emotional closeness.
One meaningful way to do this is by setting aside time to explore important questions together: What values do we share when it comes to family, intimacy, goals and success? What do we each need in this current season of life to feel supported, close, loved, and understood? Reflecting on these themes invites deeper understanding and shared purpose. Consider scheduling a monthly “relationship check-in” to revisit these conversations regularly. This can strengthen your bond and help reinforce that your relationship deserves attention and care, just like any other important part of your life.
Taking care of yourself to take care of others
Burnout in dental professionals is a real phenomenon, and it doesn’t just impact your work. It affects your capacity to connect meaningfully with others. It’s more difficult to show up with empathy, presence, and patience at home when you’re running on empty.
In high-stress professions like dentistry, chronic exposure to elevated demands can strain your ability to self-regulate emotionally. When your nervous system is in a prolonged state of activation, it becomes harder to stay emotionally present, especially in close relationships. Integrating self-care with relationship care is a powerful way to support both your own well-being and the health of your connections. Practicing co-regulation with your partner (calming walks, shared yoga sessions, at-home spa nights or dedicated screen-free date nights) is one way to down-regulate stress responses while also creating shared spaces of calm and connection. These small but intentional activities help reduce stress while reinforcing emotional intimacy.
Taking care of your own mental health is just as important. There are many tools to support your mental health (healthy diet, regular exercise, engaging in hobbies, connecting with friends, journaling, etc.). But when the emotional load of work and life feels heavy, therapy can offer something uniquely valuable: a safe, structured space to process stress without over-relying on your partner or loved ones to carry it with you. When you engage in this kind of self-reflection work, it helps you stay grounded and present, so your relationships feel supported rather than strained.
When to seek support
Sometimes, even with the best efforts, couples find themselves stuck. If your relationship feels distant, if conflict is frequent, if there are issues of infidelity or if you’re experiencing emotional disconnection, seeking professional help is a sign of strength and not failure.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is particularly effective in reconnecting partners and reshaping negative interaction patterns. This is great for couples who want to restore intimacy and trust in their relationships while navigating high-pressure careers.
Closing thoughts
You don’t have to choose between professional success and a fulfilling personal life. With a bit of intentionality, your relationship can become a source of resilience rather than a source of added stress. Let connection be the place you return to, not just another item on your checklist.
If you’re a dental professional seeking a deeper balance in your personal and professional life, consider reaching out to professionals. You can find support in finding alignment and connection in all the important parts of your world.
About the author
Ken Fierheller is a registered psychotherapist at One Life Counselling & Coaching. Ken specializes in helping clients who want to improve their relationships, develop higher self-confidence and hone their communication skills. He works with leaders, entrepreneurs and high performers who want to access their greatest potential and live a life with greater meaning, peace and aliveness. Ken has his own private practice as a therapist, coach and trainer in Calgary, Alberta.
