Peace is Strategic: Why Your Mental State Matters More Than Metrics in Dentistry

By Sarah Beth Herman

Founder & CEO | Host of No Silver Spoons

In the everyday whirlwind of running a dental office, the word peace might feel like a cute concept. Something for vacation or Sundays, not the dental chair or front office rush. But if you've ever been one bad morning away from burnout, you know peace isn't some soft ideal. It's essential. It's the missing piece that could change how you lead your team, how you show up for patients, and how you build the practice you've been dreaming of.

In Episode 73 of No Silver Spoons, I talk from the heart about bravery. Bravery to protect your peace, bravery to walk away, and bravery to lead from a place of wholeness instead of survival. This post is your pregame before that episode. If you're ready to stop trading your sanity for performance, you're in the right place.

Dentistry Isn't Just About Smiles. It's About Sanity.

Let’s be real. Leading a dental team is hard. You're the emotional thermostat, the clinical decision-maker, the visionary, the HR department, and often the person who cleans the coffee machine. And if you own the practice, the weight is even heavier. The American Dental Association Health Policy Institute reported that almost half of dental professionals reported symptoms of burnout in 2023, especially those in leadership roles (ADA HPI, 2023). If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you're nodding your head.

But burnout isn’t always about long hours. Sometimes it's about what we tolerate emotionally. The team drama we avoid, the unresolved conversations we ignore, the patients we serve out of obligation instead of alignment. All of that adds up. And it drains more than time. It drains your leadership energy.

Why Peace Isn’t Optional for Leaders

If you're anything like me, your peace took a back seat for a while. You convinced yourself it was just a busy season. But months go by, and you realize you’ve built your practice around everything but your own clarity. Let me share something powerful with you. According to a 2025 study in the International Journal of Mental Clarity and Cognitive Processing, professionals who cut ties with toxic relationships saw a 28% increase in mental clarity and a 22% improvement in decision-making accuracy within just 30 days (Martinez et al., 2025).

Thirty days. That’s not a new hire or a marketing overhaul. That’s the power of saying, “This isn’t working for me anymore.”

When your mind is calm, you think better. You lead with clarity. You respond instead of react. It’s not just about emotional well-being. It’s strategy. Real, bottom-line-shifting strategy.

Your Gut Feeling is a Leadership Tool

You’ve probably heard that little voice inside. The one that tugs when something’s off. Most of us were trained to ignore it for the sake of being polite, professional, or practical. But science backs what our intuition has been saying all along.

In a 2025 study out of the University of Toronto, people who trusted their gut when evaluating relationships were 34% more accurate in avoiding emotionally draining situations (Kaur & Thomsen, 2025). In other words, when you listen to that nudge, you protect your energy. You shield your leadership. You make better decisions.

That patient who made your front desk cry three times? That toxic team member who’s been “just having a hard month” for the last two years? Trust the shift in the room. You don’t always need receipts. Sometimes the energy says enough.

The Real Cost of Emotional Clutter

I’ve mentored dentists and CEOs long enough to know that what looks like a systems problem is often an emotional one. It’s not that you need a better scheduling software. You need to stop carrying emotional bricks from battles that are over.

You might recognize these signs:

• Your creativity is at zero

• You're second-guessing every decision

• Your team feels disconnected

• You feel like you're reacting all the time instead of leading

  
  

These aren't business flaws. They're symptoms of emotional bandwidth being maxed out.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe. Your nervous system is the foundation of your leadership. When it’s in survival mode, your best ideas get buried under reactivity. You can’t write compelling offers, cast vision, mentor your team, or even be present in a team meeting if your spirit is exhausted.

Peace Shows Up In Your Numbers

You might think all of this sounds nice, but you're focused on growth. You're trying to hit production numbers, decrease cancellations, increase reactivations, and finally get your team to check the voicemails without being reminded.

Guess what? Peace helps with that too.

I’ve seen it firsthand. When you get emotionally aligned, your systems follow. Your treatment acceptance improves because you’re not rushing through your case presentations. Your team energy improves because you’re not leading from frustration. Your patient experience improves because your front desk isn’t absorbing your stress. When peace becomes part of your business plan, everything runs smoother. You're no longer leading from panic. You’re leading from presence.

You Don’t Owe an Explanation for Protecting Your Sanity

Maybe this is the part you needed to hear the most. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for wanting calm. For choosing clarity. For saying no to relationships, clients, or conversations that drain you. You’re not petty. You’re not overreacting. You’re building a business that requires the best version of you. That means saying goodbye to what clouds your thinking and slows your growth.

And if someone gave you nothing but confusion or chaos, consider that a gift too. The gift of redirection. Of being reminded what you will and will not allow moving forward.

Questions Every Dental Leader Should Be Asking

Before you head into your next meeting or even schedule that new patient special, take 5 minutes with these questions:

• What drains me the most emotionally right now?

• What have I been tolerating out of guilt or habit?

• Where in my business am I leading out of fear instead of vision?

• Who makes me feel calm and clear when they walk in the room?

• What would protecting my peace look like this week?

  
  

You’ll notice something when you start asking better questions. Better answers follow. Clarity comes when you create space for it. Peace comes when you stop apologizing for wanting it.

Leading Your Team From a Whole Heart

When your peace is real, your posture changes. You stop seeking validation from your team or your peers. You stop defending your decisions. You lead with calm. And your team feels it before you say a word.

It’s the kind of energy that attracts the right people. Your staff shows up stronger. Your patients sense the difference. You’re not reacting—you’re leading. From peace. From wholeness. From confidence.

It’s powerful. And it’s not accidental. It’s intentional.

This Isn’t Rejection. It’s Realignment.

Sometimes doors close that you were counting on. Clients back out. Staff quit. Collaborations fall apart. It’s easy to label it rejection. But what if it’s not? What if it’s realignment? What if your future needed that space cleared?

I’ve lived this. I’ve had things fall apart that I thought were perfect fits. And later, I realized they were preparing me for something better. You might be in that place right now. It doesn’t mean you’re behind. It might mean you’re right on time.

Want More? Listen to Episode 73 of No Silver Spoons

If this message is stirring something in you, I want to invite you to listen to Episode 73 of No Silver Spoons. It’s one of my most personal episodes to date. I share stories, statistics, and soul truths that’ll help you stop carrying what you were never meant to hold. Tune in on your next walk or drive, and let’s go even deeper.

References

American Dental Association Health Policy Institute. (2023). The mental health status of dental professionals: A snapshot. https://www.ada.org

Kaur, S., & Thomsen, J. (2025). Intuitive decision-making in professional relationships: Outcomes of trusting internal indicators. University of Toronto Journal of Behavioral Science, 49(1), 22–38.

Martinez, R., Ellis, P., & Zhao, H. (2025). Emotional detox: Cognitive restoration after disengagement from toxic relationships. International Journal of Mental Clarity and Cognitive Processing, 17(2), 56–73.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

---

Disclaimer:

To learn more about Sarah Beth Herman, the author of all free training content you can read her bio here. These materials are intended to provide helpful information to dentists and dental team members. They are in no way a substitute for actual professional advice based on your unique facts and circumstances. This content is not intended or offered, nor should it be taken, as legal or other professional advice. You should always consult with your own professional advisors (e.g. attorney, accountant, or insurance carrier). To the extent, Dentistry Support ®has included links to any third-party website (s), Dentistry Support ® intends no endorsement of their content and implies no affiliation with the organizations that provide their content. Further, Dentistry Support ® makes no representations or warranties about the information provided on those sites. You can view our privacy policy and terms and conditions by clicking those pages in the footer of our website.