In this episode, I chat with Mirna Yousif, an OHT who worked in supportive roles in the dental practice before graduating. She talks about how being exposed to different procedures and dentists gave her the confidence to continue her journey into working alongside Orthodontists and how OHTs can support dentists who are caring for orthodontic patients. 

All it takes is one conversation to start a movement or inspire a change.  In this episode, we wind down with Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen and take a deep dive into aspects of our lives beyond just clinical dentistry. I think Dr Amanda is such a wonderful role model for younger dentists in terms of living to your greatest potential, chasing your passions and not worrying so much about what other people think. We talk about all things from work-life balance (and does that even exist), managing...

In this episode, we get a glimpse into the world of dental school and dental students in 2024. Join Nathan from Griffith Uni, Emily from UQ, Jack from USYD and Ashton from UWA as they share what a day in the life is like at their uni's and give valuable advice for younger students. From the parties and fun to the grind and stresses of clinic, we unpack it all! If you're a current dental student, we hope you can relate and find some encouragement from our conversation today. And if you've...

Wow, we are well within the first semester this year and whatever part of our dental school journey we might be at, I think it would be pretty safe to say it's only going to get harder before it gets easier at this stage. My guest in today’s episode is someone who has amassed over 1500 followers on social media by sharing her life as an OHT student and you can tell she's a devoted one as she manages to share her oral health knowledge in such a way that would make the most anxious patient...

David and Tiffany sit down and uncover their similar experiences in their journeys to becoming the dentists they are today. Tiffany grew up in Taiwan and moved from New Zealand to pursue dental school in Australia and took a liking to the relaxed atmosphere that regional life gave just after graduating. After working for a few years, she took off on a hiking adventure in Nepal then learnt spanish while travelling Central and South America. Like David, she shares the incredible experience and...

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Christina Potestas  I wanted to dedicate this episode to all my peers and of course all dental students who will be reaching what I believe to be one of the biggest milestones of dental school and that is...

In this episode, Hieu and Christina miraculously got a chance amongst their hectic schedules to catch up and get to know each other a little better. Like dental school, they joined the Dental Head Start team with two feet running so it was fun to chill for a sec and in fact discover that they have quite unique experiences and journeys into dental school so far; they might have also dropped a few study tips in there as well*. They also talk about how they joined the Dental Head Start team and...

Today we have a fascinating discussion with Dr. Raghu Chennapati about helping new graduates transition smoothly into the dental profession. Dr. Chennapati has a unique perspective, having trained as a prosthodontist in India before moving to Australia and starting his career over as a general dentist. He shares insights from his own journey of navigating a new country and healthcare system while building his skills. Through both his personal experiences and mentoring many new associates,...

In dental school, taking PAs in endodontics has been incredibly fiddly. It really puts patients through the ringer trying to catch that apex when you missed it the first time. How should we be taking PAs, how many should we be taking, can I just use my apex locator instead? These are questions we’ve been dying to have a clear answer for, and if you’ve thought the same thing this episode is for you. Joining us again is Endodontist Associate Professor Ha to help give a resolution to this.

If you've been a long time listener of the podcast, you may recognise some familiar voices in this episode! In this month's Feature, Dr David Keir and Dr Graeme Pearson are back on the show to catch us up on their dental journeys and in particular, on their implant journeys. Both David and Graeme have taken different approaches to their further education in the realm of implants. Whilst Graeme took a deep dive straight after graduation, is doing a GradDip and works within a surgically...

If you're struggling with treatment plans and communication I have absolutely no doubt this is going to help you. We have Dr Mark Hassed joining us. Mark is a general dentist who runs courses on communication and efficiency. Spending his early career learning and focusing on these topics led him to run two different successful practices and later to consult and mentor hundreds of dentists in this field.

As a new grad, it’s almost the norm rather than the exception nowadays to have at least some form of digital dentistry within one’s practice. But it wasn’t always this way, and for many more seasoned dentists, the world of digital dentistry was something they had to slowly piece together over the years and learn to leverage. In this months’ feature, we explore Dr Lingaiah Dronavalli’s journey in dentistry from his early years as a new grad with huge expectations but without the tools,...

It’s common practice nowadays to encourage parents to bring their children in early to familiarise themselves with the dental appointment. But beyond chair rides, gloved animals and triplex tickles, what else can we do to help empower parents during these appointments?  This is Part 3 of our series with Dr Shereen Lim on Sleep Disordered Breathing and Airway Health in young children. If you haven’t already be sure to check out Part 1 (TIP #125 - Childhood Bruxism: A Case Study) and Part 2...

A lot of dental students that are about to graduate haven’t gotten much experience with rotary endodontics. With us here to bust many myths regarding rotary is Associate Professor Ha of the University of Sydney, a specialist endodontist and co-founder of the extremely helpful endo-prep app. If you’re looking for clarification on what a ‘hybrid system’ actually means and tips for rookies to avoid in using rotary than this is the episode for you.

In today’s episode I chat with Dr Viet Le and Dr Chiraag Devani on an important mental health topic of Identity and Self Worth in Dentistry. Learn the importance of how your self worth correlates to your clinical confidence in your dental career and the MASK framework can help you better show up more authentically as a dentist you truly wish to be. We also vulnerably share some of our own challenges in our careers thus far to help normalise the struggles you may encounter in your career and...

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people […]

With job hunting season just around the corner, we’re teaming up with Nauv Kashyap to cover the top most commonly asked questions students and new grads have when it comes to finding the right job. Even as times change, the challenges we face as new grads are evergreen. In this episode, we’re talking about the differences between dentist-owned practices vs big corporate organisations, rural vs metro considerations, how to excel as an associate, red flags to look out for in contracts and...

We’ve all children come in for check-ups, with no signs of active decay, but their parents stop and ask, “What are those white flecks on their teeth?” or, “But why is their tooth all brown and speckled?” Hypomineralisation. It can be a confusing situation – do you leave it, do you remove it, how much do you take away and how do you replace it? In today’s episode we are joined by Dr Deb Wong, a specialist paediatric dentist based in Melbourne, to talk all about hypo mineralisation – what...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Maheer Shah, who is a part of a group of Biomimetic Aesthetic Dentistry (also affectionately known as BAD). They stand by the philosophy of recreating a tooth the way nature made it, preserving tooth structure and utilising all the strengths and properties of modern-day adhesive dentistry. It’s an area that isn’t traditionally taught in dental school, but one that is definitely on the rise. This episode is part one of a 3-part series with both Dr Maheer...

Inclusivity, equitability, and community – these are the themes for this month’s Feature. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Trudy Lin, one of 25 Special Needs dentists in Australia and a passionate advocate for equitable access to oral health for all individuals, with her work and contributions granting her the SA Young Australian of the Year Award in 2022. In this conversation, Dr Trudy sheds light on her journey in specialising and how her mission has evolved over the years. We...

We are all briefly aware of antibiotic resistance being a global phenomenon however as we know in the space of dentistry we have the responsibility to know when to prescribe them appropriately. It can be really blurry at times and to help me navigate through this is dentist and pharmacist Dr Leanne Teoh. She has been involved in various systematic reviews on antibiotic use in dentistry along with co-authoring the therapeutic guidelines. Hope you all enjoy this episode!

In today’s episode I have a fireside chat with 2 dental school colleagues of mine whom we all share one common trait that is often not talked about enough in dentistry - being left handed. This episode is a shout out to all the left handed dentists and students (lefties) that are out there and we hope through our discussion of our own dental journeys so far you will not only feel seen, heard and understood, but also feel reassured and inspired that being a lefty does not limit your future...

Hosted by Dr Erica Hwin Teeth, tongues, thumbs and tonsils. There are so many things to look out for in a growing child and it can be hard to know what requires intervention and what’s a normal part of development. This is Part 2 of our series with Dr Shereen Lim on Sleep Disordered Breathing and Airway Health in young children. If you haven’t already be sure to check out Part 1 (TIP #128 - Childhood Bruxism: A Case Study). In today’s episode we go through the nitty gritty of what to...