Specialist prosthodontist Carolina Perez Rodriguez shares her experience working as a dentist across three countries, the importance of communication skills and the journey to becoming a specialist. Great advice for recent graduates, particularly the role of good mentors at any stage of your career, and learning how to say no to demanding patients. Carolina teaches at the University of Melbourne and is the President of the Australian Prosthodontic Society Victoria Branch, and brings a wealth of experience to this discussion ..read more

20 March is World Oral Health Day, and opportunity to talk about the importance of oral health and encourage people to be proud of their mouth. This episode we talk about what World Oral Health Day means for Emily and Matt, and dive into the emerging problem of e-cigarettes and oral health. And a reminder that it’s Mouthguard March, and the importance of wearing a mouthguard for you and your patients ..read more

‘Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer.’ That sums up Ray Khong, our guest this episode on Dental Central. Ray is a big proponent of taking his dental knowledge and expertise on the road to help people in places such as Peru, Cambodia and the Solomon Islands, and hopefully his story will inspire you to consider volunteering too. Plus we learn about the importance of work-life balance, which for Ray is not just volunteering, but also opera singing and undertaking further study in health law. Join us as we peel back the layers ..read more

There is a global trend towards greater sustainability, and we have seen recent moves in Australia focus on reducing single-use items. This week we talk to Joe Badr about his interesting sustainability journey. As a successful practice owner with a strong emphasis on hygiene-based prevention, Joe was attuned to the waste associated with dental hygiene products but also the issues of patient compliance with oral hygiene at home. Joe gives us insights into building a new business based on sustainability, the challenges doing this through the pandemic and the success of bring a new product line t ..read more

It’s been another big year, and the team at Dental Central wrap up the year that was, Spotify-style. Emily and Matt look back at some of the highlights of 2022, from dental school graduations to a record breaking ADAVB Convention, their favourite podcast episodes and thoughts about what 2023 might bring. A big thanks to all of our listeners in 2022 who have taken us to more than 6400 downloads since we first launched in 2021. We hope everyone has a restful break over the Christmas and New Year period, and we look forward to reconnecting in 2023 ..read more

As part of Mental Health Month, Dental Central is focusing on mental health. In this episode Emily and Matt are joined by Professor Marie Bismark – a doctor, psychiatry trainee, lawyer and researcher with qualifications in bioethics and public health, and one of Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Women of Influence in 2019. We dive into:  The experiences of health care workers during the pandemic, detailed in Marie’s book ‘Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic – in their own words.’ The importance of recognition for health care workers The impact of the ‘health care h ..read more

The pandemic declaration in Victoria expired on 12 October, bringing to an end a suite of mandates that have been governing our lives for much of the past two and half years. Although the pandemic isn’t over, with Victoria still seeing more than 9000 cases per week, Emily and Matt discuss what the end of the pandemic declaration means for dental practices in Victoria, including: Mandatory vaccination for dental staff Isolation and testing requirements Measures to reduce transmission in dental practice such as face masks, patient screening, rubber dam and preprocedural mouthrinse Don’t forget ..read more

As part of Mental Health Month, Dental Central is focusing a series of episodes on mental health and wellbeing. This week we talk to Dr Peter Baldwin (Clinical Psychologist), the Head of Clinical Research at the Black Dog Institute, the leading mental health research institute in Australia. Peter talks about: What the Black Dog Institute does How the pandemic has impacted on the mental health of health care workers Why overcoming the stigma associated with mental health is so important Some of the common mental health issues including anxiety, depression and burnout The key issue of suicide T ..read more

This week on Dental Central, Emily and Matt talk about how ADAVB is supporting dentists working in the public sector. The episode focuses on: The current enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations Why it’s important for the ADAVB to be involved Why it’s an important issue for all dentists What you can do to help support your colleagues in the public sector For more information, go to adavb.org/respectpublicdentistry And don’t forget to go back and listen to some of our previous episodes ..read more

This week on Dental Central we talk to Dr Jane Lynch about working in regional Victoria. We speak about: Why she decided to become a dentist Growing up in a small rural town of less than 300 people The challenges and benefits of working in regional Victoria, particularly the variety and scope of clinical work Experiencing burnout and her comeback to dentistry in the public sector As Jane says, for those thinking about a move to practice in a regional area or the public sector - ‘embrace the challenge, it’s an adventure.’ If you are experiencing struggles, remember that the ADAVB offers from ..read more