A Dental Life

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Adam Holder! We talk about widening participation and improving access to dentistry for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Adam tells me about his project NOWPAS which is working to reduce these inequalities. This episode is also useful for applicants as Adam shares lots of tips and advice for getting into dental school, especially if you're from underrepresented backgrounds. It is also a useful episode to listen to if you want to find out more about this issue and how to help. Follow me on Instagram for more information @adentallife @nowpas_uni

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Ruth Baidoo, who experienced A LOT of failure while she was at dental school. She talks about her experiences with failing exams, resisting and how she kept going and growing from each set back. We talk a lot about exam season stress/anxiety, and what our top tips are for protecting your peace and getting through exam season. For more revision advice from dental/H&T students and professionals, check out my instagram @adentallife

In part 3 of this mini series, Nigel continues telling listeners about his dental journey. He shares his experiences with mobile dentistry, pro bono dentistry in rural areas, and his time volunteering in Ecuador and Rwanda. We discuss the negatives and positives of undergraduate electives, and cover topics from poverty tourism to white saviour complexes. Nigel is very honest when he talks about his experiences, and emphasises the importance of reflection, understanding your motives and always holding yourself accountable. If you are interested in these topics, please check out my Instagram (@adentallife) for some resources that can be used to expand your knowledge.

In part 2, Nigel talks about returning to NHS dentistry after many years in the armed forces. During this time, he bought and grew his practice from a single clinic surgery to 11 practices treating over 25000 patients. His practice pioneered the outreach programme that is now used in UK dental schools, obtained a nursing home contract that is being used as a model across the UK, and managed all South Yorkshire’s emergency dental care. He shares his advice with listeners, and shares how he achieved so much during his career. I hope you enjoy the episode and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review, and to follow me on Instagram @adentallife.

In part 1 of this mini series with Nigel Mallon, Nigel takes listeners back to the start of his dental journey at University. He talks about his experiences with dyslexia and his pathway to becoming involved with the armed forces. He shares fascinating stories from his time abroad with the army and the navy and gives listeners an insight into what dentistry is like in these different and difficult environments.

In this episode, I am joined by Kate Benson, who graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2020 and is now undertaking her DFT year in Newcastle. She tells listeners about her mental health journey through dental school, COVID and DFT. We discuss the more challenging parts of the dental course and Kate shares her advice and coping methods that she developed along the way. For more information, check out my instagram @adentallife, where I’ll be sharing useful resources and Kate’s recommendations.

Welcome to season 2 of a A Dental Life! In this episode, I am joined by Professor Helen Rodd from the University of Sheffield. We go back to the beginning of her dental journey, her decision to specialise in paediatric dentistry and the subsequent training that she underwent. We discuss the differences between paediatric dentistry at dental school, and the realities of the specialty. I ask Helen about her research that changed paediatric dentistry across the world, and led to her being awarded an MBE in 2020. Finally, Helen shares her top tips for students, including how to boost your application! If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and to follow me on Instagram @adentallife

In this episode, I'm joined by Aisling Power from the University of Sheffield. Aisling decided to do an intercalated BMedSci degree during her dental course. In this episode, she’ll be telling us all about her experience, from choosing her topic to presenting her research at conferences. We discuss the pros and cons of intercalating (tip – they are mostly pros) and she shares her advice for anyone thinking of or about to undertake their intercalation year. If you have any follow up questions you can find me on Instagram @adentallife.

In this episode I'm joined by Dr Kalpesh Prajapat and Raza Ahmed. I was very keen to find out how this unlikely duo came about, and all about their new project "I Want To Be A Dentist" (IWTBAD), which provides support and expertise to prospective dental students. They share the philosophy behind IWTBAD and what makes it special. We also talk about widening participation schemes and different pathways into dentistry, and how IWTBAD is supporting students from less privileged and less represented backgrounds. You can find out more about IWTBAD on Instagram @iwanttobeadentist. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @adentallife, where I'll be sharing more information about widening participation and access to dentistry schemes.

In this episode I'm joined by Dr Simon Chard - BACD board member, cosmetic dentist and co-founder of an environment friendly toothpaste tab company called Pärla! He tells me all about setting up a new business and the difficult decisions made along the way to ensure it meets his ethics. We also discuss environmentally friendly dentistry, and what we as dental students and clinicians can be doing. We talk about topics from greenwashing, to zero waste TikTok trends, and Simon gives his top tips on how to be more sustainable. You can find out more about Dr Simon Chard and Pärla on Instagram @drsimonchard @parlatoothpastetabs. Follow me on Instagram @adentallife to get more information about my Pärla giveaway!