Conversations with Dental Friends

Another Thursday, another Conversations with Dental Friends 🎙️

This week I’m joined by the brilliant @londonOT Sarah MacDonald, chatting all things orthodontic therapy and how she’s built a career that goes far beyond the traditional surgery setting.

In this episode, we dive into:

✨ what the role of an orthodontic therapist really looks like

✨ maximising your scope and backing yourself

✨ stepping into education and sharing your expertise

✨ what it actually means to be an “expert”

✨ and why your dental career doesn’t have to stay confined to the surgery

Huge thank you to Sarah for such an open and inspiring conversation make sure you check out the show notes wherever you listen.

You can find out more about becoming an orthodontic therapist here

Shoutout to my friends at NIMDTA who are now offering orthodontic therapy in Belfast here

We have some great previous episodes discussing orthodontic therapy if you would like to find out more

Bekka Hamilton here

Amanda Jackson here

Emma McCrory here

You can find out more about Sarah’s courses on Instagram @the_london_ot or on her website here

You can also sign up to our Substack for more brilliant conversations around orthodontic therapy and what it could mean for your practice.

Don’t forget to like, comment, rate and share 🤍

You can grab your FREE dental career planning workbook for 2026 by commenting or DM’ing the word LINK — let’s make 2026 your year.

A huge thank you to Oral-B for sponsoring this episode.

See you next week for another conversation with a dental friend ✨

This week on Conversations with Dental Friends, I’m joined by Gemma Cowen, aka @_boss_dental_health ✨

Gemma may be recently qualified, but she’s already making serious waves. From championing dental therapy and direct access to fully stepping into her scope, this conversation is all about backing yourself and thinking bigger from day one.

We talk about:

• ​non-traditional routes into dentistry
• ​ambition (and giving yourself permission to have it)
• ​maximising your scope in practice
• ​further education and postgraduate study
• ​why the future for dental therapists is genuinely exciting

Huge thank you to Gemma, it was such a pleasure heading to Manchester to record this episode 🤍

For Reena Wadias massive selection of post graduate courses you ca check out perio school here

For Cat Edneys post graduate course the modern therapist you can click here

You can follow Gemma on Instagram @_boss_dental_health you can follow the podcast @conversationswithdentalfriends and you can follow me @homegirlhygienist

If this conversation resonated, don’t forget to follow, rate and comment wherever you listen. You can also subscribe to our Substack for more insights and conversations like this.

Feeling inspired by Gemma? You can download a free dental career planning workbook for 2026 - just comment or DM me the word LINK and I’ll send it straight over.

Massive thank you to Oral-B for sponsoring this episode.

See you next week for another conversation with dental friends ✨

This week on Conversations with Dental Friends 🤍

I’m joined by periodontal hero Dr Amit Patel to talk all things perio, implants, and what it really looks like to build a meaningful career in dentistry — even when the path isn’t linear.

In this episode, we talk about:

• why the journey into dentistry (and specialism) is rarely straightforward

• how “meandering” can actually shape your best career moves

• key developments in perio and implant dentistry, and what they mean in practice

• taking your training further without burning out

• the power of finding (and backing yourself within) the right network

Huge thank you to Amit for his generosity, patience, and openness, this conversation felt just as important for me personally as it will for anyone listening.

You can find out more about emdogain here

You can find out more about pocket x here

Chitosan brushes for Peri-implantitis here

Diabetes & Periodontitis here

Gut Microbiome & Perio here

to find out about Crystal Marruganti you can click here

You can find out more about heart disease and perio here

You can get some vitamin D with K2 here

You can find out about Osetocom here

You can find Perio with Deepak here

You can find Perio Campus here

You can click here for more info about the ADI

Here for the BSP

Here for BSDHT

Here for europerio

ADI thrive ever here

Thankyou to Oral B for Sponsoring this episode

Make sure you’re following the podcast wherever you listen. You can also follow Amit at @amitspecialistinperiodontics and sign up to our newsletter at conversationswithdentalfriends.substack.com for more conversations like this.

You can grab my FREE dental career planning workbook by commenting or DM’ing me the word LINK - I’ll send it straight over.

Massive thank you to Oral-B for sponsoring this episode 🤍

You can catch up on all seasons now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

See you next week ✨

Welcome back to Conversations with Dental Friends ✨

This week I’m joined by dental associate Dr Mary Catherine O’Dolan someone who’s quietly putting in the work, investing in her education, and becoming a real name to watch in dentistry.

We talk about:

• getting started and finding your direction

• investing in courses (short and long game)

• turning knowledge into confident clinical practice

• stepping into education

• and why the right practice support changes everything

A genuinely inspiring conversation about backing yourself, staying curious, and building a career with intention.

All the relevant links are below

You can follow Mary Catherine on Instagram @dr.marycatherine

The 22 course Mary Catherine Mentioned are

Invisalign Go Accredation here

Open University Learning to Teach here

AMOMS Annual Conference

FAC Accredited Facial Aesthetics here

Sleep Device Use and Construction

MFDS Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians Glasgow here

Inhalation Sedation Competency here

Totally Composite by Monik Vasant here

Level 1&2 CBCT here

Zero Bone Loss Concepts by Thomas Linkevičius here

ADI Team Conrgress here

Chrome Guided Smiles, Full Arch Implant Placement and Restoration here

Design, Align, Refine, Invisalign and Composite Bonding here

CBCT lead Digital Fully Guided Implant Planning here

Focus Bounce Clinical Photography here

Visit to BTI headquarters, Vitoria Gasteiz, to explore the uses of PRGF in implant dentistry and the use of short and extra-short implants here

Several Invisalign provider online courses to keep my knowledge up to date on the latest features of clear aligner therapy here

RealGuide Proficiency Training

Composite Layering Techniques, PosteriorInjection Moulding and Porcerlain Cementation, Visit to GC Europe headquarters (Leuven) here

Art of Resin by Rhodri Thomas here

Direct Restorative course by Thomas Taha here

Use of Short Implants in the Mandible/ BTI Youth Summit, Visit to BTI Head Quarters here

Restorative/Periodontal interface Course hosted by Jorg Cordosa in Porto here

Sinus Augmentation and Block Grafting Intensive Course here

Aesthetic Update Article here

You can follow all things conversations with dental friends over on Instagram @conversationswithdentalfriends and I’m over on Instagram too @homegirlhygienist or TikTok if you prefer

Don’t forget to subscribe to our new Substack newsletter:

conversationswithdentalfriends.substack.com

You can also get your free dental care planning workbook, just comment or DM the word LINK.

Huge thank you to our sponsors Oral-B beyond grateful.

Back next week with another conversation 🎙️

It’s 2026 and we are back with a brand new season of conversations with dental friends!

We are kicking this season off with a bang with the fantastic Laura Horton who has personally changed my career and my approach clinically but more widely has set up her own consultancy, absolutely championed the role of the TCO trailblazed the way through the world of communication and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

In this episode we chat about

- getting started in dentistry

- What treatment coordination actually means

- How the whole practice can benefit at every stage of the patient journey

- Starting your own adventure in business

- Podcast life

- Supporting our colleagues in dental nursing

You can listen now on Spotify and Apple podcast & we also have our news letter on Substack with bts episode summaries and links www.conversationswithdentalfriends.substack.com

To celebrate this season I’ve also designed a FREE career planning notebook for 2026 comment or DM link and I’ll send it to you!

Thankyou so much to our sponsor ORAL B for supporting this podcast

See you next week for another conversation with dental friends

It’s 2026 and Conversations with Dental Friends is officially back 🎙️

New season. New conversations. Same mission: real talk about careers, growth and the people shaping dentistry.

We’re kicking things off with someone who has genuinely changed the trajectory of my career — Laura Horton. From transforming my clinical approach, to building her own consultancy, championing the TCO role, and leading the way in communication within dentistry… Laura is proof of what’s possible when you back yourself and your skillset. And honestly, I can’t wait to see what she does next.

In this episode, we talk about:

• getting started in dentistry

• what treatment coordination actually means

• how the entire practice benefits at every stage of the patient journey

• starting your own business adventure

• life behind the podcast

• and why supporting our dental nursing colleagues really matters

You can listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts 🎧

Plus, our Substack newsletter is live with behind-the-scenes insights, episode summaries and all the links

👉 conversationswithdentalfriends.substack.com

To celebrate the new season, I’ve also created a FREE 2026 career planning notebook ✍️

Comment or DM me “LINK” and I’ll send it straight over.

Don’t forget to follow Laura on Instagram @laurahorton1

You can listen to the Horton hangout here

You can find out more about Laura’s practice coaching sessions on treatment coordination, reception and her new initiative ‘Aspire’ on her website here

Huge thank you to Oral-B for supporting this season of the podcast.

See you next week for another conversation with dental friends 💬🦷

Welcome back and somehow we’re already at the season finale of Conversations With Dental Friends?!

We’re closing out the season with an absolute gem: Dr Niall Neeson, who you’ll definitely know as @thecalmingdentist. And trust me, the name is earned.

This episode dives into:

✨ Finding your niche in dentistry

✨ The real, practical tips for supporting nervous patients

✨ Why time is the most valuable asset you’ve got

✨ And how the right environment sets everyone up to thrive

A huge thank you to Dr Niall for sharing so many actionable insights especially those patient-management tips that will save both you and your patients a whole lot of stress on clinic days.

To find out more about BSMDH Scotland click here

Diploma in sedation trinity college Dublin here

SWOT analysis info here

Communication course here

Andrew jones sedation course here

Dental nurse sedation training dental sedation courses.co.uk here

Kit calm link here

The ever popular Paul Tipton course here

Oral surgery course with Chris Waith Joe McEnhill here

Ambrish Roshan composite course here

Michael Crilly composite course here

Niall on Instagram @calmingdentist you can follow the podcast on Instagram too @conversationswithdentalfriends and I’m on Instagram too @homegirlhygienist

Boyne dental website including referrals for dental fear solutions with Dr Niall here

I genuinely can’t believe that’s another season wrapped. Thank you, truly, for every listen, message, share, and piece of feedback. It means more than you know.

And of course, thank you to every brilliant guest who joined us this season 🫶🏼 I’ve learned so much from each of you.

We’re taking a little Christmas break, but Season 4 will be landing in 2026 with even more brilliant conversations with dental friends.

Drop your guest suggestions in the comments and I’ll see you in the new year! 🎙️🦷✨

Episode 11 is live!

This week on Conversations With Dental Friends, I’m sitting down with Dr Janice Brown — a dentist who’s taken her clinical roots and built a thriving career in facial aesthetics. 🚀

We dive into:

✨ The power of a solid dental foundation for long-term growth

✨ Why smart investment always shows up before smart profit

✨ Backing yourself enough to make the leap (even when it’s scary)

✨ Social media as a growth tool and why nothing beats word of mouth

A huge thank you to Dr Janice Brown for bringing so much clarity, honesty and inspiration to this episode. Go give her a follow if you’re curious about referrals… or if you’re considering polynucleotides because, let’s be real, same 🤪💉

Are you practising facial aesthetics alongside dentistry right now? Drop it in the comments I want to know! 👇

Massive shoutout to our sponsors Dürr and DMI for supporting the podcast. 💛 and of course Marlborough Clinic Belfast for hosting us to record

If you’re interested in Tipton training click here

Masters degree in aesthetic medicine here

Bob Cantor course here

Lee Walker FA course here

Jonny De Souza clinic here

Galderma info here

Jason Smithson course here

ICE dental and implant institute course here

You can find Janice on Instagram @drjanicebrown

You can follow me @conversationswithdentalfriends and @homegirlhygienist

See you next week for another Conversation With Dental Friends. 🦷✨

Episode 10 is here 🎉 and it’s a good one.

This week on Conversations with Dental Friends, I’m joined by the incredible Lisa Grogan, a dental coach who’s genuinely shaking things up across the industry.

We get into:

• ​What dental coaching actually looks like in practice
• ​Turning motivation into something you can break down, action, and sustain
• ​How coaching can transform not just individuals, but an entire dental team
• ​Industry predictions for 2026 and what’s coming next
• ​The power of starting before you feel “ready” and why that matters more than you think

A huge thank you to Lisa for sharing such sharp, refreshing insights into a career path in dentistry that more of us should be talking about.

You can find Lisa over at @lisagrogan_dentalcoaching drop her a message, get connected, see what coaching could look like for you.

And tell me in the comments: have you ever considered working with a coach as part of your career development?

You can find the chimp paradox here

You can find crucial conversations here

You can find Jen Atkin blowing my way to the top here

Find out more about AI receptionists here

You can listen to Shennae’s podcast around AI in dentistry here

You can listen to Alan Clarkes podcast here

You can find out more about Invisalign here

You can find out more about Chris barrow including his private business 100 group here

Make sure you’re following along here on Instagram, @conversationswithdentalfriends and I’m over there too @homegirlhygienist and hit subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Massive thank you to our sponsors @duerrdental and @DMI for supporting the pod.

See you next week for another Conversation with Dental Friends.

Welcome back to Conversations With Dental Friends.

This week, in Episode 9, I’m sitting down with Dr Naweed Mamood an incredible associate dentist working across multiple practices both in the north and south of Ireland.

This episode really leans into the reality of growth in dentistry:

✨ how learning on the job actually happens, one tiny improvement at a time

✨ why good mentorship doesn’t just guide you, it elevates you

✨ how honest reflection is the backbone of real progress

✨ why challenges teach you just as much (if not more) than your wins

✨ and how empowering your team creates success that genuinely feels shared

A huge thank-you to Dr Naweed for being so open and generous with his insight not just clinically, but in how he approaches development as a whole. All links are in the show notes, and you can follow Naweed over at @dr.naweed.dentistry to keep up with his upcoming courses.

I want to hear from you too how are you growing as an associate right now?

Drop your thoughts in the comments.

See you next week for another Conversation With Dental Friends 🤍

You can follow Dr Naweed on Instagram @dr.naweed.dentistry

If you fancy studying at Plymouth university you can find out more information here

You can find out more about paste dental here and on Instagram @paste.dental

You can listen to Alan Clarkes super inspirational episode on season 2 episode 2 of the pod here

You can find out more about gentle dental here or on Instagram here @gentledental

Course recommendations

Marshall Hanson

Paul Tipton

Aliners

You can find out more about practicing dentistry in Dubai here

Thanks so much for listening 🫶🏼

Episode 8 of Season 3 is officially live 🎧

This week I’m joined by the brilliant Lauren O’Boyle a dentist who’s been incredibly open about navigating mental health challenges, the pressure of early career decisions, and the moment she realised she needed to pause, reflect, and choose a different direction within dentistry.

We get into:

• the pressure to choose your path far too young

• finding your place in the NHS system

• how slowing down can actually fast-track your clarity

• legal + ethical realities nobody really talks about

• mental health in a profession that rarely stops

• and why dentistry is just one part of who we are

A huge thank you to Lauren this conversation will resonate with the entire dental team, not just dentists. So if someone in your world needs to hear it, please share it their way 💛

All the info (including Lauren’s email) is in the show notes, so head there if you’d like to get in touch.

If you’re thinking about a career in dentistry click here

If you would like to study at queens you can click here

If you think Liverpool would be more you’re thing you can click here

If you’re interested in a legal and ethics masters you can click here

If you’re thinking of teaching in dentistry you can find more info here

For more information around dental indemnity you can check out dental protection here or DDU here

You can chat to Lauren via email [email protected]

This is such a difficult topic but for more information on suicide awareness training with NIMDTA you can click here

You can find more information on mental health services with mind here

You can find more about the headspace app here

You can follow the podcast on Instagram @conversationswithdentalfriends and you can follow me too @homegirlhygienist

Massive thank you to our sponsors Dürr Dental and DMI, and to Marlborough Clinic Belfast for hosting us while we recorded.

👇 In the comments, tell me: how do you protect your mental health in dentistry?

See you next Thursday for another conversation with dental friends ✨