Dental Protection Australia

It might surprise many of our listeners to learn that compassionate grounds for the early release of superannuation have actually been around for a long time since 1 July 1994, shortly after Australia’s modern superannuation system was introduced.

And since 1 July 2018, it’s the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) that has been responsible for approving these applications.

This topic has been attracting a lot of attention lately, and not always for the right reasons. Heightened media coverage, combined with some unfortunate commentary, has led to questions being raised about the integrity of our profession. 

In this episode of RiskBites, we unpack what’s really going on. We separate fact from fiction, talk through what compassionate release actually involves, and share practical guidance for navigating an area that’s now under close scrutiny. The goal is simple: to help our members feel informed, confident, and clear about their responsibilities in a rapidly evolving space.

In this episode of RiskBites Dr Annalene Weston is joined by her colleague and fellow dentolegal consultant, Dr Kiran Keshwara, to explore a topic that’s becoming increasingly relevant in Australian dental practice.

Australia is a rapidly changing and culturally diverse nation. In fact, more than half of our population was either born overseas or has at least one parent who was. That diversity enriches our communities, but it can also present real challenges in clinical settings.

These interactions can be complex, nuanced, and at times confusing, particularly when important clinical information, consent, or risk needs to be clearly understood.

In this episode, we explore how to navigate language barriers safely, respectfully, and effectively.

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked art of communicating effectively with your dental laboratory.

Dentists and technicians exchange information daily across multiple channels and on a vast range of clinical and technical matters. Yet, as Dentolegal consultant, Dr Simon Parsons notes, many opportunities to strengthen this communication and ultimately improve clinical outcomes are frequently missed.

To understand why this happens and what clinicians can do to bridge the gap, Dr Annalene Weston speaks with Simon, who brings a unique dual perspective shaped by his time working within a large dental laboratory and his own clinical experience. Join us for a conversation that may just transform the way you work with your lab.

As we move into the festive season and the final days of 2025, many of us naturally pause for reflection, looking back, looking inward, and looking ahead. 

For our last Risk Bites episode of the year, we wanted to close not with something heavy, but with something uplifting. So, in this episode, Dr Annalene Weston and Mrs Anita Kemp explore the idea of perfection, both the pursuit of aesthetic perfection and the quieter tyranny of personal perfectionism that shapes so much of our behaviour. 

Listen in as Annalene poses a powerful question: What would happen if we stopped striving to be perfect and instead allowed ourselves to aim for personal excellence?

Could this shift our mindset and allow us to be kinder to ourselves, something we all deeply deserve?

In this episode of RiskMatters,  Senior Dentolegal consultant, Dr Annalene Weston sits down with Dr Saskia Salvestro to explore medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

Saskia is a highly regarded dental practitioner, recognised for her expertise in contemporary dentistry and her commitment to advancing the profession. Earlier this year, she contributed an exceptional article on MRONJ to our Young Dental Practitioner publication. The insights were simply too valuable to leave on the page, prompting Annalene to bring the conversation to a wider audience through this podcast.
 
Tune in as Annalene and Saskia revisit MRONJ: what it is, why it occurs, and the key warning signs and considerations for clinicians when assessing patients in practice. 

Employment contracts are standard in most workplaces, yet their legal language and complex clauses can often leave people feeling uncertain or overwhelmed.

In this episode of RiskBites, Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Simon Parson break down some of the more common terms, conditions, and contract clauses you’re likely to encounter. They also discuss why it’s essential to seek professional legal advice before signing, to ensure your rights and interests are protected.

In this episode of RiskMatters, senior dentolegal consultant at Dental Protection Dr Annalene Weston speaks with Adjunct Associate Professor Geraldine Moses about the recently updated – Therapeutic Guidelines - Oral and Dental version 4, released in September 2025. 
 
During their discussion Dr Moses highlights a number of important changes made to many sections of the guidance, including but not limited to prescribing rights, regulations, responsibilities and competencies, administration of Analgesia, Antibiotics and Anaesthetics as well guidance around management of patients with medical conditions and special needs.    
 
It goes without saying that it is critical that all practitioners are familiar with these changes and can apply them to their practice moving forward. 

Analgesia – 14:00 
Antibiotics – 39:55 
LA – articaine – 52:10 
Methoxyflurane/Penthrox – 55:06

The busy and often unpredictable nature of clinical practice can really challenge us as health professionals. So, how do we stay on top of all our work? How do we avoid constant battles with an incredibly scarce resource – time?

How can we stay on time in clinical practice, and should we really worry about it too much, or is that only going to add to our cognitive load and stress? Is it really all that important, and what are the repercussions if we don’t run on time?

To find out the answers to these questions and more, join Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Simon Parson in this RiskBites podcast titled ‘Talking about time management’.

“Time wasted by health professionals is time not invested in patients”: time management practice and associated factors among health professionals at public hospitals in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia: a multicenter mixed method study - PMC

Does time management work? A meta-analysis - PMC

Characterization of tasks and time efficiency of dental hygiene students during clinical training - PMC

With the new guidelines for health practitioners who advertise non-surgical cosmetic procedures coming into effect on the 2nd of September 2025, now is the perfect time to review and reflect upon some of the changes. 

In this episode of RiskBites Dr Simon Parsons and Dr Colm Harney, dentolegal consultants at Dental Protection discuss the key aspects of this guidance in addition to teasing out some of the important changes in store for practitioners.

In our April edition of risk bites pertaining to Cosmetics in Dentistry, Dr Colm Harney flagged the intention of Ahpra to release new resources and guidelines for registered practitioners undertaking and advertising non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Well, that time is upon us and as of the 2nd of September 2025 the new guidelines will come into effect.  Listen is as Colm steps through the key points of interest, in linear order of appearance in the document, so we would encourage you to grab your copy and follow along.