The Graduate Dentist Podcast

At this early stage of our career, one thing we lack is relativity. We haven’t been dentists for all that long, we don’t have the hindsight and anecdotal experience to see our work return to us. The reality is our patients have been seeing the dentist and have experienced more dentistry, more iterations of dentistry and developments in dentistry, for for longer than we have even been dentists. So is what we’re doing right right now, will it still be right in 10, 15, 20 years time? 

It’s a fascinating can of worms we open up in this podcast with Dr John Hagiliassis, who has been practicing for over 25 years. We dive into the realities of dentistry and the potential consequences of the treatment we do today. We talk about how clear aligners have evolved and the role they play as a treatment modality for patients, how to critically assess the courses and people whom we learn from, and the decision making we must make as dentists about the type of dentist we want to be and the legacy we choose to leave.

Dr John Hagiliassis graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Dentistry in 1998 and has, throughout his career, continuously unskilled, staying up to date with modern advancements in technology and digital dentistry with a particular focus on restorative dentistry and clear aligners. To date, he has completed over 6000 clear aligner cases using multiple systems and is the founder of Acas Australasian Clear Aligner Society and AORTA - Aesthetic Orthodontic and Restorative Training Academy.

We've officially released 10 full episodes to date and what I love about them is how each one builds upon one another and every guest shares a similar message despite being recorded independently. I like to think it's a sign that we are on the right track, and that with each episode, we are building the values, the beliefs and philosophies that The Graduate Dentist stands upon.

In this episode, we recap the last 6 months on the podcast - the episodes we have released, conversations we've had and the launch of our Graduate Meet Ups. Being 18 months now into private practice, I go over my thoughts and reflections on my progress and growth so far, the things I have learnt and areas I still want to work on.

This is a heart to heart conversation where we take a deep dive into how we're doing. Sometimes we can get so caught up being a busy body that we end up running on autopilot with not real direction, and we need to stop and take a step back, reset, reorientate and redirect ourselves with intent and purpose. And so after this episode, I hope you all check in with yourselves and how you're tracking along - are you doing the things you want to be doing and making the progress you want to be?

For those that want to set goals together, here is the questionnaire we spoke about in the episode. Feel free to fill this out and send it to me so that we can work on smashing them together!

1. What can you celebrate and be grateful for in your life?   

2. What can you celebrate and be grateful for in your professional life? 

3. List and discuss 5 of your work-related successes this year. 

4. List and discuss 5 of your work-related challenges this year.

5. How did you overcome each of the above challenges?

6. List 5 things you have learnt about yourself this year generally, unrelated to work or home life. 

7. List and describe 3 professional goals you want to achieve in the next 3 months.

8. List and describe 3 professional goals you want to achieve in the next 6 months.

9. 7. List and describe 3 professional goals you want to achieve in the next 12 months.

10. Describe 1 super-fun activity, trip, adventure, holiday, experience or purchase you have always wanted to do or make.

One of the most incredible things to witness is how far all my friends have come since we graduated. That just 18 months ago we were all in the same boat sitting our final year exam until everyone found themselves in jobs and practices that suited our individuals needs and desires. And you very quickly see that what’s right and what works for one person isn’t necessarily right for another person. It’s crazy to see how in just 18 months, everyone has taken off and soared in completely different trajectories and how we have all already become such different dentists to one another – shaped by our environment, our practices, our own philosophies and interests.

Some of us land ourselves in really great workplaces, some of us don’t. And sometimes it takes a lot of exploration to figure out what it is that we want a need. And in today’s episode, our guest Dr Reina Yang has very much been through all that.

Dr Reina Yang has been practicing for over 10 years now, she owns a practice along with her husband, and presents and teaches on restorative and cosmetic dentistry.

In this episode, we explore her journey in dentistry, the seasons of her dental career over the last 10 years and the myriad of jobs she’s worked in - the good, the bad and the ugly. We dive into her journey and rediscovery of restorative dentistry, the trials and tribulations of practice ownership and the joys of motherhood and juggling that with career growth - a topic I don’t think often gets talked about but I'm so glad we dive into.

Kaejenn and I have worked together across various projects and shared similar spaces over the years and he is someone I always love hearing from. We share very similar beliefs and values on communication, mindset, mental wellbeing and advocating for that within our community, and so I’m so glad we go to take a deep dive into all these topics in today’s chat.

It’s a raw, honest and vulnerable conversation where we both share our stories of our most challenging moments and Kaejenn equips us with strategies and techniques to keep in our mental toolkit so that we can recognise signs of burnout and rise above it. 

You all know that this is something I really care about, and that I always welcome and encourage you guys to reach out to chat about anything if you ever need to. In today’s chat we go over some of the questions, challenges and scenarios you guys have told me about from feeling incompetent and wondering if dentistry is right for you, to struggling with work with your staff. 

I do also want to provide a little content warning in that this episode does briefly touch on the idea of suicidal thoughts and feelings, and so if this is difficult or uncomfortable for you to hear, please skip through timestamps 11 to 17 minutes. 

If you yourself are going through a difficult time, remember you are never alone and help is always available. I’d like to take the opportunity to point you towards Dental Practitioner Support, a free and completely confidential national support service and crisis hotline should you need to talk to someone and be guided to better resources. 

https://www.dpsupport.org.au/

1800 377 700

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Mentorship is a topic I get asked about all the time and it’s a term that often gets thrown around, romanticised and perhaps at times misunderstood.

This is a bitesize snippet of an Instagram Live session I did with Dr Kaejenn Tchia where we share our thoughts on the matter. If you want to watch the full video, check it out on @thelimitlessdentist!

I am often reminded that we are the sum of the top 5 people we surround ourselves with, and so I’d like us to take a moment to stop and reflect. Who do you surround yourself with now? Who inspires you? Who motivates you? Who has your back? I hope this episode gets you thinking about it, about your own growth and who’s there to help you with it.

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Some of us may be fortunate enough to work side by side with a dental hygienist or oral health therapist within our practice, but for many of us who haven't, the role of a hygienist/OHT, their scope and expertise can be a bit of a mystery.

In today’s episode, we are joined by Emma Cubis and we dive into the role of a hygienist/OHT within a dental practice, the differences between the two professions and how to optimise the partnership between a dentist and hygienist. But the true meat and bones of this episode and what I really love is our deep dive into preventative care, oral health and all of Emma’s tips and tricks to really get that OHT clean feeling. And yes, there’s definitely a difference! I sure picked up some really valuable tips from Emma and so I hope you guys do too!

Emma Cubis aka @emmatalksteeth is a dental hygienist/oral health therapist, content creator and host of the Talk Dental To Me podcast.

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If there’s one thing I aim to showcase on the podcast, it is the myriad of opportunities dentistry presents us, and all the different avenues we can explore. Everyone’s journey is different - shaped by their unique experiences, interests, stages of life and influences. There really isn’t a right way to do things, and it’s okay if you’re not sure what you want to be doing just yet. But I hope that through hearing other people’s stories, something might catch, spark a light, perhaps kindles a small fire within and inspires you to thrive. 

Dr Ellie Kim a recent graduate and founder her own start up dental clinic Adore Dental. With a special interest in cosmetic dentistry - from veneers to implants to aligners and injectables, Ellie does it all. She’s an absolute go-getter and someone I’m so in of awe of just how much she does. 

In today’s episode, we explore Ellie’s journey is starting up her dental clinic as a relative recent graduate - something a number of you may be interested in doing yourselves one day! We dive into the unexpected challenges she has faced, the failures she has overcome and the differences between being an associate and a practice owner. Ellie also gives us a taste of what her smile makeover workflow is. 

THE GRADUATE DENTIST MEET UP MELBOURNE

Sunday, June 2nd 12:00PM @ Welcome to Thornbury

Register via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-graduate-dentist-melbourne-meet-up-extra-tickets-tickets-906756983547?aff=oddtdtcreator

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In today’s episode, we talk about a topic that is often as the heart of many of the discussions I have with you guys. It’s all about confidence. 

Dr Lincoln Harris helps us break down the concept of confidence vs competence, the exponential nature of growth, how our fears and anxieties impact how we learn and ways in which our historical model of dental education lets us down. 

Dr Lincoln Harris is a figurehead in the global dental community, venerated for his vast clinical and business knowledge. He is an in-demand teacher who has presented at international and domestic events for more than two decades. Dr Harris is the CEO of RipeGlobal, and maintains a thriving private practice.

THE GRADUATE DENTIST MEET UP MELBOURNE

Sunday, June 2nd 12:00PM @ Welcome to Thornbury

Register via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-graduate-dentist-melbourne-meet-up-tickets-899937365887

Follow us on Instagram:

@drlincolnharris

@dr.ericahwin

@thegraduatedentist

There’s a fine balance between challenging yourself enough to improve and avoid complacency and boredom, and not so much that it discourages you and you burnout. For all of us there will inevitably be ebbs and flows in our confidence. There will be days where we decide to play it safe, and days where there is that little daring spark to push our boundaries a little further. However. as a new grad, it’s really hard to know where these boundaries and capabilities lie because we just don’t know what we don’t know.

So what do we do in these situations? I like to say we have two options - refer or defer.

This is a bitesize snippet of a much longer conversation I had with Martina and Andrea from ADSA. If you want to hear the rest of this wonderful chat, check it out on Brace Yourself!

PART 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4TbMUwzgl4ewYO4qyhLBU0?si=ba57b8eb1a394091

PART 2:

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One thing I really love from this episode is how we explore the mindsets of dentists from differing generations and the things we can learn from one another. Many of us may work in practices with senior dentists that have been practicing for decades, and they have a tried and tested formula, a loyal patient base and the physical proof of dentistry they have done that has lasted how ever many years. For many of us imposter syndrome can really kick in and we perceive ourselves as the inexperienced new grad, but the flip side of that coin is that dentistry is rapidly evolving and we have front row seats to those changes.

In this episode, Daniel shares his experience working within a family practice and the type of dentistry he was exposed to, how he has reflected on his own skillset and developed his interests over the last couple of years and his transition to now working within a cosmetic based practice.

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