The Dental Head Start Podcast

Hosted by Erica Hwin With over 44 years of experience in the dental industry, Kathy Metaxas knows a thing or two about dental practices. She is the founder of Platinum Professional Development, a motivational speaker, dental educator, coach and advocate for patient care and management, fostering strong team culture and implementing systems to ensure dental practices can function at the optimal potential.  One of the things we love doing on the podcast is bringing on people who aren’t necessarily dentists, but are fundamental and integral to our industry. We all know a dental practice is only as good as its staff, and in today’s episode Kathy talks us through it all. We talk about leadership, teamwork, how generational differences affect us and her advice for new grads entering the world of dentistry.  Kathy Metaxas Kathy Metaxas has been involved in the field of Dentistry for over four decades now. Her enthusiasm and knowledge has motivated and directed many dental teams across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and the United States to achieve levels of success beyond their expectations. PLATINUM Professional Development’s philosophy has always been total commitment to a high standard of Patient Care and Service. Kathy believes the foundation of every successful Dental Practice is through total TEAM effort. She enjoys her career as a Speaker and Coach and has built an outstanding reputation for providing sound and up to date management principles, systems and protocols delivered in a fast paced, fun and highly motivating style. The Dental Summit 2023 by AHC  The Dental Summit 2023 is a conference for dentists in all phases of their careers. They’ve brought together some of the greatest minds in dentistry who will share their knowledge and enthusiasm so that you, too, can reach your summit.   Two days of incredible lectures, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney, from leading experts and a cocktail night to network with fellow dentists and specialists. It is the must-attend dental event of 2023.  Register now at https://www.tds23.com and use ‘DHS10’ to get 10% off your ticket purchase! Dental Practitioner Support Dental Practitioner Support is the first national 24/7 telephone and online service to support dental practitioner health and wellbeing in Australia. The service is free, confidential and independent. Remember, good practice involves seeking support when you need it. Dental practitioners can call and speak to an experienced team ready to provide advice on a wide range of issues, including mental and physical health, workplace issues and general wellbeing. Call them anytime you need, and even save the number in your phone so that it’s there on the day that you need it. 1800 377 700 or visit the website www.dpsupport.org.au Clinical Aligner Excellence Aligners are becoming an integral part of private practice. Whether you are new to aligner therapy or an experienced practitioner, the opportunities are vast. But how do you do it at a high standard, efficiently and profitably? Dr Geoff Hall and Dr Jesse Green have come together to help with these key problems through Clear Aligner Excellence – their latest education platform. Visit clearex.com.au for more information. You can expect a wealth of knowledge to help improve your practice as well as huge discounts on major aligner therapy companies and lab fees. The post FEATURE #76 – Enhancing the Dental Team with Kathy Metaxas appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin There’s not denying that restorations form the bread and butter of our dental work, but there’s a lot of finesse to creating the perfect restoration. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Alice Whang to talk about how to restore a classic 14DO – how to assess it radiographically, rubber dam placement, how to choose the right matrix, assessing your contact and how to wedge. I know often I fall into the trap of just thinking if it fits, it fits, but Dr Alice talks us through the detailed thought process that goes into every step of restoring a tooth to ensure you have predictable and optimal results every single time. Dr Alice Whang Dr Alice is an educator and lecturer for RipeGlobal, a cloud-based education platform incorporating innovative teaching methods with students based all around the world. Her special skills include digital dentistry, complex rehabilitations and implantology.  BOQ Specialist BOQ Specialist offer a great banking package for graduates.  This package includes an everyday bank account with no monthly, annual or ongoing account keeping fees, an optional overdraft with no establishment fee and no repayments required until 1 July the year after you graduate, a credit card with no fees for five years and an optional car loan. Having worked closely with medical professionals for over 30 years, BOQ Specialist understand the unique challenges we can face at the beginning of our careers. Whether it’s relocation costs, everyday living expenses, buying a new car or even saving for a first home – BOQ Specialist have a range of banking products and services to help. For more information, click here. Avant Dental  Digital dentistry is becoming a large part of our dental profession and our daily workflows. With all the new changes in our industry, how do you know you’ll be leveraging the most of the technology at your disposal? Avant is a full-service dental laboratory specialising in crown and bridge, implants, splints and a range of removable prosthetic restorations. They deliver the best quality and competitive prices with materials manufactured from the best facilities in the world,. Visit www.avantdental.com.au for more information. Avant will help support your digital dentistry journey and provide excellent service along the way. The post TIP #106 – Matrix Selection & Placement with Dr Alice Whang appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin Moving interstate is always a daunting experience and to do that as a new-grad about to start full time work can be a lot.  In this episode, Dr Phillip Nguyen shares his experience moving for uni and then again for work. We talk about how he planned it out and how he balances his hobbies, fitness and social life along with dentistry, and how he’s built his support network all up from scratch.  As someone who is about to graduate and potentially moving interstate, this is a really reassuring conversation. And I hope for anyone in the same boat, this chat gives you some guidance and motivation as well!  Dr Phillip Nguyen Originally from Adelaide, Dr Phillip Nguyen attended La Trobe University in Regional Victoria and graduated in 2021. He was named the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year. He works in a private practice as an associate dentist at Avenue Dental on the Sunshine Coast. As a student, he served on the ADSA Committee in multiple roles including Media Officer, Secretary and President. Now, he is the Convenor of ADAQ’s Recent Graduates and Students Committee. Phillip’s interests in dentistry are varied and include cosmetic dentistry and full mouth rehabilitations. He also loves seeing paediatric and special needs patients. Clinical Aligner Excellence Aligners are becoming an integral part of private practice. Whether you are new to aligner therapy or an experienced practitioner, the opportunities are vast. But how do you do it at a high standard, efficiently and profitably? Dr Geoff Hall and Dr Jesse Green have come together to help with these key problems through Clear Aligner Excellence – their latest education platform. Visit clearex.com.au for more information. You can expect a wealth of knowledge to help improve your practice as well as huge discounts on major aligner therapy companies and lab fees. Avant Dental  Digital dentistry is becoming a large part of our dental profession and our daily workflows. With all the new changes in our industry, how do you know you’ll be leveraging the most of the technology at your disposal? Avant is a full-service dental laboratory specialising in crown and bridge, implants, splints and a range of removable prosthetic restorations. They deliver the best quality and competitive prices with materials manufactured from the best facilities in the world,. Visit www.avantdental.com.au for more information. Avant will help support your digital dentistry journey and provide excellent service along the way. The post TIP #105 – Moving Interstate & Balancing Life with Dr Phillip Nguyen appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin So we see a child with some missing teeth, some crowding here or there and a bit of a funny bite. Do we intervene now? Or watch and wait, and let them grow into themselves? In this episode, we chat with Dr Derek Mahony about the age-old question of when to start orthodontic treatment. If you haven’t already, check out our previous episode (Early Airway Intervention & Orthodontics) where we talk about early airway intervention and how this can simplify and optimise orthodontic treatment later on. Because today, we talk about when exactly we should start assessing children, how to assess peak growth and the ideal age to begin treatment.  Dr Derek Mahony Dr. Mahony is a Specialist Orthodontist who has been in private practice for over 30 years. He has built his practice, clinical teaching, and worldwide reputation in offering early interceptive orthodontic treatment. Dr. Mahony is an invited reviewer for many dental journals, in the field of facial development, and its association with nasal breathing. He has been involved in leading research linking maxillary arch expansion to reducing a number of systemic disorders such as bed wetting and ADHD. The Dental Summit 2023 by AHC Dental The Dental Summit 2023 is a conference for dentists in all phases of their careers. They’ve brought together some of the greatest minds in dentistry who will share their knowledge and enthusiasm so that you, too, can reach your summit.   Two days of incredible lectures, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney, from leading experts and a cocktail night to network with fellow dentists and specialists. It is the must-attend dental event of 2023.  Register now at https://www.tds23.com and use ‘DHS10’ to get 10% off your ticket purchase! Principle Practice Management Software  Cloud based dental software, rethought from the ground up for 2021 and beyond. Finally, an intelligent platform that optimises every process and workflow from scheduling to treatment planning to account management. Designed for intuitiveness, Principle offers seamless interconnectivity between patients, appointments, staff, tasks, notes, meetings, labs and more. This means fewer clicks, fuller books, faster communication, nothing slipping through the cracks and greater business transparency.  Principles of best practice embedded in software design to keep your team lean and your time productively occupied. The post TIP #104 – At What Age Should We Start Ortho? with Dr Derek Mahony appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Hosted by Erica Hwin Dr Soo-Wee Ong – Oral Surgeon by Day, Weightlifter by Night, Founder of DPR and All Round Awesome Guy. In this jam-packed episode, we talk about everything from how weightlifting changed Soo-Wee’s life, to his early days as a magician on the side. We discuss the differences between dentistry in Australia and New Zealand, where Oral Surgeons stand in the field and the humble origins of DPR.  We discuss Soo-Wee’s attitude towards sharing knowledge and why he’s so passionate about educating the younger generation. This episode was such a wonderful mix of fun stories and the valuable lessons Soo-Wee has for grads. You don’t want to miss it! Dr Soo-Wee Ong Dr Soo-Wee is a specialist oral surgeon in full-time private practice in Dunedin, NZ. Having been a general dentist for almost 10 years prior to specialisation, his passion is not only passing on his triumphs and failures so far in oral surgery, but sharing his experiences as a general dentist, and how you can make it worthwhile in practice. The Dental Summit 2023 by AHC Dental The Dental Summit 2023 is a conference for dentists in all phases of their careers. They’ve brought together some of the greatest minds in dentistry who will share their knowledge and enthusiasm so that you, too, can reach your summit.   Two days of incredible lectures, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney, from leading experts and a cocktail night to network with fellow dentists and specialists. It is the must-attend dental event of 2023.  Register now at https://www.tds23.com and use ‘DHS10’ to get 10% off your ticket purchase! RIPE Global As a student or new grad, CPD can be expensive. The cost of the course itself, flight tickets, accomodation, and finding time amidst clinic, lectures and exams can be a lot.  Thankfully, our friends at RIPE global have got you covered. RIPE global offers an education platform with hundreds of hours of lectures, hands-on procedures and recordings of live content from their full day courses – all of which you can access from the comfort of your own home. In a market flooded with online content, RIPE Global sits head and shoulders above the rest. Enjoy some of the most useful yet professionally created online content anywhere in the world. Get 10% off the membership for life – use the code “DENTALHEADSTART”  Dental Practitioner Support Dental Practitioner Support is the first national 24/7 telephone and online service to support dental practitioner health and wellbeing in Australia. The service is free, confidential and independent. Remember, good practice involves seeking support when you need it. Dental practitioners can call and speak to an experienced team ready to provide advice on a wide range of issues, including mental and physical health, workplace issues and general wellbeing. Call them anytime you need, and even save the number in your phone so that it’s there on the day that you need it. 1800 377 700 or visit the website www.dpsupport.org.au The post FEATURE #75 – Weightlifting, Oral Surgery & The Origins of DPR with Dr Soo-Wee Ong appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin It’s easy to see the confidence and competence of senior dentists and to compare ourselves to them, and oftentimes it’s easy to forget that they were once students too.  In this episode, we are joined by Dr Alice Whang to talk through the ups and downs of Dr Alice’s journey from a student to where she is now – a phenomenal clinician and a RIPE Global educator. This was a heartwarming chat where we discuss the trials and tribulations every new grad goes through. If you haven’t already, you have to check out Dr Alice’s instagram @dralice.dentistry where she is always sharing simple clinical pro tips that can make a huge difference to how we practice. You’ll find her page full of tips on better rubber dam, using teflon, matrix selection and taking better intraoral scans.  Dr Alice Whang Dr Alice is an educator and lecturer for RipeGlobal, a cloud-based education platform incorporating innovative teaching methods with students based all around the world. Her special skills include digital dentistry, complex rehabilitations and implantology.  RIPE Global As a student or new grad, CPD can be expensive. The cost of the course itself, flight tickets, accomodation, and finding time amidst clinic, lectures and exams can be a lot.  Thankfully, our friends at RIPE global have got you covered. RIPE global offers an education platform with hundreds of hours of lectures, hands-on procedures and recordings of live content from their full day courses – all of which you can access from the comfort of your own home. In a market flooded with online content, RIPE Global sits head and shoulders above the rest. Enjoy some of the most useful yet professionally created online content anywhere in the world. Get 10% off the membership for life – use the code “DENTALHEADSTART”  Clinical Aligner Excellence Aligners are becoming an integral part of private practice. Whether you are new to aligner therapy or an experienced practitioner, the opportunities are vast. But how do you do it at a high standard, efficiently and profitably? Dr Geoff Hall and Dr Jesse Green have come together to help with these key problems through Clear Aligner Excellence – their latest education platform. Visit clearex.com.au for more information. You can expect a wealth of knowledge to help improve your practice as well as huge discounts on major aligner therapy companies and lab fees. The post TIP #103 – Struggles & Lessons of Your Early Years with Dr Alice Whang appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin They say a picture tells a thousand words, and in the world of dentistry, this could not be more powerful. In this episode, we’re joined with Dr Paul Jay Hwin to talk about the power of photography and the various ways we can implement it into our appointments to communicate, educate and ultimately, connect better with our patients.  It’s one thing to look smart with tech, and take Insta-worthy photographs, but it’s a whole different ball game to know how and when to present these photos to really hit home.  Dr Paul Jay Hwin Dr Paul Jay Hwin is a multi-practice owner who completed his dental degree at the University of Melbourne. Having hired many new-graduates over the years, Paul is passionate about mentoring and inspiring the younger generation of dentists. He has particular interests in Cosmetic Dentistry and Orthodontics, and frequently presents on the topics of Patient Communication, Case Acceptance and Photography. Dental Practitioner Support Dental Practitioner Support is the first national 24/7 telephone and online service to support dental practitioner health and wellbeing in Australia. The service is free, confidential and independent. Remember, good practice involves seeking support when you need it. Dental practitioners can call and speak to an experienced team ready to provide advice on a wide range of issues, including mental and physical health, workplace issues and general wellbeing. Call them anytime you need, and even save the number in your phone so that it’s there on the day that you need it. 1800 377 700 or visit the website www.dpsupport.org.au Avant Dental  Digital dentistry is becoming a large part of our dental profession and our daily workflows. With all the new changes in our industry, how do you know you’ll be leveraging the most of the technology at your disposal? Avant is a full-service dental laboratory specialising in crown and bridge, implants, splints and a range of removable prosthetic restorations. They deliver the best quality and competitive prices with materials manufactured from the best facilities in the world,. Visit www.avantdental.com.au for more information. Avant will help support your digital dentistry journey and provide excellent service along the way. The post TIP #102 – Show & Tell With Photography with Dr Paul Jay Hwin appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin It’s something you never have enough of and yet it creeps up on you insidiously and slips between your fingers before you can get a hold of it. Ah, time… you sneaky little thing.  In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr Phillip Nguyen who’s a new grad and was in my shoes not too long ago. We talk about his experience in his first year out – the transition from uni clinics into private practice and the little tips he has on how we can be more efficient with our time. Regardless of whether you’re a new grad or an experienced dentist, we are always looking for ways to better manage your time, and so I hope you gain a tip or two from this episode! Dr Phillip Nguyen Originally from Adelaide, Dr Phillip Nguyen attended La Trobe University in Regional Victoria and graduated in 2021. He was named the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year. He works in a private practice as an associate dentist at Avenue Dental on the Sunshine Coast. As a student, he served on the ADSA Committee in multiple roles including Media Officer, Secretary and President. Now, he is the Convenor of ADAQ’s Recent Graduates and Students Committee. Phillip’s interests in dentistry are varied and include cosmetic dentistry and full mouth rehabilitations. He also loves seeing paediatric and special needs patients. Clinical Aligner Excellence Aligners are becoming an integral part of private practice. Whether you are new to aligner therapy or an experienced practitioner, the opportunities are vast. But how do you do it at a high standard, efficiently and profitably? Dr Geoff Hall and Dr Jesse Green have come together to help with these key problems through Clear Aligner Excellence – their latest education platform. Visit clearex.com.au for more information. You can expect a wealth of knowledge to help improve your practice as well as huge discounts on major aligner therapy companies and lab fees. Avant Dental  Digital dentistry is becoming a large part of our dental profession and our daily workflows. With all the new changes in our industry, how do you know you’ll be leveraging the most of the technology at your disposal? Avant is a full-service dental laboratory specialising in crown and bridge, implants, splints and a range of removable prosthetic restorations. They deliver the best quality and competitive prices with materials manufactured from the best facilities in the world,. Visit www.avantdental.com.au for more information. Avant will help support your digital dentistry journey and provide excellent service along the way. The post TIP #101 – Time Management with Dr Phillip Nguyen appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin Dental Head Start was founded in 2018 by Dr David Keir with the hopes of helping students and new graduates transition from textbooks into clinical practice. Since then, we’ve released 174 episodes, garnered over 230,000 listens, and this episode is our 100th WIWIK!  In this episode, we are joined by David, who has taken the year away from dentistry, to hear what life has been like on the road, his discoveries and his vision for the future.  Dr David Keir David spent over 13 years dental assisting before graduating from The University of Sydney. These years were formative and really gave David that head start in his career. Thus, in 2018, the Dental Head Start podcast was born with the hopes of sharing the lessons David had been lucky to learn along the way, and to help students and new graduates transition from textbooks into clinical practice.   Alongside DHS, David is also the co-founder of CPD Junkie – Australia’s largest CPD directory. Check out https://www.cpdjunkie.com.au to stay in the loop with the latest and greatest CPD courses, deals & discounts.  Dental Practitioner Support Dental Practitioner Support is the first national 24/7 telephone and online service to support dental practitioner health and wellbeing in Australia. The service is free, confidential and independent. Remember, good practice involves seeking support when you need it. Dental practitioners can call and speak to an experienced team ready to provide advice on a wide range of issues, including mental and physical health, workplace issues and general wellbeing. Call them anytime you need, and even save the number in your phone so that it’s there on the day that you need it. 1800 377 700 or visit the website www.dpsupport.org.au Principle Practice Management Software  Cloud based dental software, rethought from the ground up for 2021 and beyond. Finally, an intelligent platform that optimises every process and workflow from scheduling to treatment planning to account management. Designed for intuitiveness, Principle offers seamless interconnectivity between patients, appointments, staff, tasks, notes, meetings, labs and more. This means fewer clicks, fuller books, faster communication, nothing slipping through the cracks and greater business transparency.  Principles of best practice embedded in software design to keep your team lean and your time productively occupied. The post TIP #100 – A Year Away From Dentistry with Dr David Keir appeared first on Dental Head Start.

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today. It’s your weekly mentoring session. Hosted by Erica Hwin For a number of us, the goal is perhaps to one day own our own dental clinic. However, we were only ever taught how to be good clinicians, and practice ownership is a whole different can of worms. In this episode, we are joined with Harry Nicolaidis, one of Australia’s leading lawyers in the field of dentistry. We discuss the different ways we can get into practice ownership, what we should look out for and the checklists we should cover before getting our feet wet. This is just a small introduction into the world of practice ownership, but for those who are interested we hope it’s a little taster. Let us know if you’d like to hear more! Harry Nicolaidis Harry Nicolaidis is a partner at K&L Gates, a global law firm with a strong Australian footprint with 67 partners and more than 200 lawyers. He has gained the confidence and trust of many health practitioners and dental practice owners with his ability to identify and minimise their legal risks and resolve their legal issues when they arise. Harry assists health practitioners and dental practice owners across a wide range of issues, including the preparation and implementation of Services and Facilities Agreements, the acquisition and disposal of interests in dental practices, contractual disputes, the enforceability of restraint of trade obligations, breach of confidentiality and breach of warranty claims.  He has practised in New South Wales and Queensland in State and Federal Courts for more than 30 years. Harry has significant experience in employing various methods of alternative dispute resolution including arbitration, mediation, and facilitated negotiation in order to achieve commercial and cost effective outcomes for clients. Harry has presented at various forums on a range of topics affecting clients in the dental profession, including on issues arising in relation to different types of contracts, breach of obligations, damages and other remedies. RIPE Global PSST, WE’VE GOT A SECRET… If you sign up to become a member with RipeGlobal using our code ‘HEADSTARTRIPE30’, you can get 30% off the annual membership AND win a spot in RipeGlobal’s Crown Prep Bootcamp on October 29th! Clinical Aligner Excellence Aligners are becoming an integral part of private practice. Whether you are new to aligner therapy or an experienced practitioner, the opportunities are vast. But how do you do it at a high standard, efficiently and profitably? Dr Geoff Hall and Dr Jesse Green have come together to help with these key problems through Clear Aligner Excellence – their latest education platform. Visit clearex.com.au for more information. You can expect a wealth of knowledge to help improve your practice as well as huge discounts on major aligner therapy companies and lab fees. The post TIP #99 – The Legal Side of Practice Ownership with Harry Nicolaidis appeared first on Dental Head Start.