Advertise on podcast: Your Dental Besties

Is dentistry becoming too focused on how many patients we can see, how quickly we can treat them and how much money we can make? In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben get into a conversation about something they are both increasingly passionate about: slowing dentistry down and giving patients the time, attention and care they deserve. From the pressures of busy appointment books and the realities of clinical fatigue to the importance of professional autonomy, they question whether the drive for efficiency is sometimes getting in the way of delivering the best possible outcomes. They also explore how the role of the dental hygienist could evolve beyond traditional appointments, incorporating systemic health screening, women's health, risk assessment and a more collaborative approach to patient care. Along the way, they discuss the latest technology in periodontal treatment, including dental endoscopy, the benefits of magnification, empowering dental nurses to develop their skills and why clinical experience can completely change the way we approach treatment. And, of course, it wouldn't be Your Dental Besties without a few unexpected tangents, including cold sores, awkward patient conversations and Ben contemplating a little cosmetic surgery! The big question is: are we giving patients what they want, or what they actually need? An open, funny and thought-provoking conversation about clinical standards, professional confidence and why sometimes doing more for our patients means seeing fewer of them. 🎧 Listen now and join the conversation. Do you think dentistry is becoming too focused on productivity, or are longer appointments the way forward?

What happens when you stop waiting for someone else to create the career you want? In this episode, Claire and Ben are joined by Canadian dental hygienist, educator and practice owner Irene Iancu for a conversation that goes far beyond dental hygiene. Irene shares how frustration with the limitations of traditional practice eventually led her to build her own. From designing a completely different patient experience and creating clinical systems, to investing in technology, education and her own team, this is a brilliant look at what can happen when hygienists start thinking differently about their role. The conversation explores autonomy, burnout and “boreout”, practice ownership, clinical innovation, AI, patient-centred care and why doing things the way they have always been done might not be good enough anymore. They also get into the bigger conversation around oral and systemic health, perimenopause, healthcare collaboration and why dental hygienists could have an important role in bridging the gap between dentistry and medicine. And perhaps the biggest takeaway? You don't have to completely transform your career overnight. Start by becoming 1% better, asking better questions and taking more ownership of the clinician you want to become. A big, bold conversation about the future of dental hygiene, and why sometimes you have to stop waiting for permission to change it. Follow Irene on Insta @toothlife.irene

What does it actually take to become a better clinician? In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben are joined by dental therapist Laura Bailey for a very honest conversation about the side of dentistry we don't always see online...... the mistakes, the investment, the constant learning and the reality of putting yourself out there. Laura opens up about returning to education more than a decade into her career, why learning more about occlusion completely changed the way she looks at restorative dentistry, and the uncomfortable realisation that sometimes the more you learn, the more you recognise what you didn't know before. She also shares an incredibly honest clinical story about something going wrong during a composite case and why choosing to tell the patient, remove the work and start again ultimately created one of her most loyal patients. The conversation moves into launching courses, investing thousands before seeing a return, struggling with uptake and the reality behind building something new when social media often only shows us the success story. Claire, Ben and Laura also talk about confidence, mentorship, investing in yourself, juggling far too many projects and why being a healthcare professional means accepting that learning never really stops. And because this is Your Dental Besties, somehow the conversation eventually descends into broken feet, questionable things found between patients' teeth and some dental stories you probably don't want to hear over lunch… An honest, funny and very real conversation about learning, failing, growing and why sometimes the experiences that don't go perfectly are the ones that teach us the most.

What happens when you achieve the career you worked so hard for… and then start wondering what comes next? In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben are joined by Anna Middleton, aka The London Hygienist, for a brilliantly open conversation about career evolution, personal branding, working with major brands, burnout, boreout and learning to redefine success. Anna shares how she built her profile long before “dental influencer” was even a thing, why authenticity has been central to the partnerships she chooses, and why having a clear purpose matters far more than simply chasing followers. But this conversation goes much deeper than social media. The three discuss the psychological pressures of working in dentistry, hitting a perceived career ceiling, feeling overstimulated, learning to set boundaries and recognising when the constant cycle of achieving the next goal is no longer making you happy. Anna also reveals how stepping outside dentistry, including discovering a passion for poker, challenged her confidence, pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped her reconnect with parts of herself that had nothing to do with teeth. From knowing your “why” and protecting your energy to getting a hobby, doing a life audit and giving yourself permission to slow down, this episode is a reminder that your career can be an important part of your life without having to become your entire identity. And sometimes, growth isn't about doing more. It might be about figuring out what you actually want next.

What does it actually take to be exceptional in dentistry? In this episode, Claire and Ben are joined by Adrian for a fascinating conversation that goes far beyond clinical dentistry. They explore the power of storytelling, public speaking and human connection, why trust matters more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world, and how small changes can completely transform the patient experience. The conversation also tackles some of the pressures facing dentistry today- like packed diaries, efficiency targets, clinician burnout and the danger of focusing so heavily on productivity that we lose the very thing patients value: feeling seen, heard and cared for. But perhaps the biggest message is about courage. Because being exceptional means being the exception. It means being willing to question how things have always been done, explore new ideas, create better environments and sometimes become the “rogue bee” who takes a different path. Whether you're a clinician, practice owner, educator or simply someone who wants to do things differently, this episode will make you think about what exceptional really looks like. 🐝 Be the rogue bee.Have the courage to be exceptional.

What happens when one of the biggest names in technology enters the dental world? In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben get into the launch of the Dyson toothbrush- from AI, cameras and water flossing to the much bigger question of what evidence actually sits behind the products we recommend. They discuss the growing influence of social media and influencer marketing on oral-health advice, why a huge following doesn’t necessarily equal clinical credibility, and why dental professionals need to be able to look beyond the headline and interrogate the evidence for themselves. The conversation moves into water flossers, misleading interpretations of research, fluoride and mouthwash, stannous fluoride, Tooth Mousse and why oral-care recommendations should never be one-size-fits-all. Plus, Claire and Ben reveal that they’re heading back to university together to study for a PGCert in Menopause Medicine, and are already questioning how they’re going to fit it all in. A proper Dental Besties conversation: evidence, opinions, clinical reality and a few questionable analogies along the way.

Do you ever finish a day in clinic and replay your appointments in your head, wondering what you could have done differently? In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben tackle a question from a newly qualified clinician who feels incompetent, constantly overthinks their appointments and struggles to switch off after work. They talk honestly about clinical confidence, comparison, CPD, mentorship and why asking another clinician for help isn't a weakness. From periodontal cases that simply won't stabilise to knowing when you've reached the limits of what you can achieve, they explore something clinicians at every stage of their career can probably relate to: you aren't supposed to know everything. They also discuss the challenges of periodontal referrals, why some patients refuse specialist care, communicating the seriousness of periodontal disease and the value of having trusted colleagues to bounce difficult cases off. And because this is Your Dental Besties, things inevitably go slightly off track, including a broken-down car, a "baby mole" that definitely wasn't a mole, and Ben deliberately giving himself gingivitis in the name of curiosity. An honest, funny and reassuring conversation about dentistry, confidence and accepting that we're all still learning. If you enjoy the episode, follow Your Dental Besties and don't forget to like, comment and share.

With more dental hygiene and therapy programmes opening across the UK, Claire and Ben ask a big question: what does the future of the profession actually look like? In this episode of Your Dental Besties, they imagine what they would include if they could design their own dental hygiene and therapy education from scratch- from oral-systemic health, women's health and behaviour change to mentoring, cultural competence and preparing clinicians for the realities of working in practice. The conversation also turns to something many hygienists may be wondering: do you need to become a dental therapist to progress? Claire explains why she actively chooses to be a dental hygienist and why she doesn't believe hygienists should feel they are being left behind, while Ben shares his experience of working across both hygiene and therapy and why progression doesn't have to look the same for everyone. They discuss working to the top of your scope, finding the area of dentistry you're genuinely passionate about, the changing role of the hygienist and therapist, and what could happen if both professions were utilised properly within the dental team. Because perhaps career progression isn't always about adding another qualification. Sometimes it's about becoming exceptionally good at the job you already love. Your Dental Besties- making dentistry fun!

1,300 miles. Two Dental Besties. One unforgettable road trip… and apparently absolutely no ability to keep hold of our belongings. This week, we're taking you behind the scenes of our Canadian adventure- from Calgary to Banff, Lake Louise, Edmonton and one of the most beautiful drives we've ever experienced through the Canadian Rockies. Claire and Ben talk spontaneous tattoos, bears, mountain “beavers”, questionable hotel choices, getting trapped in a car park, losing cameras and microphones, Canadian whitening strips that nearly took Ben's teeth out, and somehow deciding that a 12-hour drive was obviously better than a three-hour one. But amongst the chaos, there was some dentistry too. They reflect on attending and speaking at the GBT Summit in Edmonton, what was learned from dental professionals working internationally, and why stepping outside your usual dental bubble can completely change the way you think about your career, your patients and what's possible. And somewhere between the mountains, glaciers, karaoke and 1,300 miles on the road, this became much more than a work trip. It became one of those experiences they will probably talk about for the rest of their lives. ❤️ So grab a coffee (Ben certainly will), settle in and go on a Canadian road trip with Your Dental Besties. 🎧 Like, follow and share the podcast if you enjoy the episode, it genuinely helps YDB grow and keep making more. Your Dental Besties - making dentistry FUN

Claire and Ben discuss what they have been up to. From Canada to Milan, they have been busy. Ben discusses translational science and gives us some interesting insights into some plans he has coming up. Have your say. Get in touch with team YDB to send us your Agony Aunt and Agony Uncle dilemmas. Send us your funnies. Give us topics you want to discuss. What guests do you want to see on the pod? Email: [email protected] Insta: @yourdentalbesties @clairelouisesays @thegumsguy

Claire starts by putting a scenario to Ben and asks his thoughts on treating influencers for social media marketing. What is your thoughts on this? Do you think this is a good form of marketing and do you think it is ethical? Ben and Claire also discuss influencers being paid to talk about products generally. Your Dental Besties then go on to talk about marketing strategies if you are a direct access clinician. Let us know what you think about this episode by commenting below. And please do follow and subscribe if you find the podcast useful. It helps more then you know. You can contact Claire and Ben on Instagram @yourdentalbesties @clairelouisesays and @thegumsguy

Ben and Claire talk about how they perform their cancer checks. They discuss a case where a young woman had a lesion on her tongue which was not diagnosed until it was really advanced. Do you check even if the patient has seen a dentist first? Do you check every time you see a patient? Answer in the comments. Tell us how you perform your cancer checks.

Ben and Claire start with a discussion about Ben's new skin care regime. Does retinol work and have you heard of retinal? Apparently its a thing! Listen if you want to know good skin care routines. And did you know that you can have pilates for your face? Ben talks about his recent course that was for pilates for special injuries and this includes the TMJ. If you are a practice owner you can do wellbeing days for your staff, it helps to keep everyone supple and healthy. Also, lets start a petition to get Ben and Claire on Gogglebox. Thanks to EMS UK for sponsoring the podcast and being such a great advocate for hygienists and therapists. If you like this episode please do comment and let us know and remember to follow and share the podcast, it helps us more than you know. We appreciate you. Team YDB xx

Upsell is a dirty word. It is difficult talking about 'sales' in healthcare, and really it shouldn't be a conversation. It should be about patient need. But is this reality we live in now in dentistry? What are your thoughts about this topic? Have your say and tell us your view below in the comments Thank you to EMS UK for sponsoring the podcast so we can bring this content to you. Book a GBT demo using this link: https://www.ems-dental.com/demo-gbt

Ben and Claire answer an agony aunt/agony uncle sent in by a listener about a new hygienist joining their team and only having a certain amount of equipment. What happens if the new hygienist works on the same day as the current hygienist, but they only have one unit to perform particular treatments with? How would you navigate this scenario? Comment below