Erica Hwin, Author at Dental Head Start

FEATURE #88 – Our Implant Journeys with Dr Graeme Pearson & Dr David Keir

November 5, 2023November 5, 2023Leave a Comment

If you’ve been a long time listener of the podcast, you may recognise some familiar voices in this episode! In this month’s Feature, Dr David Keir and Dr Graeme Pearson are back on the show to catch us up on their dental journeys and in particular, on their implant journeys.

Both David and Graeme have taken different approaches to their further education in the realm of implants. Whilst Graeme took a deep dive straight after graduation, is doing a GradDip and works within a surgically focused practice, David has done more online education over the years and recently undertook an overseas placement to get more experience having not had a mentor in the practice. In today’s episode, they both share the pros and cons, the challenges and lessons they’ve discovered so far in their chosen paths.

FEATURE #87 – [Re-Run] Communication with Dr Mark Hassed

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023Leave a Comment

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If you’re struggling with treatment plans and communication I have absolutely no doubt this is going to help you.

We have Dr Mark Hassed joining us. Mark is a general dentist who runs courses on communication and efficiency. Spending his early career learning and focusing on these topics led him to run two different successful practices and later to consult and mentor hundreds of dentists in this field.

FEATURE #86 – CEREC To Success & The Patient Experience with Dr Lingaiah Dronavalli

September 26, 2023September 27, 2023Leave a Comment

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As a new grad, it’s almost the norm rather than the exception nowadays to have at least some form of digital dentistry within one’s practice. But it wasn’t always this way, and for many more seasoned dentists, the world of digital dentistry was something they had to slowly piece together over the years and learn to leverage.

In this months’ feature, we explore Dr Lingaiah Dronavalli’s journey in dentistry from his early years as a new grad with huge expectations but without the tools, resources and mindset to grow and how that overall affected his feeling of fulfillment, to where he is today – a self proclaimed dental peacock who takes pride in his work!

We talk about Dr Lingaiah’s discovery of digital dentistry and CEREC specifically, and how that’s not only shaped his growth as a clinician, but also how it’s taught him to leverage technology to maximise efficiencies and workflows within his practice and ultimately optimise the entire patient experience. We explore the concept of practice ownership and associateship and the importance of building mutually supportive environments within the practice.

TIP #128 – Teeth, Tongues & Tonsils with Dr Shereen Lim

July 13, 2023July 13, 2023Leave a Comment

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Hosted by Dr Erica Hwin
Teeth, tongues, thumbs and tonsils. There are so many things to look out for in a growing child and it can be hard to know what requires intervention and what’s a normal part of development.

This is Part 2 of our series with Dr Shereen Lim on Sleep Disordered Breathing and Airway Health in young children. If you haven’t already be sure to check out Part 1 (TIP #128 – Childhood Bruxism: A Case Study).

In today’s episode we go through the nitty gritty of what to look out for in a clinical examination of a young child and the tell-tale signs that there may be something else going on that’s affecting the way that they are breathing, sleeping, developing and thriving overall.

TIP #125 – Childhood Bruxism: A Case Study with Dr Shereen Lim

June 1, 2023June 1, 2023Leave a Comment

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As dentists, we are one of the very first people to be looking inside a child’s mouth and picking up on potential signs that may be reflective of the way that they are sleeping, breathing, eating, growing, and thriving overall. I know oftentimes I have young parents bringing in their children and asking me how their child developing and if there is anything they can do differently.

Fortunately, this is Dr Shereen Lim’s area of expertise and over a series of episodes we will be discussing everything to look for from childhood bruxism, to sleeping patterns, bad habits tongue ties, diet and feeding, and jaw development. In this first part, we’ll be diving into a case study of a little girl that I saw just the other day with severe bruxism, and how we would go about managing her situation.

TIP #93 – What Did I Sign Up For? with Harry Nicolaidis

July 14, 2022July 13, 2022Leave a Comment

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Congratulations – you’ve just landed yourself a job offer! But now, as you sit down to have a look at the contract you’ve been given, you start to wonder, ‘What did I sign up for?’

It’s job hunting season, and whether you’re new to the game and looking for your first gig or if you already have a job under your belt but have questions about your contract, we’ve got you covered.

Ever wondered what the differences between employee-employer relationships, contractors or service and facilities arrangements (SFAs)? In this episode, we bring it back down to basics to cover all the things we should know when signing a contract.

FEATURE #72 – Perspectives of a Dental Student with Joanne Ling, Richard Zhu & Anushka Fernando

June 20, 2022July 11, 2022Leave a Comment

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At Dental Head Start, our goal has always been to keep our conversations real and relevant for students and new grads, and so what better way to do that than to hear directly from you guys! In this episode, we are joined by some fellow students from around Australia, who are completing their final year of dental school, to get their perspectives on what it’s like for the new generation of dentists.

From USYD to UQ to La Trobe, join us to hear about the differences between each university’s curriculum and culture, the different committees and extra-curricular activities Richard, Anushka & Joanne are involved with, and the pearls of wisdom they have for younger students. We dive into what the future looks like for everyone and the topics that as future graduates, we’d love to learn more about.

And if there’s anything you’d like to learn more about, or even if you just want to chat, don’t be a stranger! We’d love to hear from you.

Find us on Instagram or Facebook!
Dental Head Start @dentalheadstart
Erica Hwin @ericahwin.dmd
Cigdem Kipel @dr.cigdemkipel
Graeme Pearson @dr.graemepearson

TIP #92 – Working Out The Prosthetic Side of Implants with Rob Dulieu

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022Leave a Comment

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If you’ve ever flipped through a product catalog for prosthetic implant components, you’ll know that there is a LOT there. Literally hundreds of components, connections, abutments, screws, copings, healing caps, analogs, channels and more. And that’s just for one brand.

So when we come to restoring implants, what do we ask our lab for? How do we make decisions around implant prosthetics? What are the common mistakes people make here?

Rob Dulieu is a master ceramist and lab technician with extensive experience in all types of implant restorations – everything from single implant crowns to complex multi-unit cases.

He has guided many young dentists through this steep learning curve and shares with us his top tips for restoring implants and the decision making process around the prosthetic side of implants.

TIP #91 – The Non-Tooth-Related Toothache with Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen

June 9, 2022June 9, 2022Leave a Comment

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“If you cannot replicate the pain, don’t take the tooth out.”
The non-tooth-related toothache – the age old conundrum that seems to trouble all dentists. But what is it really in the hands of an oral medicine specialist?
In this episode, Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen breaks down orofacial pain – from its presentation and diagnosis to how it might be managed. We talk about what general dentists should expect when these patients present at their door, and how they should liaise with specialists.
This is a dense and fascinating discussion about the complexities of orofacial pain. And whilst it may be beyond the scope of general dentists to treat alone, I think it is crucial to appreciate what it is to understand where we stand in the holistic management and treatment of these patients.

TIP #90 – What Your Lab Technician is Really Thinking with Rob Dulieu

June 2, 2022May 29, 2022Leave a Comment

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What do lab technicians really wish for from their dentists? I asked Rob Duleiu, dental technician and master ceramist at RWD dental lab, to give it to us straight. And it’s about criticizing our preps.

In this podcast, Rob and I get into the top do’s and don’ts for dentists, but from the point of view of a ceramist or technician. He reveals some eye opening insights around what we can do as dentists to make life easier for our lab technicians, how to help them do better work for us and achieve a better outcome for our patients.

If you’ve ever blamed your lab for something less than ideal, listen to this episode. We talk preps, impressions, scanning, mode of communication, feedback, photography, videography and more. There’s so much in our control.