Hieu Dong, Author at Dental Head Start

New Grad Focus #4 – Looking After Yourself as a New Graduate with A/Prof Matt Hopcraft and Dr Jean Wu

December 8, 2022December 7, 2022Leave a Comment

When you’ve gone through so many years of dental school, the last thing you want to happen is to cut your career short due to a work-related health issue. You may have heard stories of dentists experiencing burnout or back pain or you may have experienced these things yourself already. So how can you maximise your career and avoid any health related issues that may set you back?

Welcome back to the New Grad Focus Series. My name is Phillip Nguyen and I am a first year graduate and today we are joined by Dr Jean Wu and Associate Professor Matt Hopcraft. Dr Jean Wu is both a qualified Pilates and Movement Therapy instructor as well as a practicing GP dentist for over a decade. It is her passion to pass on the benefits of Pilates and movement therapy to the wider dental community as she believes it would make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of her colleagues. Associate Professor Matt Hopcraft has more than 25 years in the dental industry. He is a recognised leader and expert in dental public health and advocacy. As a dentist he has worked in the Army, private and public dental practices, as an academic at The University of Melbourne and is presently the CEO of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch. He is a strong advocate for improving access to care, healthy eating and mental health in the dental profession. Enjoy the episode!

TIP #110 – Upskilling in Aesthetic Dentistry with Dr Mitesh Vasant

December 1, 2022December 1, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As a recent graduate, getting into the field of cosmetic dentistry can be quite overwhelming. Not only does it require us to have good technical skills, but it also comes with discussing treatment plans, that we ourselves wouldn’t even be able to afford.

In today’s episode, Dr Cigdem Kipel and Dr Mitesh Vasant assure us about how we can start to engage with our patients in improving smiles, along with what other instruments are out there to help us along the way.

New Grad Focus #3 – Finding The Perfect Job For You with Dr Stephen Dudgeon & Dr Eli Burger

November 24, 2022November 22, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When we’re about to graduate from dental school and looking for a job, we always hear how it is so important finding the right job for us that will allow us to rapidly grow both clinically and non-clinically as a new graduate dentist. But with so many job advertisements all touting the same perks and equipment, how can we filter out a job that may hold us back from growth from one that will maximise our first year a dentist?

Welcome back to the New Grad Focus series. My name is Phillip Nguyen and I am a first year graduate and today we are joined by Dr Steve Dudgeon and Dr Eli Burger who are co-CEOs of Avenue Dental, a group of practices on the Sunny Coast. And, they also happen to be my bosses and the guys I work for today. They have a passion for giving back to the dental community. They started the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year Award, the Mini-Residency Program as well as various other programs that help students and young dentists excel at the beginning of the careers. They are also passionate about how a supportive and fun workplace culture can lead to high quality dentistry and an outstanding patient experience. We discuss all the different factors to look for when choosing your first job out of dental school so if keep listening if you’d like to learn a few tips that may just help change the direction of how your first year will go. Enjoy the episode!

FEATURE #77 – Isn’t It Wonderful When Patients Say Yes with Dr Paul Homoly

November 21, 2022November 20, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As dentists, where our primary goal is to help those in need, we need to remember that our patients aren’t just mouths with problems we need to fix, but they are human beings with feelings and needs, goals and ambitions and stories we owe it to them to listen to.

In his book, ‘Isn’t It Wonderful When Patients Say Yes’, Dr Paul Homoly introduces the concept of the Spectrum of Appeal – of red and blue language that shape the way we communicate with our patients. He is a leading voice on the topics of treatment acceptance for complete dentistry, practice development, and influential communications.

In this episode, we get to hear Dr Homoly’s unique journey in dentistry, and the passion he has for it that has led him to be the first dentist worldwide to earn the highest designation in professional speaking from the National Speakers Association. It was an absolute honour to speak with Dr Homoly, and it’s a conversation I hope inspires you all!

TIP #109 – Questions to Ask Your Practice with Dr Mitesh Vasant

November 17, 2022November 19, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

There’s no denying that the job hunting scene post-Covid has changed dramatically, and it’s become a new grads’ market. In this episode, we welcome back Dr Cigdem Kipel who sits down with Dr Mitesh Vasant, both of whom are practice owners, to break down the nitty gritty questions graduates should be asking when joining a practice.

What’s the culture and environment like? How might it influence the treatment you undertake? What’s the mentorship like and what can you bring to the table to contribute to the team? This is a great episode hearing from people sitting on the other side of the interview table, with insightful tips for new grads embarking on their dental journey

New Grad Focus #2 – Public vs Private with Dr Steph Ib and Dr Bianca Lee

November 10, 2022November 10, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

During our time in dental school, most of us will only work in a setting treating patients within the public system. But the statistics show that about 90% of us will work in a private practice when we graduate. So do you know the differences between working in a public job vs a private job?

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Bianca Lee and Dr Steph Ib and we speak about the core differences of working in these different sectors and how they can change our growth pathway. We discuss topics like remuneration structures, work/life balance, opportunities to extend your scope and much, much more. If you are a final year student or new graduate listening to this episode, I hope you learn something new and perhaps it will open your eyes to working in a sector that you had not thought about much previously. Enjoy the episode!

New Grad Focus #1 – Your Checklist Before Starting Work with Dr Margaret Tran

November 3, 2022November 1, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The transition from being a student to a fully qualified dentist is one of the biggest periods of change we go through and it’s something that isn’t taught at all at university.
In this episode, Dr Margaret Tran joins us to go through all the essential things you will need to have organised before you start your first day of work. Not only do we go through the specific requirements of each license and number, but also the nuances of each application and how to minimise the delay in receiving each which will ultimately allow you to begin work sooner!
This episode is a must to listen to as it will make the transition to working so much easier, smoother and stress-free.

TIP #108 – Growing As A New Grad with Dr David Keir

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

If the mission statement of Dental Head Start is to help dental students become great dentists then I really am the guinea pig for it. In this episode, we are joined by David Keir who founded DHS to talk about his advice for me as a soon-to-be fully fledged dentist.

In this episode, we talk about finding your feet in that first year out, the effect of the practice you work at and the boss you work under. How CPD is crucial but also not everything and how there are so many other resources we can tap into to upskill.

For all my fellow graduating classmates, this is such an exciting time for us! Congratulations for making it this far, and let’s get it! The world is ours to make.

TIP #107 – The Cracked Tooth with Dr Michael Mandikos

October 20, 2022October 19, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Perhaps one of the most common findings we’ll come across charting, is discovering cracks in teeth. Now here comes the conundrum of how bad is that crack, should we fix it and how should we go about fixing it?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr Michael Mandikos, a specialist prosthodontist, to crack the code. We talk about diagnosing cracks, how to manage them and we tackle the age old debate of… do you chase the crack?

FEATURE #76 – Enhancing the Dental Team with Kathy Metaxas

October 17, 2022October 12, 2022Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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.