FEATURE #84 – Special Needs Dentistry & Oral Health Advocacy with Dr Trudy Lin

Inclusivity, equitability, and community – these are the themes for this month’s Feature. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Trudy Lin, one of 25 Special Needs dentists in Australia and a passionate advocate for equitable access to oral health for all individuals, with her work and contributions granting her the SA Young Australian of the Year Award in 2022.

In this conversation, Dr Trudy sheds light on her journey in specialising and how her mission has evolved over the years. We discuss her role within Citizen Advocacy, the story that led to her self-funding a Supported Independent Living Facility for those with special needs, becoming a mindset and leadership coach and a public speaker.

Dentistry is stressful, and it’s easy to get caught up in our own little worlds. However, conversations like these are a great reminder for us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Recognise the position that we are in, and consider the small little things that we can do so that others are able to experience the same opportunities that we do.

FEATURE #73 – Marathoning Dentistry, Endodontic Training & PhDs with Dr Aovana Timmerman

If there’s one thing I took away from this episode with Dr Aovana Timmerman, it is that dentistry is a marathon not a sprint. It takes discipline, persistence and a consistent pace to maintain motivation and prevent burnout.

In this episode, we talk to Dr Aovana about what it is that drives her passion for continuous learning and growth in dentistry, and the parallels our profession has with physical activity. We reflect on her journey as a general dentist for 10 years, before undergoing endodontic specialist training, research and why she’s now chosen to undertake a PhD.

Dr Aovana is a fantastic role model and really instills confidence in young dentists that there is so much potential for us to do great things – we just have to chase it!