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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 Dr Cigdem Kipel
If you’ve ever thought about specialising in ortho, this is a must-listen podcast.
Meet Dr Katie Xu – a talented young orthodontist who shares with us exactly what it’s like to work as an ortho specialist and how it compares to general dentistry.
She walks us through a typical day in a busy ortho practice and highlights the systems and workflows that make it run like a well oiled machine. Lots of tips you can take straight to the general practice!
Katie also talks about the more challenging aspect of her profession such as the significant amount of non-chairside hours spent on digital treatment planning and correspondence. It’s clear all worth it to her as evidenced by her passionate facebook posts educating GDPs on all things ortho.
Dr Katie Xu
Dr. Katie Xu obtained her general dentistry degree from the University of Melbourne in 2013, graduating with first-class honours. While there, she has received numerous scholarships and awards including the Cato Graduate Scholarship and the Des Crack Memorial Prize for the highest marks in Paediatric dentistry and Orthodontics.
She completed a further 3-year Master’s Degree in the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry specialising in Orthodontics at the University of Melbourne. She has since, presented at numerous national orthodontic conferences and has research publications in the Australian Orthodontic Journal and the International Journal of Oral Science. She is an active member of the Australian Dental Association, the Australian Orthodontic Society, and is also an examiner for the Australian Dental Council.
She is based in private practice in Melbourne CBD, with a heavy focus towards orthodontic treatment that optimises the facial and dental aesthetics.
Follow her Facebook group: Ortho Talk with Dr. Katie Xu for easy to understand orthodontic summaries, as well as her instagram @drkatiexuorthodontics for a glimpse into her life as an orthodontist.
If you’re a dental student or graduate, here are 4 ways I can help you transition to private practice.
- Download the 10 Tips to Successfully Transition to Private Practice – This is a culmination of the things i’ve learnt over the years that I think are worth considering for all grads. I’ve included reference links throughout.
- Check Out The 4Sight Dental On Demand Webinar – We cover communication, getting a job and excelling in that job with Dr Omid Azami, Dr Jesse Green and myself!
- Find the CPD you need on CPD Junkie – Australia’s most comprehensive CPD Database, exclusive discounts and content.
- Clarify your goals, vision and lessons with the 4Sight Dental Journal – In fact you can get this and the webinar for 50% off! Use the code ‘DHS2020’
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
Dental Protection Limited

Dental Protection we’re the first to come on board supporting dental students and graduates through the Dental Head Start Podcast and now they’re stepping up again by release the new publication Young Dental Practitioners as well as the Survival guide, their e-Learning platform ‘Prism’ and Sign up for Risk Wise Connect. Find it at the links or on their Facebook Page.
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.