The Graduate Dentist Podcast

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been documenting my journey this year as I undertake RipeGlobal’s Fellowship in Restorative Dentistry. Being in my third year of practice— having navigated many of the trials and tribulations of being a new grad—I felt it was time to take on something more long-term, with built-in accountability and structured progress tracking. I wanted something to help me evaluate my clinical skills, see where my strengths and flaws lie, and fill in the gaps in my knowledge I’d hadn't given the time nor had the resources to explore.In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr Michael Frazis, lead educator and the driving force behind much of the RipeGlobal's curriculum and content.The theme of this episode is all about trusting the process, building resilience, and the importance of having a plan—and sticking to it. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the countless decisions we face daily, both in dentistry and in life, and this conversation is about grounding ourselves. From mindset and CPD to clinical goals, upskilling, and patient communication, we explore how to stay centred, intentional, and focused—taking things one step at a time.Link to the Treatment Planning Decision TreeMichael is also running his course Mastering Everyday Dentistry on March 14 & 15 2026 in Sydney. Get 20% off tickets - exclusive to our TGD community through this link: ⁠www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1368141972469/?discount=RipeGlobal4eva⁠____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠⁠⁠@dr.michaelfrazis⁠____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RipeGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RipeGlobal have completely reimagined dental education, giving you on-demand, hands-on training from some of the best clinicians in the world. No expensive travel, no taking time off work, just real-world learning that actually helps you feel more confident in the clinic.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dental Practitioner Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Whether you're new to dentistry or have been practicing for years, Dental Practitioner Support to offer guidance, reassurance, and a safe space to talk about whatever it may be weighing heavy on your heart. They provide 24/7 service that is completely confidential and independent, so you always have someone to turn to.Save the number 1800 377 700, or visit their website to access a whole range of resources. Remember, you are never alone and help is always available.⁠⁠⁠Dental Protection Limited⁠⁠⁠⁠With over 50 years of experience and an abundance of risk management resources from podcasts and webinars, to magazines and CPD courses, DPL has you covered for any unwanted scenario that may come your way.Be sure to renew your indemnity insurance by June 30th. And if you signed up as a student, you are automatically covered for your first 18 months of practice for free!____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

Endo is often really daunting as new grads because the complications and failures can feel so catastrophic - broken files, perforations, hypochlorite accidents - you name it. In this episode, our Discord Endo Guru Zi (aka @zethan_.dental) talks us through ways of building our confidence to tackle root canals, how to manage patient expectations and how to communicate effectively with patients.How do you talk a patient through whether to extract or save a tooth. How do you run through risks and complications without terrifying them? How do you explain to them when things don't go the way you'd hoped such as a separated file? All this and much more in this jam packed episode. I didn’t think I’d enjoy talking about endo as much as I did in this chat with Zi, but I think it really goes to show how infectious his passion and enthusiasm and willingness to share is.____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠@zethan_.dental____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RipeGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Led by Dr Lincoln Harris, RipeGlobal have completely reimagined dental education, giving you on-demand, hands-on training from some of the best clinicians in the world. No expensive travel, no taking time off work, just practical, real-world learning that actually helps you feel more confident in the clinic.⁠⁠⁠Dental Practitioner Support⁠⁠⁠Whether you're new to dentistry or have been practicing for years, Dental Practitioner Support to offer guidance, reassurance, and a safe space to talk about whatever it may be weighing heavy on your heart. They provide 24/7 service that is completely confidential and independent, so you always have someone to turn to. Save the number 1800 377 700, or visit their website to access a whole range of resources. Remember, you are never alone and help is always available.⁠Dental Protection Limited⁠⁠With over 50 years of experience and an abundance of risk management resources from podcasts and webinars, to magazines and CPD courses, DPL has you covered for any unwanted scenario that may come your way. Be sure to renew your indemnity insurance by June 30th. And if you signed up as a student, you are automatically covered for your first 18 months of practice for free! ____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

One thing I always feel strongly about — and constantly advocate for on the podcast — is the importance of our mental wellbeing, mindset, attitude, and personal development. These are the foundations for building fulfilling careers, meaningful patient relationships, and living our best, healthiest lives, both professionally and personally.When it comes to this space, few people understand it as deeply as Viet and Chiraag. Dr Viet Le and Dr Chiraag Devani are the founders of Being Together, an initiative dedicated to sharing experiences and raising awareness around mindfulness, gratitude, self-worth, and kindness — and how these elements impact not just our own mental health, but also the way we communicate with our teams and patients.I absolutely love what Viet and Chiraag stand for, and I’m thrilled to announce that they will be running a special workshop on Friday, July 18th — exclusively for our graduate dentist community and free for the first 20 people who sign up. To reserve your spot, email beingtogether101@gmail.com and share why you want to join the workshop.____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: @beingtogether_____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠⁠⁠⁠RipeGlobal⁠⁠⁠⁠Led by Dr Lincoln Harris, RipeGlobal have completely reimagined dental education, giving you on-demand, hands-on training from some of the best clinicians in the world. No expensive travel, no taking time off work, just practical, real-world learning that actually helps you feel more confident in the clinic.⁠⁠Dental Practitioner Support⁠⁠Whether you're new to dentistry or have been practicing for years, Dental Practitioner Support to offer guidance, reassurance, and a safe space to talk about whatever it may be weighing heavy on your heart. They provide 24/7 service that is completely confidential and independent, so you always have someone to turn to. Save the number 1800 377 700, or visit their website to access a whole range of resources. Remember, you are never alone and help is always available.Dental Protection Limited⁠With over 50 years of experience and an abundance of risk management resources from podcasts and webinars, to magazines and CPD courses, DPL has you covered for any unwanted scenario that may come your way. Be sure to renew your indemnity insurance by June 30th. And if you signed up as a student, you are automatically covered for your first 18 months of practice for free! Join Dr Wendy Gill, Specialist Periodontist, and Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant Tuesday May 6th in Perth for a free lecture as they explore the unique risks of periodontal disease. ⁠Register here!⁠____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

As grads, nothing is more daunting than getting stuck in an exo, digging around blindly, running late, not having anyone to bail you out and all the blood, sweat and tears that come from it. You all know me and just how much it stresses me out. And so I wanted to bring along a good friend and someone who knows a thing or two about doing extractions well - Dr Soo-Wee Ong. Now many of you may recognise Soo-Wee from DPR (in fact he founded it 15 years ago!), and as an oral surgeon incredibly passionate about teaching grads to overcome their fears and fall in love with oral surgery. This episode was actually recorded live at our Melbourne Graduate Dentist Meet Up in March where we ran a mini CPD lecture with Soo-Wee on 'How to Go From Stressing About Your Next Extraction to Loving Every Second of It'. We then got our audience to chime in with all their burning questions and we tackled it then and there, altogether. This was such a fun and interactive experience and one I hope we do many more of. ____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@originsurgeons____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠⁠RipeGlobal⁠⁠Led by Dr Lincoln Harris, RipeGlobal have completely reimagined dental education, giving you on-demand, hands-on training from some of the best clinicians in the world. No expensive travel, no taking time off work, just practical, real-world learning that actually helps you feel more confident in the clinic.Dental Practitioner SupportWhether you're new to dentistry or have been practicing for years, Dental Practitioner Support to offer guidance, reassurance, and a safe space to talk about whatever it may be weighing heavy on your heart. They provide 24/7 service that is completely confidential and independent, so you always have someone to turn to. Save the number 1800 377 700, or visit their website to access a whole range of resources. Remember, you are never alone and help is always available.____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

To celebrate one year of the podcast and our 20th episode, I wanted to bring on a special guest who has been with me every step of the way, and that's my older brother Dr Paul Jay Hwin. Paul and I are both at very different stages of our lives and careers. You all know my journey from being a student to being a new grad practicing in Brisbane, navigating the ins and outs of clinical dentistry. In contrast, Paul has been practicing for over 10 years, is a multi-practice owner with clinics in both Melbourne and rural Victoria and is a mentor to over 50 dentists. His practice is limited exclusively to complex full mouth dentistry and very recently, he has launched his first official course - reorganise, replace and restore: the full mouth protocol. It’s something I know has been a huge dream of his to one day be able to teach and give back to our industry, and so I’m super proud to see it all finally take shape and form. We often get asked about one another and we ourselves often have conversations about where we are at, our goals and passions. So in this episode, we wanted to dive into our journeys in parallel since the very beginning. We explore our upbringing, what instilled our core values, our motivators and drivers, and our shared passion for teaching and helping others. ____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠⁠⁠@dr.pauljayhwin____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠RipeGlobal⁠Led by Dr Lincoln Harris, RipeGlobal have completely reimagined dental education, giving you on-demand, hands-on training from some of the best clinicians in the world. No expensive travel, no taking time off work, just practical, real-world learning that actually helps you feel more confident in the clinic.And because I know how much you all love a good deal, RipeGlobal is offering 60% off their annual membership exclusive to The Graduate Dentist community! But it’s only available for 5 days, so don’t wait! Use code GRADUATE60 at ⁠checkout⁠ before February 21 to claim the offer.⁠Angel Aligner⁠With over 20 years of experience in innovation and research and over 1 million smiles transformed, Angel Aligner bring a fresh perspective and technological advancements to clear aligner manufacturing and customer service. Begin your clear aligner journey today, and get in contact with Angel Aligner.____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

Welcome to our very first podinar, where we hosted a live stream webinar talking through 10 Things You Should Know As A Fresh Grad. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Annas Ayoub who, like all of us, he was once a fresh new grad trying to figure it all out. Now, he is all about helping associate dentists get more out of their careers by working smarter, not harder. Through his Associate Accelerator course, he teaches better communication, treatment planning, and super-efficient workflows to help dentists boost productivity, find more job satisfaction, and make more time for their well-being and the things they love outside of work. Check out the Associate Accelerator Program here!This was a really fun back and forth discussion and I loved the opportunity to reflect on all the things I’ve learnt in my first two years, that I’m so excited to get to pass on now to you guys. We cover everything from understanding your contract, talking money, establishing your foundations, working with your lab, mentoring and team dynamics.I hope this episode sparks the fire within you as we all commence the year. It’s going to be a great year and I’m excited for us to embark on it together!____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠⁠@drannasayoub____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. Angel AlignerWith over 20 years of experience in innovation and research and over 1 million smiles transformed, Angel Aligner bring a fresh perspective and technological advancements to clear aligner manufacturing and customer service. Begin your clear aligner journey today, and get in contact with Angel Aligner.____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

There is so much noise online that it’s easy to get caught up in all the smoke and mirrors. It’s easy to forget the impact, responsibility and service we owe our patients and to our profession, and what it truly means to be a good general dentist. It’s easy to constantly be chasing the next big thing, but is it really that we should be chasing more? Or is it that we need to be doing what we already do - really, really well. It is such an honour and privilege it is to be in the position we are to serve our patients. Do we not owe it to them to do a good job?In this episode, we are here to, in Yohan’s wise words, make general dentistry sexy again. To celebrate the impact we can have as good general dentists taking care of the oral health of our patients. To help educate, intervene early, treatment plan well and ensure their teeth last them as long as they possible can. As Bharat would say, our goal is to do the least amount of dentistry to get our patients to where they deserve to be.We talk about the concept of being Super GDPs and dispel some of the misconceptions of the term. I think oftentimes we graduate thinking we know how to diagnose and treatment plan, but the reality is what we understand is really the tip of the iceberg. The more I practice dentistry the more I realise how little I know and just how much more there is to learn. And the more I realise the greatest impact we can have for our patient, is not necessarily the ability to perform every treatment, but having the capacity to foresee what will happen in each scenario. To be able to plan not just a solution, but foresee the hurdles and challenges that may come and be able to fix it when things go wrong.This one is a really eye-opening and thought-provoking episode, and one I’m so glad we get to wrap up the year with before we launch into 2025!____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠⁠@dr.yohanchoi @dr.bharat.agrawal____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dental Protection Limited⁠⁠⁠⁠With over 50 years of experience in Australia, DPL are here for you through any professional challenges you may face whether it be patient complaints, regulatory issues or disciplinary proceedings. Their expert team understands the demands of clinical practice and offer colleague-to-colleague support and advice, including a 24/7 emergency helpline. With an abundance of risk management resources from podcasts and webinars, to magazines and CPD courses, DPL has you covered for any unwanted scenario that may come your way. If you signed up as a student, you are automatically covered for your first 18 months of practice for free!____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

For many of us as graduates, the entry point into aligners has become so much more accessible compared to traditional fixed braces. It’s very easy for aligner companies to come knocking on our door, show us their software and teach us how to take scans and photos. It then comes back with a proposed plan and all we have to click is 'Submit'. Before we know it, our aligners are now on our doorstep. But is it really that simple, or is that too good to be true?In today’s episode, we take a deep dive into the common pitfalls and mistakes we often encounter when we step into the world of aligners as grads, especially when, as we often say, “We don’t know what we don’t know.”Carlos and Shaun share their individual journeys in orthodontics—the training they did after university, how they established and anchored their roots in traditional fixed braces, and how their practice has now evolved to revolved largely around clear aligners.Dr Carlos Yang received his degree with Honours in 2015 and completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Orthodontics and Facial Orthopaedics, along with numerous other leading orthodontic programs globally. Currently, he focuses exclusively on clear aligners to achieve predictable outcomes for all types of malocclusions. Dr Shaun Weng graduated as the Dux of his class at the University of Melbourne. He then went on to complete both Postgraduate Diploma in Orthodontics and Postgraduate Certificate in Clear Aligners from the UK accrediting body in the following years. Dr Shaun's focus now has been on developing proper predictable protocols, and incorporating aligners with an interdisciplinary approach in dentistry.Together, their passion for teaching has led to them establishing the Clear Aligner Academy of Distinction (CAAD) where they aim to empower clinicians globally with exceptional clear aligner knowledge and techniques to attain predictable clinical outcomes and achieve desirable smiles.____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠⁠Guests: ⁠@dr.carlosyang,@dr.shaunw____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠⁠⁠Dental Protection Limited⁠⁠⁠With over 50 years of experience in Australia, DPL are here for you through any professional challenges you may face whether it be patient complaints, regulatory issues or disciplinary proceedings. Their expert team understands the demands of clinical practice and offer colleague-to-colleague support and advice, including a 24/7 emergency helpline. With an abundance of risk management resources from podcasts and webinars, to magazines and CPD courses, DPL has you covered for any unwanted scenario that may come your way. If you signed up as a student, you are automatically covered for your first 18 months of practice for free!____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

As new graduates, the fear of patient complaints, legal action, or being deregistered can be really daunting. Dentistry has consistently ranked among the top three most complained-about professions, and many of us have either experienced or know someone who has experienced a nerve-wracking call from AHPRA.In this episode, Annalene and I unpack these very real concerns and share our insights on how to navigate them. We dive into the distressing phone calls Annalene regularly receives from acutely distressed dentists, and the common anxieties and misconceptions dentists may have about disclosing their challenges for fear of repercussions. We explore every scenario from from patient death and litigation to bad google reviews, how AHPRA regulates and manages complaints and dive into tools we can implement to minimise our risk of patient complaints in the first place.I really love how open and candid this conversation was, and I’m grateful for Annalene’s ability to bring lightness and humour to such a serious topic. This honestly felt like a big warm hug and I know a lot of you will feel the comfort and reassurance that you are never alone in these situations. ____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠⁠Guest: @dr.annalene.weston____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠⁠Dental Protection Limited⁠⁠With over 50 years of experience in Australia, DPL are here for you through any professional challenges you may face whether it be patient complaints, regulatory issues or disciplinary proceedings. Their expert team understands the demands of clinical practice and offer colleague-to-colleague support and advice, including a 24/7 emergency helpline. With an abundance of risk management resources from podcasts and webinars, to magazines and CPD courses, DPL has you covered for any unwanted scenario that may come your way. If you signed up as a student, you are automatically covered for your first 18 months of practice for free!____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

If you’ve ventured anywhere into the world of Instagram dentistry, you may be familiar with the blue rubber dams and frosty onlays preparations. Words like biomimetics, IDS, DME, resin coats, bio base all get thrown around, but what does it all mean?In today’s episode, we are joined by none other than Dr Bill Gergis to demystify biomimetic dentistry. Alongside Dr Maheer Shah and Dr Tim Maxwell, these guys form the holy trinity that is BAD - aka Biomimetic Aesthetic Dentist, where they teach dentists internationally on the principles of biomimetic dentistry in direct and indirect cases.Bill is an absolute gem of a human and I am so grateful he let me pick his brain as intently as I did in this episode. We left no rock unturned as we dive into the misconceptions of biomimetic dentistry, Bill’s steps for well-sealed direct restorations, bonding protocols, onlay preparations and many other tidbits. We’ve also locked in a cheeky deal for our Graduate Dentist listeners - where you can receive a complimentary 20 pack of Gergis DME matrices using the code "TGDSample" at checkout. It’s single use per person for our first 50 users so go check it out at ⁠Brickworks Dental.⁠____________________________________F O L L O W⁠⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠⁠Guest:⁠ ⁠@dr.billgergis⁠____________________________________D I S C O R DJoin ⁠The Graduate Dentist Community Discord Server⁠This is a forum dedicated to our graduate community for us to debrief episodes, discuss daily dental scenarios and bounce ideas off one another. This is our safe space where silly questions are our favourite questions, where we can celebrate each other's wins, resonate with one another's struggles and laugh together over our silly mistakes. Come join the family!____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ⁠Brickworks Dental⁠You can receive a complimentary 20 pack of Gergis DME matrices using the code "TGDSample" at checkout. It’s single use per person for our first 50 users so go check it out!____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

Job hunting season is upon us yet again, and who better to bring onto the podcast to chat about it than Nauv Kashyap. Nauv is a prominent figure in the world of practice ownership, an active advocate for the fair treatment of dentists within their workplaces and someone who has hired dozens of dentists, both experienced and new grads, over the years. In this episode we break down what exactly a practice owner is looking for when hiring, whether your resume really matters, what kinds of questions you may get asked in your interview and what red flags you should look out for when joining a practice. Whether you’re a final year student, a recent grad looking to change jobs or someone wondering whether you current job is serving you, I think you’ll gain a lot from this discussion.All throughout our life, we have followed a set curriculum - from primary school to high school, from dental school entry to landing yourself a job. But the moment we graduate is the moment that set curriculum ends. And so what now?Nauv and I explore the growth and trajectory of a dentist and the patterns he’s witnessed firsthand over the years. Specifically, what factors and decisions influence the development of their skillset and earnings. I found this a super insightful discussion and one that I really enjoyed, and so I hope you do too!____________________________________F O L L O W@thegraduatedentistHost: @dr.ericahwinGuest: @nauvk____________________________________P A R T N E R SJS Medical & Dental FinanceThe JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

We hear it from senior dentists all the time, if there’s one thing that they recommend we learn and learn to do well early on, it’s communication. Our clinical skills are just half the puzzle, but if we can’t communicate, then the whole picture falls apart. There’s no point knowing and being able to do things if you can’t convince another people you can. I have loved being able to share communication tidbits here and there throughout our previous episodes, but I really wanted to take a deep dive into the topic, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to share this conversation with than Dr Darren Cai. Meet Dr. Darren Cai—a dentist with a wide range of experience, from boutique clinics to corporate and family practices across NSW, SA, and WA. Currently pursuing his ACDP Postgraduate Diploma in Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry, Darren’s passion extends beyond clinical work. He’s an expert in communication, teaching dentists and students how to speak, present, and connect better with patients. By improving communication skills, Darren helps dentists provide clearer treatment plans, navigate difficult conversations, and make lasting first and final impressions. Through his online masterclasses and in-person workshops, he helps others elevate this highly valued skill. On Instagram, Darren shares clinical photos, stories, and interactive Q&As, supporting dentists across Australia in improving communication and building stronger connections in every interaction.____________________________________F O L L O W⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠Host: ⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠Guest: ⁠@dr.darrencai____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

At this early stage of our career, one thing we lack is relativity. We haven’t been dentists for all that long, we don’t have the hindsight and anecdotal experience to see our work return to us. The reality is our patients have been seeing the dentist and have experienced more dentistry, more iterations of dentistry and developments in dentistry, for for longer than we have even been dentists. So is what we’re doing right right now, will it still be right in 10, 15, 20 years time? It’s a fascinating can of worms we open up in this podcast with Dr John Hagiliassis, who has been practicing for over 25 years. We dive into the realities of dentistry and the potential consequences of the treatment we do today. We talk about how clear aligners have evolved and the role they play as a treatment modality for patients, how to critically assess the courses and people whom we learn from, and the decision making we must make as dentists about the type of dentist we want to be and the legacy we choose to leave.Dr John Hagiliassis graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Dentistry in 1998 and has, throughout his career, continuously unskilled, staying up to date with modern advancements in technology and digital dentistry with a particular focus on restorative dentistry and clear aligners. To date, he has completed over 6000 clear aligner cases using multiple systems and is the founder of Acas Australasian Clear Aligner Society and AORTA - Aesthetic Orthodontic and Restorative Training Academy.____________________________________F O L L O W⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠Host: ⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠Guest: ⁠@johnhagiliassis____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

We've officially released 10 full episodes to date and what I love about them is how each one builds upon one another and every guest shares a similar message despite being recorded independently. I like to think it's a sign that we are on the right track, and that with each episode, we are building the values, the beliefs and philosophies that The Graduate Dentist stands upon. In this episode, we recap the last 6 months on the podcast - the episodes we have released, conversations we've had and the launch of our Graduate Meet Ups. Being 18 months now into private practice, I go over my thoughts and reflections on my progress and growth so far, the things I have learnt and areas I still want to work on.This is a heart to heart conversation where we take a deep dive into how we're doing. Sometimes we can get so caught up being a busy body that we end up running on autopilot with not real direction, and we need to stop and take a step back, reset, reorientate and redirect ourselves with intent and purpose. And so after this episode, I hope you all check in with yourselves and how you're tracking along - are you doing the things you want to be doing and making the progress you want to be? For those that want to set goals together, here is the questionnaire we spoke about in the episode. Feel free to fill this out and send it to me so that we can work on smashing them together!1. What can you celebrate and be grateful for in your life?   2. What can you celebrate and be grateful for in your professional life? 3. List and discuss 5 of your work-related successes this year. 4. List and discuss 5 of your work-related challenges this year.5. How did you overcome each of the above challenges?6. List 5 things you have learnt about yourself this year generally, unrelated to work or home life. 7. List and describe 3 professional goals you want to achieve in the next 3 months.8. List and describe 3 professional goals you want to achieve in the next 6 months.9. 7. List and describe 3 professional goals you want to achieve in the next 12 months.10. Describe 1 super-fun activity, trip, adventure, holiday, experience or purchase you have always wanted to do or make. ____________________________________F O L L O W⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠Host: ⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com

One of the most incredible things to witness is how far all my friends have come since we graduated. That just 18 months ago we were all in the same boat sitting our final year exam until everyone found themselves in jobs and practices that suited our individuals needs and desires. And you very quickly see that what’s right and what works for one person isn’t necessarily right for another person. It’s crazy to see how in just 18 months, everyone has taken off and soared in completely different trajectories and how we have all already become such different dentists to one another – shaped by our environment, our practices, our own philosophies and interests. Some of us land ourselves in really great workplaces, some of us don’t. And sometimes it takes a lot of exploration to figure out what it is that we want a need. And in today’s episode, our guest Dr Reina Yang has very much been through all that.Dr Reina Yang has been practicing for over 10 years now, she owns a practice along with her husband, and presents and teaches on restorative and cosmetic dentistry. In this episode, we explore her journey in dentistry, the seasons of her dental career over the last 10 years and the myriad of jobs she’s worked in - the good, the bad and the ugly. We dive into her journey and rediscovery of restorative dentistry, the trials and tribulations of practice ownership and the joys of motherhood and juggling that with career growth - a topic I don’t think often gets talked about but I'm so glad we dive into.____________________________________F O L L O W⁠@thegraduatedentist⁠Host: ⁠@dr.ericahwin⁠Guest: ⁠@dr.reinayang____________________________________P A R T N E R S⁠JS Medical & Dental Finance⁠The JS Medical & Dental finance team specialises in both residential and commercial lending tailored for medical and dental professionals. They are a completely independent broker, working for you not the bank, and are dedicated to finding the best options for you unique situation. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, a practice or to pay off that year long CPD course, JSMDF offer comprehensive advice to suit your short and long term plans. ____________________________________C O N T A C TEmail: erica@thegraduatedentist.com