Dr Sonia Szamocki discusses her company, 32Co – a 50-person London-based clear aligner company disrupting some of the biggest brands in dentistry. 32Co has differentiated itself by offering free, comprehensive training for new and experienced clear aligner providers, specialist orthodontist mentorship, and wholesale prices. The company has even partnered with Dental Protection, the first partnership between a clear aligner company and a dental indemnifier, which exists to both reduce risk for dentists, and improve patient outcomes.
Frank Taylor & Associates’ Managing Director, Lis Hughes, joins us to discuss the dental practice sales market as mortgage rates continue in their state of flux.
Lis also provides her top tips for anyone currently thinking of buying – or selling – a practice.
A new Software of Excellence podcast for the whole dental team offers reassurance and advice on how to build growth that can be sustained in the face of current market challenges
Software of Excellence has released a new podcast covering some of the most important issues in UK dentistry today. Durable Growth – a practice perspectiveis a 50-minute conversation with two people involved in practice life on a practical level, providing ‘real world insight’ into how they are overcoming the challenges currently being faced by practice owners. Here’s a taster of what the podcast covers.
Emerging industry challenges
Team empowerment and motivation
Staff recruitment and retention
In-practice experience and patient journey
Operational control and the power of delegation
Join Sales Manager at Software of Execllence Josh Wren and listen to the thoughts of two people at the sharp end of UK dentistry; Clinical Director at Archway Dental in Devon, Felicity Bender, and Kunal Thakker, CEO of Tooth Club, a medium sized group of 11 practices across the South East.
A brief analysis of the rollercoaster landscape in which dentistry has existed since 2020 demonstrates clearly why creating growth based on strong foundations gives practices the ability to flex with changing external factors – building what Software of Excellence calls ‘Durable Growth’. In his introduction Josh asks listeners to consider the factors that are contributing to a less predictable dental arena. He highlights the drop off in Google searches for dental terms such as ‘teeth whitening’ and a reduction in average transaction values, as pointers to some emerging challenges for dentists, which, if not tackled, could present real dangers for practice teams in the near future.
Both Felicity and Kunal explain their personal experiences and paint a picture of a challenging but as yet manageable environment, raising issues of recruitment, team morale and motivation, and the importance of delivering great patient experience.
Anecdotally we know that recruitment remains an issue for practices and Felicity and Kunal’s experience bears this out. They give practical examples of how they expedite these challenges by putting the team at the top of their priorities, offering suitable training, a clear career pathway and good working conditions. They recognise that team building and developing a positive culture is an important part of each individual’s motivation and these factors are acknowledged as being fundamental to the success of their practices.
Felicity explains that in her view a happy team is contagious, and she believes that patients can sense a positive atmosphere within a practice, which in turn puts them at their ease. In her practice their team is empowered to act independently and use their initiative. She finds that giving her team this freedom promotes goodwill throughout the practice and means that people are willing to ‘go the extra mile’ and she gives some great examples of how they do this.
Kunal explains how he personally has found it difficult to ‘let go’ of some aspects of his operations but knows that to grow he needs to do so. He explains how he overcomes this by recruiting people who are the best at what they do – thereby building his confidence in their abilities.
Interestingly Felicity and Kunal both encourage a vibrant therapist’s model within their practices, working to their full scope of practice, they explain how this benefits the whole practice and its patients, who enjoy better access to care.
The podcast points to the importance of providing patients with an excellent experience and offers real-world insight and examples of how the teams work to ensure that the patients’ journey is as smooth and stress free as possible.
Kunal and Felicity are both passionate about their businesses and this podcast provides an opportunity for them to share their experiences, successes and failures with dentists and practice owners who might be undergoing similar challenges.
This is just a small taster of the many topics covered in the podcast, which can be viewed here:
The winners, highly commended, and finalists of the 25th annual Dental Awards have been revealed. The presentation, which streamed on the-probe.co.uk, as well as on The Probe’s Youtube channel, is available to watch on-demand now. Click play below to see the winners of The Dental Awards 2023 react to their victories, as well as to discover who was named a finalist in each of the 12 hotly contested categories.
Here is the full list of winners and finalists in each category of The Dental Awards 2023:
BEST OUTREACH OR CHARITY INITIATIVE
Winner: South West Foundation Dentists and Therapists, Health Education England Wincanton
South West Foundation Dentists and Therapists primarily work with vulnerable adults who do not visit a dentist and showed great data in their application. They have a holistic approach that addresses mental and overall whole-body health. The judges recognised the significance of the fact that the South West Foundation team maintains a line of communication with other health professionals, including GPs.
Highly Commended: Torrs Park Dental Practice, Ilfracombe
WEBSITE AND DIGITAL CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Abbey House Dental, Stoke on Trent
The presentation along with the testimonials reflect a dental practice that cares for its patients, and the overall success of their treatments.
Winner: Oral Health Promotion Team (AKA The Tooth Fairies), Nottinghamshire
Their presentation detailed a National Smile Month campaign, designed and delivered specifically to educate and share the key messages and campaign to their audience. An impact was both intended and delivered with National Smile Month and oral health activity as the vehicle. This was Oral Health promotion at its best, reaching all population groups with oral health education. Working with families and professionals across Nottinghamshire. Resulting in reaching all ages with a huge impact across social media, displays and visits.
Highly Commended: Torrs Park Dental Practice, Ilfracombe
A dedicated team working to improve patient care together. Examples of training across the team are strong, the social aspect is strong, and the patient and community care is outstanding. Great to see the shortlisting last year spurred them to improve further.
Highly Commended: Glenhaven Dental, Taff’s Well
Finalists:
Abbey House Dental, Stoke on Trent
EGO Dental, London
Torrs Park Dental Practice, Ilfracombe
PRACTICE MANAGER OF THE YEAR – in association with ADAM
Winner: Janine Kidd, Middleton St George Dental Care, Darlington
Janine has shown that she has that sixth sense, also known as an extremely high level of emotional intelligence that helps her beyond the extensive duties of a practice manager, which she also does diligently and with pride in her role.
Highly Commended: Alex McWhirter, North Cardiff Dental, Cardiff
Finalists:
Christy Rush, Affinity Dental Care, Gloucester
Kelly Davies and Stacey Lungrin, Abbey House Dental, Stoke on Trent
DENTAL NURSE OF THE YEAR – in association with BADN
Athansia is a credit to her profession. Continuous development of her skills and knowledge and is also striving to ensure her patients care is the priority. Athansia demonstrates a nurturing, supportive attitude to all her team.
New regulations have been influenced by the Christine, resulting in a widespread effect on the entire profession. A lovely example of someone quietly getting on with the job without trumpeting themselves. Christine is inspired by others, uses visual aids to educate, and follows current guidelines. Far exceeded statutory requirements with her ongoing education.
Miss Kirsty Ives, Vitaliteeth Dental Spa, Edinburgh
Sakina Syed, Bupa Dental Care – London Bank
Sanae El Hasnaoui, Harley Street Dental Clinic, London
DENTAL THERAPIST OF THE YEAR – in association with BADT
Winner: Jyoti Sumel, Community Dental Services CIC, Sharnbrook
Works to her full DT scope with different patient groups and has pushed herself to become the first DT Fellow for NHSE , which is what a role model should be. Students and novice DTs should aspire to do this. She has learned sign language to aid communication, is a BADT member, and has done volunteering work. She has presented and been published.
She also includes special care patients in the oral health regime. It’s fantastic to see a dental therapist working in the non “glamourous” service and still pushing boundaries. A refreshing change! Jyoti is a credit to the profession.
Highly Commended: Lorena Pivoda, Greenwich Dental Health, London
Finalists:
Amy Mesilio Peralta, The Dental Care Centre, Gibraltar
Neringa Krusinskaite, Falkirk Dental Care, Falkirk
YOUNG DENTIST OF THE YEAR
Winner: Dr Aly Virani, North Cardiff Dental, Cardiff
Highly commended in 2022, Aly wins Young Dentist of the Year for 2023. Committed to the dental profession, shows enthusiasm to develop himself and others in his team. Humble, small practice owner doing his thing and doing it well. Shows true passion for work.
Highly Commended: Dr Affan Saghir, Space Dental, Wakefield
Highly Commended: Dr Balraj Sohal, Ridgway Dental, Wimbledon Village and Hacton Dental Care, Essex
Finalists:
Dr Kalpesh Prajapat, Abbey House Dental, Stafford
Dr Kiran Shankla, Kendrick View Dental Practice, Reading
DENTIST OF THE YEAR
Winner: Dr Amit Jilka, Abbey House Dental, Stoke on Trent
Amit demonstrates excellent leadership for growth, combined with mentoring in clinical excellence with clinicians and team members.
Highly Commended: Dr Martina Hodgson, The Dental Architect, Leeds
Finalists:
Dr Neel Tank, Imogen Dental, Benson
Dr Wajiha Basir, Trinity House Dental Care, Wilmslow
Dr Rachel Derby, Chapel Dental, High Wycombe
PRACTICE OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Dental Architect, Leeds
Exceptional vision by practice principal, with systems delegated professionally to a highly trained team delivering excellent care and patient journey.
Highly Commended: Abbey House Dental, Stoke on Trent
A very well-run practice with good mentoring towards excellent clinical performance and teamwork.
Commended: Glenhaven Dental, Taff’s Well
Finalists:
Falkirk Dental Care, Falkirk
Imogen Dental, Benson
Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners! Finalists and commended will receive their certificates shortly in the post, while winners will be invited to join judges and sponsors at a top London venue on Friday 30th June to celebrate their victories in style, and to be presented with their trophies and certificates in person.
The wait is almost over as the winners and finalists of the 25th annual Dental Awards will be announced during a live-streamed presentation on Thursday 18th May at 12pm (Midday). The broadcast, hosted by BBC weather presenter and meteorologist Sarah Keith-Lucas, will be available here on the-probe.co.uk, as well as The Probe’s Youtube Channel.
Don’t worry if you’re unable to watch live, as the presentation will be immediately available on-demand.
The winners will then be invited to join judges and sponsors at a top London venue on Friday 30th June to celebrate their victories in style, and to be presented with their trophies and certificates in person.
The 25th Annual Dental Awards are almost upon us and, as the original and most prestigious Awards event in British Dentistry gears up for its silver edition, it gives us at The Probe great pleasure in announcing the 2023 shortlisted entries for each of our 12 categories.
Dates For Your Diary
The winners and finalists will be announced in a live-streamed presentation on Thursday 18th May at 12pm (Midday). The broadcast, hosted by BBC weather presenter and meteorologist Sarah Keith-Lucas, will be available to tune into on the-probe.co.uk, as well as The Probe’s Youtube Channel.
Don’t worry if you’re unable to watch live, as the presentation will be immediately available on-demand.
The winners will then be invited to join judges and sponsors at a top London venue on Friday 30th June to celebrate their victories in style, and to be presented with their trophies and certificates in person.
Special Thanks
A massive thank you to everyone who entered this year’s awards. The high volume of entries from dentists, therapists, hygienists, practices, nurses and dental teams lends itself to the immense talent and skill within the profession, as well as the high esteem in which the Dental Awards is held.
A special thanks goes to our expert judging panel, comprising: Ben Atkins, Mhari Coxon, Lisa Bainham, Miranda Steeples, Debbie Hemington, Pam Swain, Amit Patel, Paroo Mistry, Ewa Rozwadowska, Glenys Bridges, and Amanda Oakey.
Hot on the heels of the launch of Christie & Co’s report, Business Outlook 2023: Finding Clarity, The Probe caught up with the specialist property adviser and brokerage’s Head of Dental, Paul Graham, to find out how external factors such as the cost of living are affecting the market, as well as dentistry specific elements, including NHS contract reforms. After a tumultuous 2022, what might 2023 have in store?
This past summer, GSK’s consumer healthcare division demerged from the company, becoming its own separate entity: Haleon. Tess Player, global healthcare professional lead, speaks with us about the transition and how the new standalone company is already living up to its promise to focus on everyday health with humanity in mind
How was the transition to Haleon and what have been the biggest challenges so far?
It’s been busy. What sets us apart now is that we’re an everyday health company with a focus on humanity. We’re able to make decisions and execute some of those things quicker than before. But we do have to remember that we are only a few months old and so the current journey we’re on is one to build awareness of the Haleon brand.
Much of the work that we do with our brands that everybody knows, such as Sensodyne and Aquafresh, continues to be consistent. So, consumers wanting great advice, as well as dentists, hygienists and therapists looking to us for the latest innovations, can be reassured that everything is coming from the same factories and that the same rep will walking through the door of their practice and giving out the same information. So yes, it’s been a journey, but mostly a smooth one.
One of the things Haleon was quick to execute was the inaugural Health Inclusivity Index. What work went into that?
As we’re now a company focused on, and dedicated to, everyday health versus being part of a larger pharma company, there’s an expectation that we’ll do more, that we’ll put our weight into research and development, and form partnerships to help make a real difference in everyday health around the world.
Our starting point has been to launch the first ever Health Inclusivity Index, which will consistently measure the ways in which countries around the world find to be inclusive when it comes to health, and asks what is being achieved. We’re extremely proud of this because, for us, inclusivity is the space where, being an everyday health company, we think we’ll be able to have the biggest impact.
It must be said that, although Haleon listed as a separate company in July, the Health Inclusivity Index was in the works beforehand and we worked with partners that were chose because of the trusted science that they base themselves in. So, we worked with UCL and The Economist Impact Unit.
We first of all sponsored a study with UCL lead academic David Napier to set out what already existed in a space of health inclusivity, and we were really surprised to find that there was nothing. We then worked with The Economist Impact Unit to sponsor an in-depth piece looking at whether healthcare systems, and the general environment, were inclusive enough across 40 markets so that it was available to all.
The findings are fascinating. In those 40 markets, there were three areas that we looked at.
The first was whether the system around government policies, through education and other means, was set up to grant the broader population access to healthcare for themselves. As an example, is brushing your children’s teeth, part of the school curriculum?
Second was all about formal healthcare systems, looking at whether pharmacists, dentists, and other primary health care professionals are set up to be really inclusive with their patients.
The third was about whether individuals are given the education and the awareness needed to be empowered to look after their own health.
Although the findings were not too surprising, it was great to gain some validation in that the more inclusive an entire health system was, the longer people lived, and the healthier they were throughout their lives. Essentially, we need to be more inclusive in health overall so that people can be healthier for longer.
The United Kingdom did actually come out on top for health inclusivity.
How is Haleon championing health inclusivity moving forward?
Some of the things that I love doing, and get the most excitement from, are things like the Oral Health in Comprehensive Cleft Care Project, in which we can partner with key academics around the world to support incredible work while also ensuring that the solutions we bring to the market are robust and independently verified. The project is a fantastic one, as provides dentists around the world with the knowledge and skills to care for people who have had cleft surgery as an infant, because that guidance didn’t exist before. We’re very proud of that work.
Haleon has also collaborated with Microsoft in its quest for heath inclusivity. What are the results of that relationship?
Alongside the launch of the Health Inclusivity Index, our work with Microsoft comes at inclusivity from a slightly different angle. It looks at supporting those who are either visually impaired or have difficulty reading in looking after their own health.
The result is that 1,500 of our products are now part of the Microsoft Seeing AI App. Microsoft has developed the app for many purposes but the way in which we’ve collaborated with them is so that where you’re told to, ‘Always read the label,’ if you can’t, or you can’t understand the label, then the app will verbally read the label out to you. Those people can now access the product information, which includes instructions and ingredients, bringing that health information to a wider population. The scheme has gone live in the UK in the US for now – although the ambition is that it will be rolled out worldwide. It’s certainly taken us a lot of time to make sure that all of the language was correct for every single one of those 1,500 products.
The advertising for this, which has gone live in the UK and runs until Christmas, states, ‘Always read the label, even when you can’t.’ This will help us to get the information out there that the labelling instructions are now available for a wider audience. And that also goes for dentists and pharmacists as well, where those labelling instructions are similarly important for so many of our over-the-counter medicines.
The direct consumer marketing will be on TV, radio and via a digital campaign. From a healthcare professional perspective, research has shown us that, for the most part, their lives are made easier when they can point patients towards a trusted source of information, and this means that they will save time where they may have been reading the label to their patients.
Is there anything else in the pipeline at Haleon that you can discuss?
One of the initiatives that we’ve launched within the pharmacy community, that we’ll be bringing to the dental and hygienist community soon, is what we’re calling The Haleon Centre for Human Sciences. This is where we are bringing together the scientific evidence base for our brands with what’s needed to actually get patients, consumers like you and me, to adopt better habits – such as brushing better – or to even change behaviours. We’re really hoping that this will be something really tangible and useful for daily healthcare professionals. A set of tools and interventions to help get the most out of conversations between dentists, hygienists and their patients.
This past summer, GSK’s consumer healthcare division demerged from the company, becoming its own separate entity: Haleon.
Tess Player, global healthcare professional lead, returns to The Probe Dental Podcast to discuss the transition and how the new standalone company is already living up to its promise to focus on everyday health with humanity in mind.
We’re joined by Marijka Barber and Emma Scott from The Happy Smiles Club discuss what their victory at The Dental Awards 2022 for Best Outreach or Charity Initiative meant to the team, as well as the incredible work they do within their community in Norfolk and Suffolk, which includes visiting schools to raise awareness for oral health, providing clinical time for children and adults that don’t have access to a dentist, applying fluoride on prescription, performing plaque scoring, and more!
