Episodes

  • The new Dental Check-up series on networking highlights the importance of developing and maintaining a professional network to build partnerships and advance your career. The FDI World Dental Congress (WDC) presents the ideal opportunity to do just that by forging meaningful connections with professionals from around the world.

    This first episode of the two-part series puts a special focus on the advantage of building a network at an early career stage. Host, My Kelly Hoey, who is also the author of “Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World”, engages in a conversation with two dental students, Mr Konstantin Lennart Schrader from Germany and Mrs Sanika Shorey from Australia, who will be attending the 2023 WDC to discuss how they can leverage this opportunity nurture professional relationships.

    Konstantin and Sanika, who will also be participating in FDI’s inaugural Young Dentists Forum at the 2023 WDC urge their peers to make the most of this opportunity to engage with their peers and experienced professionals in the field.

    Listeners can learn from panelists about best practices to efficiently prepare, act and follow-up on their networking activities.

    In this episode:

    Learn the importance of building meaningful professional networks Learn handy tips on how to approach someone at a networking event Learn how you can leverage the Young Dentists Forum to forge new connections

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • Oral health is recognized as a basic Human Right and a fundamental aspect of overall health and well-being. Despite all the evidence, oral health services are not included in the benefit coverage of Universal Health Coverage programs in many countries. In countries where some coverage exists, essential preventive and clinical services show large gaps, especially for vulnerable, disadvantaged, rural, or poorer populations.

    In March 2023, FDI organized a full-day roundtable to review existing evidence on the challenges of universal access to oral care. Participants discussed what constitutes appropriate access to oral care, and reviewed replicable best practices for expanding access to oral care through integration into primary health care systems, including underserved populations.

    This podcast covers the perspectives of three experts representing different fields of practice (clinical practice and service management, policy analysis, and advocacy and academia). Tony and guests’ discussion provides a robust picture of the key elements of appropriate access to oral care.

    Read all about it in our recently published White Paper: Access to Oral Healthcare.

    Are you interested in Universal Access to Oral Healthcare? Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]


    In this episode:

    1. You will learn about the importance and the meaning of universal access to oral healthcare

    2. You will listen to the different perspectives of experts in the fields of policy analysis, advocacy, academia, and clinical practice

    3. You will learn about what is needed to achieve universal access to oral healthcare

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

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  • In the latest and final episode of the mental health series, host Tim Newton engages in an intimate conversation with Sarah Thomson, a dental hygienist whose personal experience of overcoming alcoholism is inspiring and remarkable. Sarah generously shares her story, hoping it will be a source of inspiration and motivation for others going through similar experiences.

    In the second section of this episode, Tim is joined by Richard Jones, Deputy Director from NHS Practitioner Health Service in the UK, as they discuss the challenges and fears practitioners face when seeking help. They also consider the role of regulatory bodies in the UK, and shed light on how these services work to provide practitioners a clearer idea of what to expect when seeking help.

    In this episode:

    Learn about:

    · Dentists and dental teams are at great risk of developing a substance abuse problem as a response to the impact of work stress

    · Mental health and addiction problems are issues that cannot be faced alone

    · Empowerment is key to understanding mental health conditions and taking appropriate actions to address them

    Do you know similar services for practitioners facing substance abuse in your country? Send us an email at [email protected]. Let's support others who might need help.

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • World Oral Health Day (WOHD) 2023 marks the final year of the 3-year Be Proud of Your Mouth Campaign. It is an empowering call-to-action urging people to value and take care of their oral health. This year, we focus on the importance of caring for your mouth at every stage of life, calling upon people to: Look after your oral health for a lifetime of smiles.

    WOHD was launched by FDI in 2007 and is the culmination of year-long activities dedicated to raising global awareness on the prevention and control of oral disease. FDI is spearheading WOHD in efforts to bring together the global oral health community to achieve optimal oral health for all. On 20 March every year, we ask the world to unite to help reduce the burden of oral diseases, which affect individuals, health systems and economies everywhere.

    In this podcast episode, you will listen to voices from around the globe, who share their experiences of leveraging WOHD to help improve oral health. We highlight encouraging and inspiring collective efforts, that help the campaign reach different audiences and spread oral health messages far and wide.

    Are you interested in WOHD and want to get involved? Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]


    How to get involved:

    Get involved for World Oral Health Day, whatever you decide to do, however big or small, contributes to improving the oral health of populations globally:

    Use the campaign materials to support your WOHD activities and events; most are available in English, French and Spanish. All assets are free to download and use, and with a wide range on offer, you can get involved in a way that best suits you. The campaign materials can be downloaded from: worldoralhealthday.org/resources Join the movement, take part in the #MouthProud challenge (https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/mouthproudchallenge) and tell others what your mouth means and why it is important to you.Put yourself on the map of activities (https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/map-activities) and tell us and others what you are planning to do.Mark your calendars for the launch of our new Advocacy toolkit, arming national dental associations (NDAs), people with lived experience of oral disease, and other strategic partners with the knowledge and information to support governments to develop and implement ambitious national oral health policies. Enter the World Oral Health Day Awards. After 20 March, submit your activity report by 15 May at wohd.org/activity-report-2023. Get a chance to get your hard work recognized


    Additional resources:

    Visit the WOHD page: https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/

    WOHD resources: https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/resources

    Mouth proud challenge: https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/mouthproud-challenge


    Supported by:

    Unilever – Dentsply Sirona – Haleon – Smile Train

    https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/partners

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • Comprehensive Cleft Care for those born with a cleft lip and/or palate (cleft) can require a range of care, including nutrition support, surgery, speech therapy, orthodontics, dental care, and psychosocial support. Treatments such as the development of multiple prosthetic appliances can be extensive and tiring. They are, however, essential to help babies and children swallow, eat, grow, and learn to speak. Digital technologies are key to improve universal access to cleft care, especially in remote areas.

    In this episode, host Tony Johnston welcomes Ashley Barbour and Prof. Juan Pablo Gomez Arango to discuss about the potential of digital technology to increase access to cleft care. They also delve deeper into how growing up with cleft and receiving treatment throughout life can help people have successful, meaningful, and impactful lives.

    Are you an oral health professional with an interest on digital cleft care? Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]


    In this episode:

    1. Learn how providing empathetic care is essential in ensuring the psychological safety of patients

    2. Listen to the experience of a patient with cleft and discover how receiving comprehensive cleft care is essential to help people with cleft thrive.

    3. Understand how digitalization could help improve access to care for people born with cleft.

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • In this first Dental check-up episode of 2023, we look at the year ahead from an oral health perspective. FDI’s Executive Director and Communications and Advocacy Director highlight the opportunities and events throughout the year that dentists and dental teams can leverage to help educate themselves or their patients on key oral health matters.

    The host of this episode, Tony Johnston, and guest speakers, Mr Enzo Bondioni and Dr Charanjit (Chaz) Jagait, discuss some important upcoming events such as the WHO Executive Board meeting starting at the end of January, World Oral Health Day on the 20th of March, the WHO Oral Health Action Plan in May, and the World Dental Congress in September, in Sydney, Australia.

    In this episode, you will also learn about FDI’s wealth of resources that are available to use freely to support knowledge building or advocacy efforts. Visit FDI's website to learn more.

    Are you an oral health professional with an interest on advocacy and global oral health? Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

    In this episode:

    1. Make a new year’s resolution to dedicate some time to continuing education opportunities in 2023 to benefit you and your patients. Listen to some of the new year’s resolution from our listeners from around the world.

    2. Mark your calendars early and learn about the various learning opportunities and resources available to you through FDI in 2023, to help you educate your patients and yourself.

    3. Listen to our guests discuss some very exciting developments on the global oral health agenda over the last couple of years, which will continue into 2023 and beyond.

    4. Learn how these could impact your work and what dentists and dental teams can do to help shape government’s oral health policies. FDI stands ready to support in these efforts.

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized as one of the biggest threats to global health by the World Health Organization and is expected to be responsible for ten million deaths each year by 2050. This issue is of particular concern to dental teams, as dentists prescribe around 10% of all antibiotics for humans.

    For many years, FDI has been at the forefront to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance in dentistry. This World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), in a special episode of the Dental check-up podcast, we invited renowned experts in the field of AMR in dentistry to discuss the important role of dentists to tackle AMR. Listen to the full episode to discover the importance of antimicrobials as lifesaving drugs and how oral health professionals can help improve the global AMR crisis.

    At FDI, we want to create awareness that we can all be part of the solution by “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together”. Show your support and commitment by signing our pledge on antimicrobial resistance!

    Add the podcast to your playlist today to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

    Are you an oral health professional with an interest on AMR? Share your thoughts with us: [email protected] and help others to know we can all be part of this fight.

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • Dentists and other members of the dental team can face high levels of demand in their day-to-day work that exceed their abilities to cope, ultimately affecting their work and well-being.
    Your host Tim Newton and guest Dr Kaejenn Tchia embark on a candid and insightful conversation about the challenges oral health professionals can face from their early career days and how these can affect their mental well-being.
    Kaejenn openly shares his experience with burnout and about his healing journey, with the aim of helping others understand that they are not alone.
    Do you also want to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected]
    Let us have your thoughts and comments on our second episode!
    Additional resources:
    https://www.supportfordentalteams.org/
    Dental Check-up website:
    https://www.fdiworlddental.org/dental-check-mental-health-series

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • This episode is about the mental health and well-being of the dental team, as well as stress, burnout and the basics of common mental health disorders in dentistry, and how to cope with them. Through discussions with colleagues and experts, we cover the scale and nature of the problem of stress and burnout in the dental workplace. We include advice on how to make changes, real life experiences, and tips and exercises on how to better manage stress at work.

    Key messages:

    Chronic work-related stress is a real issue in dental teams and can often lead to burnout. Broad attention and early management are essential to control its long-term consequences affecting mental health.Burnout symptoms include anxiety, fatigue, cynicism, and reduced performance amongst others and can have significant consequences.Work-related stress and burnout can affect work performance, and consequently patients and their treatments.It is important to open the debate and talk about mental health conditions that dental teams may suffer from.

    Additional resources:
    https://www.supportfordentalteams.org/

    Link to episode’s page:
    https://www.fdiworlddental.org/dental-check-podcast

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]

  • Dental check-up: mental health series

    This three-part series, focuses on mental health in the dental workplace, and is hosted by renowned expert Prof. Tim Newton who has worked as a psychologist in dentistry for over 30 years. Dentistry is undoubtedly perceived as one of the most demanding and challenging professions. Stress, anxiety and burnout are serious issues that affect oral health professionals and dental teams all around the world.

    This important issue is brought to light through candid discussions with oral health professionals, who share their personal experiences. As well as through conversations with experts who highlight how to manage and improve mental health and well-being.

    Add the podcast to your playlist today to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

    Are you an oral health professional who has suffered from mental health issues in the dental workplace? Share your story with us: [email protected] and help others to know they are not alone.

    Share your thoughts with us via text or audio recording: [email protected]