Young Dentist Day 2026

The Orthodontic Dimension: Thinking Outside the Rubik’s Cube

Orthodontic–restorative treatment is a multidisciplinary approach that combines orthodontics and restorative dentistry to achieve optimal function, aesthetics, and long-term oral health.

Successful outcomes depend on careful planning, patient compliance, effective communication amongst the team, and consideration of the patient’s individual needs and expectations.

In my experience, digital workflows and the sequence of treatment are the key to efficient and smooth planning and communication between colleagues; We can really evaluate tooth position, occlusion, periodontal health, and restorative and surgical requirements. A coordinated treatment plan ensures that orthodontic tooth movement creates the ideal space and alignment for restorations such as crowns, veneers, implants, or bridges.

Orthodontic treatment is typically performed before definitive restorative procedures to minimize unnecessary tooth preparation and preserve natural tooth structure. Throughout treatment, close collaboration between the orthodontist and restorative dentist helps achieve proper tooth proportions, occlusal stability, and aesthetic harmony.

A well-planned orthodontic–restorative approach improves treatment efficiency, enhances functional and cosmetic results, reduces complications, and promotes long-term stability.

I predominantly work with fixed appliances and I have a special interest in lingual braces that are customised and digitally printed.

The learning objectives for today’s talk are below:

1) Understanding interdisciplinary communication and pathways
2) Thinking outside the box from a facial planning point of view
3) Understanding the importance of dynamic movement when planning smiles
4) Missing teeth/ Bolton’s discrepancies/ complex malocclusions- who plans what?
5) Aesthetics v Function- what are your goals? what are the patient’s expectations of treatment
6) Stability and the timing of retention- who provides what?

Adhesive Advantage: Playing the Long Game After Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is often only the beginning. This lecture explores the restorative management of endodontically treated teeth, focusing on the preservation of sound tooth structure, preparation design, core build-up materials, and adhesive overlay protocols under full rubber dam isolation. Through contemporary adhesive techniques, we can improve predictability, maximise longevity, and ultimately buy our patients more time.

The Truth About Dentistry: Everything They Didn’t Teach You at Dental School – Reflections from 45 Years in Clinical Practice

One thing I’ve learned after 45 years in dentistry is everyone’s an expert. The arrival of “Evidence-based” dentistry, possibly driven by government and perhaps fuelled by dry-fingered academics (OK, I’m prepared to concede, moist), has often been given short shrift by the army of general practitioners working in the ultimate “in vivo” laboratory. After all, we’ve all been there and done that, even if for many of us the T-shirt no longer fits.

It is a truth universally acknowledged (at least by wet-fingered dentists) that an academic dental colleague, in possession of a “learned” opinion, must be in need of a soap box.

Well perhaps it’s time the views of general dentists, views often forged from hard-won personal experience in the white heat of general practice, were heard too, (who mentioned soap box?)

I’ll be sharing with you the spoils from my long life of (allegedly) dental crime, and as we’ll be amongst friends, I’m expecting a full and frank exchange of views, with perhaps the slaying of a few sacred cows along the way.

This is your chance to get down and dirty with one of the country’s leading practitioners. So, why not come along and hear the experiences of an unrepentant “Cosmetic” dentist. Be prepared for controversy and definitely expect to be challenged.

Buckle-up … it promises to be a bumpy ride!!!

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After the presentation, delegates should:

1. Accept Dentistry is not an exact science; there are no solutions; just trade-offs. Hence reflect on the standards you set yourself, how you judge yourself … and just as importantly how you judge your fellow professionals
2. Recognise much research is biased, contradictory, or written to further academic careers, and not for real-world clinical practice, yet the academic world still retains a stranglehold over clinical innovation.
3. Realise that successful outcomes in dentistry are as much about patient expectations as the clinical skills of the dentist; choose your patients carefully.
4. Acknowledge that the clinical experience and technical skills of the individual dentist has as much, if not more, traction than much of the “guidance” driven by Academic research.
5. Understand the repetitive nature of general dental practice coupled with the heavy workload, and the ever-present threat of litigation, means the longevity of dentistry as a desirable career is increasingly under scrutiny, prompting many to reconsider their positions.

General Dental Council Development Outcomes; A, B, C, D

Setting Foundations for High Anterior Aesthetics

Apply the universal principles common to all anterior aesthetics — how substrate, material selection, opacity and lighting combine to determine the result, whether in composite or porcelain

Make confident shade selections by embracing opacity control, when chroma and hue more commonly dominate the decision

Use intentional anterior anatomy, morphology and occlusion as the foundation of aesthetics, recognising how anterior guidance and teeth in function underpin a lasting result

Identify the core techniques to master before adding complexity, progressing logically from monoshade to layering, and knowing when each applies

Use photography to plan, communicate and critically review their own work for ongoing self-development

The Private Practice Canvas – We’ve Got the Portrait and the Brush

Learning Aim
To inspire young dentists to recognise how mentorship, clinical artistry and professional development combine to build a successful career in private dentistry, while encouraging reflective practice and patient-centred care.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this lecture, delegates should be able to:

Recognise the relationship between clinical excellence, artistry and patient-centred care in contemporary private dentistry.

Describe how mentorship supports the development of clinical confidence, decision-making and professional growth throughout a dental career.

Identify practical steps to develop the skills, mindset and behaviours required to transition towards high-quality private practice.

Reflect on how continuous learning, communication and craftsmanship contribute to delivering exceptional patient outcomes and long-term career satisfaction.

GDC Outcomes
A – Effective communication with patients, the dental team and other stakeholders.
B – Effective management of self, the dental team and professional development.
C – Maintenance and development of knowledge and skills within clinical practice.

“The portrait is the dentist you aspire to become. The brush is mentorship. The canvas is your career. Every patient you treat adds another stroke.”