Young Dentist Conference 2009

The programme for this year's Young Dentist Conference will present both young dentists and well-known figures in the profession.

The fifth year of this event promises to be even more relevant to young dentists as the guest speakers will be young professionals - from both dentistry and business backgrounds.

The speakers will include, James Russell a cosmetic dentist seen on Channel 4's ‘Embarrassing Bodies', and Kailesh Solanki an experienced cosmetic dentist and practice owner, who will be discussing the ethical implications of treatment for purely cosmetic reasons. Sunita Verma, the winner of 2009's Professional category in the Asian Women of Achievement Awards, will describe how she set up her own successful practice and will be offering advice on finding a niche within the already saturated dental market.

Building on the success of the 2009 Young Dentist Conference, the BDJ, BDA and Dental Protection have again joined forces to present this exciting one-day programme. As in previous years, the conference will deliver challenging ideas, facts and practical tips with an emphasis on how various issues impact upon young dentists in the early years of their careers.

Saturday 13th February 2010
The programme

Elective Cosmetics - whose decision is it?
As a nation, we have been persuaded that looking younger is the key to happiness. Dentists increasingly receive requests from patients who are unhappy with their looks and want some sort of cosmetic dentistry to halt the march of time! To increase business, many dentists are learning to perform cosmetic dentistry to avoid referring patients outside of the practice. There may however be times when we need to say ‘no' and think about the patient's best interests when they perhaps can't see the negatives for themselves.

• James Russell is a BACD member and dentist at the London Smile Clinic. James has also appeared on TV makeover programmes.
• Kailesh Solanki is a BACD member and owner of Kiss Dental, Manchester. Kailesh has also won ‘Best Young Dentist North West' in the 2008 Private Dentistry Awards.

Teamworking
As a recently qualified dentist, you are likely to be one of the younger members of the practice. Whether an associate or young practice owner, although your qualifications and knowledge will exceed those of some other members of the team, there are likely to be team members who have been working within the industry for longer than you are old! How can a young professional assert their knowledge and authority within the team without stepping on any toes? How can a young dentist respond to the needs of the rest of the team whilst developing their own career?

• Ben Wild a young practice owner from Yorkshire, will discuss managing a practice and a team whilst progressing own career.
• Alpesh Khetia, Workplace Director for Rodericks Ltd will discuss recruiting the right members of staff for the team. Will also draw upon his experience as an associate working within a corporate environment.

Finding your niche
As many practices struggle in the current climate, many young dentists are worried about the opportunities available to them for opening a practice. How can a young clinician find their niche in a market which already seems to be saturated with practices?

• Sunita Verma, Award Winning practice principal at Sparkle Dental will discuss finding a niche for your private practice.
• Guy Wells, an NHS practice owner will discuss opening and developing a successful NHS practice.

The Young Dentists Conference will be staged at the Royal College of Physicians in London on 13 February 2010, and tickets are now on sale and are available by contacting sarah.garry@mps.org.uk

Kevin Lewis, the Dental Director for Dental Protection said, ‘this joint venture with the BDJ and BDA is rapidly becoming a ‘don't miss' event for all recently qualified dentists. This year will be even more relevant to young dentists as we have taken account of their feedback; most of this year's speakers are under the age of 35! If the experience of the last conference is anything to go by, combined with this year's outstanding programme, young dentists who wish to purchase tickets are strongly advised to as soon as possible!"

Media contact
Sarah Garry
Dental Protection
33 Cavendish Square
London W1G 0PS
T; 020 7399 1397 E; sarah.garry@mps.org.uk