Dental Protection Australia

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to practise dentistry in another country?  Well wonder no more. In our new series, What’s it like to practise in…, we speak with clinicians from across our key Dental Protection jurisdictions to explore and understand their real-world experiences. From navigating different healthcare systems to understanding cultural expectations and clinical challenges, each...

CaseMatters is a podcast series designed to create a shared experience where all points of view are explored. Traditionally, patient questions were directed toward treating clinicians and practitioners. Then came the era of Dr Google, where online searches began shaping expectations and decisions. Now, we’ve entered a new phase altogether: AI-generated advice, opinions, and treatment recommendatio...

There are many sides to every story. CaseMatters is a podcast series designed to create a shared experience where all points of view are explored. This episode of CaseMatters highlights the importance of effective communication across all members of staff, particularly, in practices where patient care is shared between multiple practitioners, who each provide different aspects of treatment and car...

Have you ever been the subject of an audit related to a third-party payment mechanism such as a private health fund or Medicare? Are you unsure about use of certain item codes, how non-compliant use might lead to scrutiny or even why a particular practitioner might be selected for audit? In this podcast episode, Dr Colm Harney from Dental Protection speaks with Dr. Amit Gurbuxani, General Dental P...

In this podcast episode, Dr Colm Harney from Dental Protection and Dr. Jacinta Vu, Oral Medicine Specialist discuss the importance of trauma-informed dental care, particularly for patients who have experienced domestic violence. They explore how dental practitioners can create a safe and empowering environment for their patients, the significance of understanding trauma and its effects, and the ro...

Body Dysmorphic Disorder can lead to relentless dissatisfaction with one’s appearance. Join us as we unpack this important topic and learn how to approach it in dental practice. How do you think we can change the narrative around beauty standards? You can read Carolina's paper on this topic here: Body dysmorphia in dentistry and prosthodontics: A practice based study

In recent years, the demand for cosmetic dental services has grown rapidly, and many practitioners will have noticed their patients becoming increasingly eager to enhance their smiles. Among the most commonly requested treatments are dental veneers, performed both in general practice and by specialist prosthodontists. As more clinicians provide these services, we’re also seeing a rise in conversat...

It might surprise many of our listeners to learn that compassionate grounds for the early release of superannuation have actually been around for a long time since 1 July 1994 , shortly after Australia’s modern superannuation system was introduced. And since 1 July 2018 , it’s the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) that has been responsible for approving these applications. This topic has been attra...

In this episode of RiskBites Dr Annalene Weston is joined by her colleague and fellow dentolegal consultant, Dr Kiran Keshwara, to explore a topic that’s becoming increasingly relevant in Australian dental practice. Australia is a rapidly changing and culturally diverse nation. In fact, more than half of our population was either born overseas or has at least one parent who was. That diversity enr...

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked art of communicating effectively with your dental laboratory. Dentists and technicians exchange information daily across multiple channels and on a vast range of clinical and technical matters. Yet, as Dentolegal consultant, Dr Simon Parsons notes, many opportunities to strengthen this communication and ultimately improve clinical outcomes are frequ...

As we move into the festive season and the final days of 2025, many of us naturally pause for reflection, looking back, looking inward, and looking ahead.  For our last Risk Bites episode of the year, we wanted to close not with something heavy, but with something uplifting. So, in this episode, Dr Annalene Weston and Mrs Anita Kemp explore the idea of perfection, both the pursuit of aesthetic per...

In this episode of RiskMatters,  Senior Dentolegal consultant, Dr Annalene Weston sits down with Dr Saskia Salvestro to explore medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Saskia is a highly regarded dental practitioner, recognised for her expertise in contemporary dentistry and her commitment to advancing the profession. Earlier this year, she contributed an exceptional article on MRONJ...

Employment contracts are standard in most workplaces, yet their legal language and complex clauses can often leave people feeling uncertain or overwhelmed. In this episode of RiskBites, Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Simon Parson break down some of the more common terms, conditions, and contract clauses you’re likely to encounter. They also discuss why it’s essential to seek professional legal advice b...

In this episode of RiskMatters, senior dentolegal consultant at Dental Protection Dr Annalene Weston speaks with Adjunct Associate Professor Geraldine Moses about the recently updated – Therapeutic Guidelines - Oral and Dental version 4, released in September 2025.    During their discussion Dr Moses highlights a number of important changes made to many sections of the guidance, including but not...

The busy and often unpredictable nature of clinical practice can really challenge us as health professionals. So, how do we stay on top of all our work? How do we avoid constant battles with an incredibly scarce resource – time? How can we stay on time in clinical practice, and should we really worry about it too much, or is that only going to add to our cognitive load and stress? Is it really all...

With the new guidelines for health practitioners who advertise non-surgical cosmetic procedures coming into effect on the 2 nd of September 2025, now is the perfect time to review and reflect upon some of the changes.  In this episode of RiskBites Dr Simon Parsons and Dr Colm Harney, dentolegal consultants at Dental Protection discuss the key aspects of this guidance in addition to teasing out som...

In our April edition of risk bites pertaining to Cosmetics in Dentistry, Dr Colm Harney flagged the intention of Ahpra to release new resources and guidelines for registered practitioners undertaking and advertising non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Well, that time is upon us and as of the 2nd of September 2025 the new guidelines will come into effect.  Listen is as Colm steps through the key poin...

Advertising clinical procedures can be a minefield, largely due to the rapid adoption of social media by many and the unintended consequences that have arisen from this.      In this episode of RiskBites Dr Simon Parsons speaks with fellow dentolegal consultant Dr Kiran Keshwara about the Ahpra guidance and Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service.      However, it’s important to note...

In this episode of RiskMatters, Senior dentolegal consultant Dr Annalene Weston speaks with Dr Kaejenn Tchia, Dentist, ADA president for Northern Territory, Entrepreneur, Motivational Coach and founder of ‘The Limitless Dentist.  Listen in as Kaejenn graciously shares his passion for supporting and collaborating with fellow dental professionals.  Additionally, he  aims to shine a light on the chal...

Sharing care is second nature to most of us, it’s embedded in how we practise, because dental care is never delivered in isolation. Yet while collaborative care may feel intuitive, it’s underpinned by clearly defined principles set out in our shared Code of Conduct and scope of practice guidelines. These frameworks outline the professional standards we are expected to uphold, and they become criti...

Dental Therapists, Dental Hygienist and Oral Health Therapists continue to receive the highest proportion of complaints related to scope of practice which is likely a reflection of how these roles have evolved over time, often leading to confusion, misunderstanding or lack of awareness. In this episode of RiskBites , Dr Annalene Weston speaks with Mrs Kristin Trafford-Wiezel, a case manager at Den...

CaseMatters is a podcast series designed to create a shared experience where all points of view are explored.  In this episode we find out what can happen when a patient who has very strong views about their treatment needs attends a multi-practitioner practice and selectively takes on advice that supports and aligns with his beliefs, choosing to ignore the advice that doesn’t.

In this episode of RiskMatters, Dr Annalene Weston from Dental Protection speaks with Dr Trudy Lin.    Trudy’s accolades are many and in this podcast, she shares her personal journey into general practice and later special needs dentistry, as well as providing some guiding principles for the inclusion of specials needs care, in general practice.    In addition to her impressive dental career, Trud...

At Dental Protection we often talk about ‘stranger danger’ and the issues that can arise when treating strangers or new patients. However, it goes without saying that treating new patients is an unavoidable occurrence in our daily practice. In this episode of RiskBites titled Dental Histories, Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Simon Parsons outline a multi-step approach for treating ‘new’ patients that ca...

In this edition, Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant based in the Brisbane Office takes with A/Prof Jo Yarker and Marleen Reinke about their recently completed research into practitioner wellness. This research was funded by the MPS Foundation. The MPS Foundation is a global, not-for-profit, research initiative, dedicated to improving patient safety, reducing risk, and enhancing the w...