The Graduate Dentist Podcast

It’s no secret that the first few years out of dental school rarely match what we imagined back in uni. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Carl and Dr Berwyn, two practice owners who now run six clinics together, to talk honestly about the messy, humbling path that got them there. We begin with how a chance meeting at an ADSA convention turned into a friendship that was tested and strengthened th...

With all the uncertainty in the world at the moment and books being quieter than ever before, it’s no surprise that anxiety amongst new grads is on the rise. What began as a reflective DPR post titled “To the Grad with Empty Books and Rising Anxiety” became a much bigger conversation with Dr Mass Nasir about the realities of life as a new grad dentist - the pressure, impostor syndrome, social medi...

Recently, I was asked by a new grad how I find fulfilment in what I do, and how to explore avenues beyond just clinical dentistry. Because in uni, we’re surrounded by so many opportunities to get involved, but once we graduate, it’s easy to fall into the rhythm of working in our 3×3 room - clocking in, clocking out, rinse and repeat - and wondering, “Is this it?” So for this episode, it felt only...

In a profession like dentistry, people don’t always realise just how physically taxing it can be. One of the best pieces of advice I got early in my career was simple: protect yourself - especially while you’re young, fit and healthy, because you never know what might happen. It’s easy to think we’re young and invincible, but I’ve heard way too many stories - sporting injuries, back spasms, hand a...

"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." - Marianne Williamson There are some people you meet who simply radiate confidence, infectious positivity, and an effortless magnetism that makes you wonder - is it real? How does one achieve such success, fulfilment, and genuine love for what they do? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Stev...

With just a phone and a spark of inspiration, the idea that anyone can be a content creator really isn’t all that far-fetched. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing today - from dental student DIMLs and "top 10 lessons” as an experienced clinician, to silly TikTok trends and car debriefs. We now have access to so many different worlds literally in our hands. And it goes to show there is a whol...

One of my favourite things about this podcast has always been how it brings people together. Never would I have imagined it ever reach beyond our humble shores of Australia, and so it’s been incredibly special to connect with dentists from all corners of the world. Some of these connections, now friendships, being the wonderful Dr Christelle Kee, Dr Yanbo Yang, and Dr Chow Pang, who practise in th...

As early-stage clinicians, mentorship is something we all want, but it can often feel so elusive. There’s something to be said about what makes a successful mentor-mentee relationship - how it’s formed, what makes it work, and how each person can grow from it. In this episode, I’m joined by my very own mentor and good friend, Dr Allan Nguyen, for a deep dive into his journey from an uncertain new...

We often talk about the influence social media has on us as dentists, but one area we haven't really unpacked before is this idea of building our personal brand. What does it actually mean? What does it look like in practice? And how do we even begin? In this episode, Dr Alex Foo and I dive into the idea of using social media intentionally to build our identity as a dentist - whether we're...

People often talk about the rural experience being incredibly valuable as a new grad less saturation means less competition between clinics, more exposure to a wider variety of procedures, busy books, and patients who are often more accommodating. But what other factors should we be thinking about? Things like mentorship, support, and social connection all play a big part too. In this episode, we’...

The Graduate Dentist has always been a community for grads, by grads, and it really wouldn’t be where it is today without the people who contribute to it. One of those people, who’s been there since the very beginning, is Dr Adi Sawant. As someone who openly shares his cases and experiences online, contributes actively to our Discord community, and now helps teach dentists across Australia, Adi br...

So you’ve graduated and finally have an income! Now what? Do you reward yourself for all those years of hard work by buying your dream car or ticking off your bucket list travel destinations? Do you knuckle down and pay off your student debt as quickly as possible? Or do you start investing, buy a house (or houses), or pursue further education? Welcome to the first episode of our financial series,...

Want to get stuck into implants but not sure where to start? It’s an enticing area of dentistry to want to sink your teeth into, but it can also be intimidating when you haven’t had much exposure. So how do you actually get started? More importantly, how do you get started safely when the risks and stakes are far higher than a simple filling? How do you find mentorship, how should you approach it,...

As grads, whether we like it or not, we often the ones that get lumped with all the kids to treat. It’s daunting enough figuring out how to manage adult patients, let alone the added responsibility of shaping a child's dental experience and how it may colour their attitude towards oral health in the future. In today’s episode, we’re joined by the wonderful Dr Tim Keys, a specialist paediatric dent...

Today’s episode is a fun one as I get to sit down with someone I’ve known since day one of dental school, Dr Pat Lam. Pat is a longtime friend, a true go-getter, and is now a rising star in our community. He’s doing high-level complex dentistry, teaching, mentoring, and constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible early in a career. But what I love most about this episode is getting to str...

Occlusion — it’s one of the most misunderstood and often intimidating topics in dentistry. But if there’s anyone who knows how to break it down clearly and make it genuinely engaging in podcast format, it’s Dr. Jaz Gulati from The Protrusive Dental Podcast . In this episode, Jaz explores occlusion through the lens of Pareto’s 80/20 principle — the idea that 20% of what we do leads to 80% of our re...

Throughout dental school, we were all trained in traditional analogue techniques—taking PVS impressions and pouring stone models. But when we enter the real world, it’s all about digital workflows: intraoral scanners, in-house milling, CAD design software—and we often find ourselves playing the role of a technician without any formal training. It can be really daunting to work with unfamiliar soft...

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been documenting my journey this year as I undertake RipeGlobal’s Fellowship in Restorative Dentistry. Being in my third year of practice— having navigated many of the trials and tribulations of being a new grad—I felt it was time to take on something more long-term, with built-in accountability and structured progress tracking. I wante...

Endo is often really daunting as new grads because the complications and failures can feel so catastrophic - broken files, perforations, hypochlorite accidents - you name it. In this episode, our Discord Endo Guru Zi (aka @zethan_.dental) talks us through ways of building our confidence to tackle root canals, how to manage patient expectations and how to communicate effectively with patients. How...

One thing I always feel strongly about — and constantly advocate for on the podcast — is the importance of our mental wellbeing, mindset, attitude, and personal development. These are the foundations for building fulfilling careers, meaningful patient relationships, and living our best, healthiest lives, both professionally and personally. When it comes to this space, few people understand it as d...

If you're anything like me, you know you should be taking care of your back and posture… but we don't. Because we’re young, we're invincible, and we just want to get the job done — even if that means contorting yourself into a human pretzel just to get a good look inside a patient’s mouth. It’s easy to brush off that nagging shoulder tension, lower back pain, or the tightness in your n...

As grads, nothing is more daunting than getting stuck in an exo, digging around blindly, running late, not having anyone to bail you out and all the blood, sweat and tears that come from it. You all know me and just how much it stresses me out. And so I wanted to bring along a good friend and someone who knows a thing or two about doing extractions well - Dr Soo-Wee Ong. Now many of you may recogn...

To celebrate one year of the podcast and our 20th episode, I wanted to bring on a special guest who has been with me every step of the way, and that's my older brother Dr Paul Jay Hwin.  Paul and I are both at very different stages of our lives and careers. You all know my journey from being a student to being a new grad practicing in Brisbane, navigating the ins and outs of clinical dentistry. In...

Welcome to our very first podinar, where we hosted a live stream webinar talking through 10 Things You Should Know As A Fresh Grad. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Annas Ayoub who, like all of us, he was once a fresh new grad trying to figure it all out. Now, he is all about helping associate dentists get more out of their careers by working smarter, not harder. Through his Associate Accelera...

There is so much noise online that it’s easy to get caught up in all the smoke and mirrors. It’s easy to forget the impact, responsibility and service we owe our patients and to our profession, and what it truly means to be a good general dentist. It’s easy to constantly be chasing the next big thing, but is it really that we should be chasing more? Or is it that we need to be doing what we alread...