Zaira Cantara recounts her experience of the ‘insightful and engaging’ 2023 North of England Dentistry Show, including how it stands out from other dental shows and why it’s worth attending for all members of the dental team.
It was that time of the year again, the return of the North of England Dentistry Show.
Advertised as ‘bigger and better’, the least I can say is it went above and beyond my expectations.
Not being able to attend last year’s event due to my upcoming exams, I certainly wasn’t going to miss another opportunity, having enjoyed the show back in 2021.
If you are in the dental world, you will know events, seminars and shows are happening all the time. Many of these shows are aimed at qualified professionals with a selected audience targeted, ie aesthetic dentistry or implants.
What stands out about the North of England Dentistry Show is it appeals and caters to anyone within this industry whether you are a student in your first year or manage half a dozen dental practices.
Regardless of your status, you walk away with new connections, new opportunities and, of course, some goodies – which we all love.
Diving into lectures, brands and CPD
Arriving at Manchester Central Convention Complex, with my QR code ready to scan, the buzz of the event was evidently in the air.
As a student attending the show, my first time I remember anticipating what exactly would this event be offering me. But this time I was ready to dive in. I knew exactly what lectures out of the 60+ across the 13 theatres I was going to take a seat in.
With no requirement to complete CDP yet, it’s worth noting once you are qualified these lectures count towards your CPD hours if you want them to.
Straight ahead of me I was faced with well-established brands such as Trycare, Straumann and Crown Dental Burs just to name a few. They were welcoming you to their stands, promoting their products and showing off their latest innovation.
I managed to drop by Crowns Recruitment. Unbeknown to me before, they act as the ‘middleman’ between dentists/dental care professionals and practices to fill in short-term locum opportunities.
Speaking with them, they mentioned some dentists took on locum work whilst deciding between DCT training or finding a practice that suited them as a GDP. This made a lot of sense to me, and it wasn’t something I had thought of beforehand. But now I have that connection to do so.
Exclusive discounts
Networking in any industry is of huge benefit. In between the lectures I was running into the busy arms of students and recognising recent graduates. It was great seeing many of us sharing our programme plans and offers from brands that were of interest.
So engrossed in the event only an hour in and seeking all dental in the land of opportunity, my hankering for a strong coffee was on hold. The show had exclusive discounts from several brands for delegates – a perfect time to make a saving.
So, if you were on the lookout for loupes or equipment for your practice, it was worth looking into this and comparing products to buy what suits you best.
Finally, after grabbing a well-earned hot coffee, I was ready for my first lecture by Dr Chris McConnell, an advanced dental surgeon who gave a talk on ‘no drill veneers in 30 minutes’.
The lecture focused on maximising your portfolio with minimal stress. Chris went through problems dentists commonly had with veneers and shared an amazing veneer case that involved no drilling. Who knew that was possible?
My takeaway from the talk was the three factors he emphasised that were important in any veneer case: the material, the stress, and the bonding.
‘Eye-opening’ lectures
My next stop was Dr Yousrah Ahmed, discussing how to incorporate facial aesthetic treatment into your dental practice. At this point of my career, aesthetics is new to me, but what I learned from her was valuable.
Yousrah highlighted the importance of knowing the facial anatomy, something dentists work in and around daily. She shared a few cases which presented with minimal and natural changes.
She also reminded us that facial aesthetics are not just about beautifying oneself, but are beneficial in patients who may have been born with congenital deformities to the face and wanted an improvement.
Having a good before and after portfolio as well as holding practice open events were also a good way of marketing yourself out there.
This was followed by a stop at Dr Kaushik Paul from Mydentist who presented a lecture on career pathways for the modern associates. Dr Paul explained to us the ‘Tale of (my) Five Friends’, a summary on five dentists and their pathways which ranged from practice owner, consultant, and army dentist.
Another eye-opening lecture, demonstrating how a BDS qualification can take you along different routes. He shared with us his own career which included working for the Royal College of Surgeons, University of Birmingham and Septdont. This was only possible for him while holding only a BDS qualification.
After the talk ended, I rushed over to get a grilled cheese sandwich to fuel my energy, because I had been waiting all day for the last lecture coming up.
Highest attendance to date
My final talk did not disappoint at all. I was amongst the rows of students in the Smile Dental Academy Theatre eagerly waiting for Dr Yewande Oduwole.
She was there to deliver a talk on foundation training and early years. Yewande graduated in 2020 and has an exceptional social media following about her work as a dentist.
Agreeable amongst the faces I saw around me, she was delivering key information. This included pros and cons of practice versus dental care training, how to find a practice that suits you after training and what you need as soon as you graduate including completing foundation year successfully.
To no surprise at all, the event had the highest attendance to date and the most amount of CPD hours gained.
Insightful and engaging, the show continues to serve the dental community with information relevant to us all regardless what stage we are at in our careers.
With another event already in the works, it would be wise to save the date and experience a monumental show that many continue to sign up for.
Save the date: The 2024 North of England Dentistry Show is taking place on Saturday 9 March.
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