After an inspiring day with over 430 delegates, we report back from the recent Mismile conference to find out why the community continues to go from strength to strength.
There are several growing communities within the dental profession, with many promising support, growth and networking opportunities.
In what can often seem a lonely profession, a supportive network could make or break a dental practice or career. And with a profession under more pressure than ever before, it’s become almost essential for clinicians to find the support and guidance that’s right them.
One of the fastest growing and most supportive networks comes in the form of the Mismile community.
Dr Sandeep Kumar is the founder of Mismile, recently hosting over 430 guests – or Mismilers – at the seventh Mismile Annual Conference & Community Awards Gala in central London.
The theme for the day was ‘It’s time to thrive’. And after surviving numerous ‘crises’ within dentistry and the highest inflation rates in recent memory, delegates and speakers at the event were eager to share tips on moving from surviving to thriving.
‘I wanted to create some positivity,’ Dr Kumar said. ‘I wanted to create an atmosphere where we accept the challenges, but think outside the box and even see a condition where we can start to thrive.
‘Last year, we had about 270 people attend. This year, we have nearly 450.
‘The community is growing, and the message is that we can work together to help each other. That’s been the focus of the community from day one. And today, we’re taking it to the next level.’
Overcoming adversity
The conference included speakers from completely different backgrounds, but with one common underlying theme: how to overcome adversity.
Sandeep himself discussed his journey from India to the UK. This included how he had to retrain after his dental qualifications weren’t recognised by the GDC in the UK, and then his journey from purchasing his first practice to creating the Mismile Network.
He shared his six key takeaway points that practices need to implement in order to thrive. Most of all, he emphasised the point that clinicians within the room needed to find their ‘obsession with Invisalign’ – because that’s when they will see the growth.
British explorer, Lucy Shepherd, followed Sandeep and discussed the difficulties she faced while exploring the unknown rainforest in Guyana, South America.
She took the opportunity to point out that we are all explorers – whether we’re trekking through unmapped rainforests or embracing new technologies while running a dental practice; exploring is all about embracing the unknown.
Markus Sebastian and Sreelakshmi Kolli from Align Technology rounded off the morning session. They explained to delegates where Align is heading over the next few years and how the target is to innovate constantly and reduce patient timelines to just a few days.
‘This is a great opportunity for us to meet more than 400 Invisalign ambassadors and express our gratitude for their partnership and trust in us,’ Markus explained.
‘But it’s also an opportunity to share what our plans are for the future and listen to them about how we can become better in the future.
‘From the conversations I’ve had so far, I understand we need to focus on speeding up our workflow and make working with Align more seamless.’
‘They’re going to change your life’
Following the morning of lectures there was an opportunity for breakout sessions with Dr Mark Hughes giving a Smile Architect masterclass and Lucy Patel giving the practice team an open day and patient experience workshop.
But one of the highlights from the day was Sandeep hosting one of his Mastering your Invisalign Business podcasts live on stage with Andy Acton, Justin Leigh, Sam Hainsworth and Laura Johnson.
The enjoyable session touched on secrets learned from running a business. Following the podcast, Sandeep announced the launch of his Podcast Live, and season three soon to be launched.
‘I came along because I like being around like-minded positive people first and foremost,’ Teodora Todorova, attendee and dentist from Bristol, said.
‘I really like Sandeep, his attitude towards work ethics and life.
‘But the whole atmosphere and spirit of people here today is so energising and uplifting. It’s been brilliant.
‘The day is full of life, work and business knowledge from completely different perspectives. There’s Sandeep discussing it, Lucy discussing it. They all talk about challenges and accepting their challenges utilising teamwork, trusting relationships. They’re all different perspectives that meet in the middle.
‘For anybody who isn’t a part of the Mismile community, join it!
‘Trust the system Mismile offer you, trust the experience. They’re going to change your life!’
A buzzing atmosphere
After the day of lectures, the atmosphere was buzzing in the evening for the awards’ gala dinner.
With such an inspiring day fresh in the mind, this was an opportunity to reward practices that have already started on their Mismile journey.
The big winners on the night included:
- Mismile Network Practice of the Year – Cathedral Dental and Abbey House Dental
- Biggest Case Volume and Outstanding Contribution to Operation Smile – Diamond Smile
- Team of the Year – Dental Perfection
- Best Patient Conversion – Octagon Dental.
‘I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Mismile team. Without them, we couldn’t have hosted this day,’ Sandeep concluded.
‘And we thank Align Technology for all their trust and support.
‘But most of all I’d like to thank all the Mismilers. Without them, this doesn’t exist.
‘Finally, let’s stop thinking about surviving – let’s start thinking about thriving.’
To find out more about MiSmile, simply visit www.mismile.co.uk/join.
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
