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Tackling the technician shortage: Matt Everatt asks a panel of experts if attracting people to dental technology is achievable. At this year’s North of England Dentistry Show, a panel discussion addressed the alarming decline in the number of dental technicians entering and remaining in the profession. Hosted by Matt Everatt, the discussion brought together lab…
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Matt Everatt explains why he believes the GDC is ‘heavy-handed’ and ‘overly punitive’ in its regulation of dental technicians – and the GDC responds. The General Dental Council (GDC) plays an important role in safeguarding patients and maintaining trust in dental services. However, when it comes to its approach to regulating dental technicians, the GDC…
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With not long left until the 2025 Dentistry Awards deadline, Matt Everatt shares how to enter and why the dental lab community should get involved. I know awards can divide opinion. I make no apologies about this, but I love them. Some see them as a genuine mark of excellence, while others remain sceptical, believing…
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Planning to give your employees a Christmas bonus? Matt Everatt shares the tax implications involved. As the festive season approaches, many employees might find themselves hoping for a Christmas bonus or gift from their employer. If you’re a lab or practice owner, you might be thinking of how to reward your team in the most…
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Matt Everatt pens a poignant poem ahead of the festive season, addressing the feeling of disillusionment across UK dental labs. I have been writing about the dwindling numbers of dental technicians over the last few years. Despite my ever-positive outlook on our profession, I cannot ignore the voices and noises made by my peers. Just…
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Matt Everatt looks at what yesterday’s autumn budget announcement means for UK dental laboratories. Dental laboratories in the UK, like many small businesses, have been hit hardest in this autumn’s budget, and will face a challenging financial landscape in the coming months. In the 2024 autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced big changes to national…
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Matt Everatt predicts when dental technicians will cease to exist and whether the workforce’s steady decline is reversible. Following the new CPD cycle and payment of the ARF, the General Dental Council (GDC) has released the latest figures on the number of registered dental care professionals. Every group has increased in numbers with the stark…
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Matt Everatt shares the importance of celebrating and recognising the unsung heroes of dentistry: dental technicians and clinical dental technicians. I would like to offer a massive ‘high five’ to my colleagues and peers this CDT and Dental Technician Appreciation Month. It is more than just a date on the calendar, it’s a heartfelt acknowledgment…
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With a worsening recruitment crisis, Matt Everatt questions the future of dental technology – are we able to train more dental technicians in time? Just over a year ago, I wrote my third article about the decline in numbers of dental technicians. With recruitment still being an issue, I thought a follow up was long…
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Matt Everatt discusses what he has learned from his side hustles and how they can improve your mental health. What is a ‘side hustle’? I’m not talking about moonlighting or, as us northerners say, ‘a fiddle job’. A side hustle is an additional job or activity that someone takes on alongside their primary source of…
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Perfection paralysis: Matt Everatt discusses the importance of embracing failure rather than hiding from it, and the positive change this can have for your team. A couple of years ago I wrote an article about how, in dentistry, the fear of failure can lead to stifling innovation. Our clinical colleagues may fear failure for reasons…
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You may be fortunate to have a few clients on your doorstep. But, as Matt Everatt warns, if you ever need to go looking for new clients, you might want to follow these crucial steps… ‘We can often fall into the habit of thinking every customer thinks or buys the same way you do…’ Back…
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The College of General Dentistry has awarded fellowships to dental technicians and clinical dental technicians for their contributions to the profession. On Thursday 15 June, the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) awarded fellowships to UK dental technicians (DTs) and clinical dental technicians (CDTs). This was in recognition of their contributions to the profession. Amongst those…
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As May marks Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month, Matt Everatt sheds light on what this unfamiliar and misunderstood condition is and why the dental profession should be aware of it. My wife has recently been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder. EDS is characterised by joint hyper-mobility, skin hyper-extensibility and variable…
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With the recent announcement that Bupa will be closing more than 80 of its NHS practices, Matt Everatt discusses what this means for the dental laboratory sector and dental technicians. Bupa Dental Care has announced its plans to close, sell or merge 85 dental practices in the UK due to the ‘national shortage of dentists…
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We speak to Matt Everatt, technical director at S4S, about how S4S got through the COVID lockdown and what dental labs must do to survive in the future. How did lockdown affect S4S? COVID-19 affected everyone. There was absolutely zero work coming in and we were closed for three months in the end. We started…
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Matt Everatt explains what to do if you find a competitor is stealing ideas from your practice. A phrase many us have heard in regards to copycats or people stealing ideas was coined by Charles Caleb Colton, in 1820: ‘Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.’ To imitate is to flatter without necessarily being aware one…
