Dear fellow colleagues, friends,
ladies and gentlemen, it was
fantastic to witness a very positive
response to our first two editions of
DentaltownUK, which featured some
incredible content from many of the
top figures in UK dentistry.
It also showcased the great work
done by Zain Hameed, Awais Ali,
Lawrence Sharkey, Ajay Mehta, Aditi
Goel, Sahil Sharma, all very positive
and inspiring members of the dental
D e n t a l t o w nU K i n c lu d e s a
student section because we truly
believe that it is important for
t he f ut u re generat ion of t he
profession to share idea s a nd
opinions with their more experienced
It also provides an excellent
importance of a work/life balance
whilst embarking on a dental
educ ationa l progra mme, a nd
discuss food, hobbies, style, travel
and student experiences that can
happen outside the clinical and
This section features a look into
the lives of Arjun Puri, a student
studying in Madrid, as well as
Sunmeet Kandhari, a student at
King's College London. We also take
a look at the elegantly written article
on stress management by Mohammad
Moinuddin, as he shares with us his
key points in overcoming stress as
a dental student and balancing his
hobbies with his dental education.
I also share with you all some key
tips that I've learnt on the subject
of public speaking, and hope that
it serves as a useful learning tool or
gentle refresher.
Modern dentistry demands that
high levels of quality work be done
in a short amount of time. Your
patients, colleagues and clinical
treatment must also be managed
effectively. All of these factors can
add to your stress load.
Many dentists and students that I
speak to report: feeling inadequate for
the task, boredom, a need to develop
extreme attention to detail and the
continuous striving for absolutely
perfect restorations, and challenges
regarding treating patients who are
Challenges regarding developing
professional relationships between
team members and fighting off
eyestrain, back and neck problems
also create important considerations
However, stress is not always a
bad thing. Small amounts of stress
are great efficiency boosters, which
increase performance. However,
surplus amounts can have dangerous
effects on health. I am sure that
you will enjoy this edition of
DentaltownUK; it's packed with
some great content from very special
individuals in the profession. Please
do engage with our message boards
and let us know about your thoughts.
We'd love to hear from you! ■
hen we see and hear some of the
best public speakers on the planet,
we automatically assume that they
were born that way. Whilst some
individuals may be born with a gift, the art
of public speaking is not a gift but an ongoing
and developing characteristic. There are many
courses out there that may help you to leave
your audiences spellbound, but the following
is an account of my experiences and learning
in the art of engaging audiences.
I'm not an expert in the field but I've
been privileged to put on talks with some
high-profile dentists in the UK, and I've
represented the UK on two occasions at
international conferences and taken the
stage several times at national conferences.
I don't believe there is any secret to public
speaking, but having a few tips and tricks in
mind can help.
Here are some of my top tips for engaging
audiences. Keep them in mind when you next
have a public speaking engagement.
Be yourself. In normal day-to-day
conversations we have no problem
being ourselves, but when the time comes
to stand up and deliver a speech,
something dramatically changes! We shift
our focus from our content and ourselves
to the public audience. I believe that to
engage an audience effectively we must
focus on the speaking and let go of the
public. My mentors have shared several
tricks such as imagining the audience all
naked, but I find that imagining I'm
talking to myself without anyone listening
works best. I blank out the environment.
By doing so, I feel much more relaxed and
able to deliver a great speech. Don't be put