Your Dental Besties

What happens when you achieve the career you worked so hard for… and then start wondering what comes next?
In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben are joined by Anna Middleton, aka The London Hygienist, for a brilliantly open conversation about career evolution, personal branding, working with major brands, burnout, boreout and learning to redefine success.
Anna shares how she built her profile long before “dental influencer” was even a thing, why authenticity has been central to the partnerships she chooses, and why having a clear purpose matters far more than simply chasing followers.
But this conversation goes much deeper than social media.
The three discuss the psychological pressures of working in dentistry, hitting a perceived career ceiling, feeling overstimulated, learning to set boundaries and recognising when the constant cycle of achieving the next goal is no longer making you happy.
Anna also reveals how stepping outside dentistry, including discovering a passion for poker, challenged her confidence, pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped her reconnect with parts of herself that had nothing to do with teeth.
From knowing your “why” and protecting your energy to getting a hobby, doing a life audit and giving yourself permission to slow down, this episode is a reminder that your career can be an important part of your life without having to become your entire identity.
And sometimes, growth isn't about doing more.
It might be about figuring out what you actually want next.

What does it actually take to be exceptional in dentistry?
In this episode, Claire and Ben are joined by Adrian for a fascinating conversation that goes far beyond clinical dentistry.
They explore the power of storytelling, public speaking and human connection, why trust matters more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world, and how small changes can completely transform the patient experience.
The conversation also tackles some of the pressures facing dentistry today- like packed diaries, efficiency targets, clinician burnout and the danger of focusing so heavily on productivity that we lose the very thing patients value: feeling seen, heard and cared for.
But perhaps the biggest message is about courage.
Because being exceptional means being the exception. It means being willing to question how things have always been done, explore new ideas, create better environments and sometimes become the “rogue bee” who takes a different path.
Whether you're a clinician, practice owner, educator or simply someone who wants to do things differently, this episode will make you think about what exceptional really looks like.
🐝 Be the rogue bee.
Have the courage to be exceptional.

What happens when one of the biggest names in technology enters the dental world?
In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben get into the launch of the Dyson toothbrush- from AI, cameras and water flossing to the much bigger question of what evidence actually sits behind the products we recommend.
They discuss the growing influence of social media and influencer marketing on oral-health advice, why a huge following doesn’t necessarily equal clinical credibility, and why dental professionals need to be able to look beyond the headline and interrogate the evidence for themselves.
The conversation moves into water flossers, misleading interpretations of research, fluoride and mouthwash, stannous fluoride, Tooth Mousse and why oral-care recommendations should never be one-size-fits-all.
Plus, Claire and Ben reveal that they’re heading back to university together to study for a PGCert in Menopause Medicine, and are already questioning how they’re going to fit it all in.
A proper Dental Besties conversation: evidence, opinions, clinical reality and a few questionable analogies along the way.

Do you ever finish a day in clinic and replay your appointments in your head, wondering what you could have done differently?
In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben tackle a question from a newly qualified clinician who feels incompetent, constantly overthinks their appointments and struggles to switch off after work.
They talk honestly about clinical confidence, comparison, CPD, mentorship and why asking another clinician for help isn't a weakness. From periodontal cases that simply won't stabilise to knowing when you've reached the limits of what you can achieve, they explore something clinicians at every stage of their career can probably relate to: you aren't supposed to know everything.
They also discuss the challenges of periodontal referrals, why some patients refuse specialist care, communicating the seriousness of periodontal disease and the value of having trusted colleagues to bounce difficult cases off.
And because this is Your Dental Besties, things inevitably go slightly off track, including a broken-down car, a "baby mole" that definitely wasn't a mole, and Ben deliberately giving himself gingivitis in the name of curiosity.
An honest, funny and reassuring conversation about dentistry, confidence and accepting that we're all still learning.
If you enjoy the episode, follow Your Dental Besties and don't forget to like, comment and share.

With more dental hygiene and therapy programmes opening across the UK, Claire and Ben ask a big question: what does the future of the profession actually look like?
In this episode of Your Dental Besties, they imagine what they would include if they could design their own dental hygiene and therapy education from scratch- from oral-systemic health, women's health and behaviour change to mentoring, cultural competence and preparing clinicians for the realities of working in practice.
The conversation also turns to something many hygienists may be wondering: do you need to become a dental therapist to progress?
Claire explains why she actively chooses to be a dental hygienist and why she doesn't believe hygienists should feel they are being left behind, while Ben shares his experience of working across both hygiene and therapy and why progression doesn't have to look the same for everyone.
They discuss working to the top of your scope, finding the area of dentistry you're genuinely passionate about, the changing role of the hygienist and therapist, and what could happen if both professions were utilised properly within the dental team.
Because perhaps career progression isn't always about adding another qualification.
Sometimes it's about becoming exceptionally good at the job you already love.
Your Dental Besties- making dentistry fun!