When I graduated from university in 1998, the internet was in its early stages and social media was in the distant future, and the yellow pages (Google it if you’re under 30) was still a place where I would go to try and find out about business contacts.

There are many challenges facing the modern dentist today. It does not really matter if you are a dentist just beginning your career or a senior practitioner with a network of clinics. These challenges all boil down to a few simple commonalities: we all have to keep our patients happy, and we all have to keep them coming back.

This was a very busy week for me, with two great trips, the opportunity to participate in exciting events, alongside networking with amazing colleagues from around the globe that share my passion for all things dentistry.

When I first heard about clear aligners in the early 2000s (the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of clear aligners to straighten teeth in 1980), it must have sounded like science fiction. The fact that it was created in Silicon Valley by people who had nothing to do with the dental industry, in seeking solutions that do not require complicated appliances in the mouth, is really an incredible story.