We are Ben & Claire, not your typical oral health experts and this isn't a regular dental industry podcast. We are here to have FUN and brighten up your commute, ease your workout at the gym or join you on a walk. We want you to love what you do, so we sometimes talk teeth but we always talk wisdom. Join us for a chat, stay for the lols
Is dentistry becoming too focused on how many patients we can see, how quickly we can treat them and how much money we can make?
In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben get into a conversation about something they are both increasingly passionate about: slowing dentistry down and giving patients the time, attention and care they deserve.
From the pressures of busy appointment books and the realities of clinical fatigue to the importance of professional autonomy, they question whether the drive for efficiency is sometimes getting in the way of delivering the best possible outcomes.
They also explore how the role of the dental hygienist could evolve beyond traditional appointments, incorporating systemic health screening, women's health, risk assessment and a more collaborative approach to patient care.
Along the way, they discuss the latest technology in periodontal treatment, including dental endoscopy, the benefits of magnification, empowering dental nurses to develop their skills and why clinical experience can completely change the way we approach treatment.
And, of course, it wouldn't be Your Dental Besties without a few unexpected tangents, including cold sores, awkward patient conversations and Ben contemplating a little cosmetic surgery!
The big question is: are we giving patients what they want, or what they actually need?
An open, funny and thought-provoking conversation about clinical standards, professional confidence and why sometimes doing more for our patients means seeing fewer of them.
🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.
Do you think dentistry is becoming too focused on productivity, or are longer appointments the way forward?
12 Oct 2026
STOP WAITING FOR PERMISSION | With Irene Iancu
What happens when you stop waiting for someone else to create the career you want?
In this episode, Claire and Ben are joined by Canadian dental hygienist, educator and practice owner Irene Iancu for a conversation that goes far beyond dental hygiene.
Irene shares how frustration with the limitations of traditional practice eventually led her to build her own. From designing a completely different patient experience and creating clinical systems, to investing in technology, education and her own team, this is a brilliant look at what can happen when hygienists start thinking differently about their role.
The conversation explores autonomy, burnout and “boreout”, practice ownership, clinical innovation, AI, patient-centred care and why doing things the way they have always been done might not be good enough anymore.
They also get into the bigger conversation around oral and systemic health, perimenopause, healthcare collaboration and why dental hygienists could have an important role in bridging the gap between dentistry and medicine.
And perhaps the biggest takeaway?
You don't have to completely transform your career overnight. Start by becoming 1% better, asking better questions and taking more ownership of the clinician you want to become.
A big, bold conversation about the future of dental hygiene, and why sometimes you have to stop waiting for permission to change it.
Follow Irene on Insta @toothlife.irene
5 Oct 2026
NOBODY TALKS ABOUT THIS SIDE OF DENTISTRY… | With Laura Bailey
What does it actually take to become a better clinician?
In this episode of Your Dental Besties, Claire and Ben are joined by dental therapist Laura Bailey for a very honest conversation about the side of dentistry we don't always see online...... the mistakes, the investment, the constant learning and the reality of putting yourself out there.
Laura opens up about returning to education more than a decade into her career, why learning more about occlusion completely changed the way she looks at restorative dentistry, and the uncomfortable realisation that sometimes the more you learn, the more you recognise what you didn't know before.
She also shares an incredibly honest clinical story about something going wrong during a composite case and why choosing to tell the patient, remove the work and start again ultimately created one of her most loyal patients.
The conversation moves into launching courses, investing thousands before seeing a return, struggling with uptake and the reality behind building something new when social media often only shows us the success story.
Claire, Ben and Laura also talk about confidence, mentorship, investing in yourself, juggling far too many projects and why being a healthcare professional means accepting that learning never really stops.
And because this is Your Dental Besties, somehow the conversation eventually descends into broken feet, questionable things found between patients' teeth and some dental stories you probably don't want to hear over lunch…
An honest, funny and very real conversation about learning, failing, growing and why sometimes the experiences that don't go perfectly are the ones that teach us the most.
Who has been a guest on Your Dental Besties
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Gareth Fitchett
Lauren
Catherine
Sophie Lianne
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
441
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
53 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
72
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
51
Contact Your Dental Besties
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Your Dental Besties
Who hosts Your Dental Besties?
Ben and Claire host the show. Published by Claire Louise & Ben.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Your Dental Besties take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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