2020 is not a year we are going to forget; it was a year that tested us mentally, emotionally and financially around the globe.
Normally for work, I travel both nationally and globally, giving lectures on implant maintenance and non-surgical periodontal therapy and COVID put a sudden halt to all of my travels. Whilst I was able to turn some of my lectures into online learning, I suddenly found myself at home with a lot of spare time. Whilst it was great to spend more time with my kids (depending on the day) and not be in and out of airports eating airline meals, I was also feeling bored and missing the mental stimulation that teaching face-to-face brings. So late one night I thought “I should do a podcast”! Not a very original thought since so many other people globally were thinking the same thing. Once I’d decided I really wanted to go ahead with this idea, I realised I had to do it with my fellow dental hygienist Melissa Obrotka and luckily, she was also excited and said YES. If you don’t know who Melissa is, then check her out on Facebook or Instagram - she is an amazing dental hygienist from New Jersey, USA who is passionate and very knowledgeable on so many areas of dentistry. So our podcasting journey began in September 2020; we had zero knowledge on how to make a podcast and thank God for Google! We tried many sites and software with hits and misses and its been a great learning curve on recording, editing and uploading. Five episodes in and we’re starting to get the hang of the technical aspects (finally). I have to say though, the journey so far has been so enjoyable, Melissa and I could talk for hours with each other and we’re loving being able to connect each week and bring in a new guest. We’re excited that we can share information from other hygienists around the world. We want the podcast to be a learning journey for our patients and for ourselves. So far from our guests, I am quickly finding out how much more I need to learn and I find that so exciting. We hope the podcast inspires other dental professionals to continue their learning journey, to feel part of a community and start discussions on how and why we treat our patients. Our biggest aim is to banish “I am doing it this was because I always have” and that we inspire growth and change for ourselves and our listeners. For those who have already listened, thank you so much and if you haven’t, then check us out on Apple, Spotify and all major podcast streaming sites. You can follow Disrupting Dentistry Podcast on Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram.
Wednesday, 12 February, 2025