The Dental Leadership Network: A view from early career dentists

We asked Dara and Simi from Budding Black Dentists to share their experience of attending the Dental Leadership Network in November 2025.

Being one of the few early career dental professionals in the room - Dara

Simi and I recently had the opportunity to attend the 10th Dental Leadership Network (DLN) event hosted by the General Dental Council. One of the first things we became aware of was that we were among relatively few early-career dental professionals in a room of more than 100 attendees. The audience included the four Chief Dental Officers, the Minister of State for Care, and many other leaders who play pivotal roles in shaping the future of dentistry in the UK.

Once the initial nerves settled, I was encouraged by how welcoming and open the environment was. Many of the people we spoke with had decades of experience across different parts of the profession, compared to my own experience as someone only a few months post-Foundation Training and newly stepping into associate life. Despite this, I was frequently asked for my perspective as a young dentist on the challenges early career clinicians face, the support we need, and how the profession can evolve to better serve both clinicians and patients. It genuinely felt like a safe space to share honest views.

I left the event feeling inspired and better informed. I gained insight into areas I had never previously considered, such as how government funding is allocated to new prevention strategies aimed at tackling dental disease. My biggest takeaway was the importance of early career dentists being part of these conversations. The policies and strategies being developed today will shape the profession we are building our careers in, and it is vital that our voices contribute meaningfully as we work collectively to improve patient care.

Shaping the future of dentistry: Policy, prevention and representation - Simi

The Dental Leadership Network event provided a valuable opportunity to hear clear, actionable strategic insights from the Minister of State for Care on improving dental care across the UK. The focus on strengthening prevention and ensuring timely access to urgent dental services was particularly encouraging. At Budding Black Dentists (BBD) Network, a non-profit organisation founded in 2020, we actively promote oral hygiene in schools and community groups through our outreach programmes, so it was inspiring to see these priorities reflected at a national level. It was also really valuable to hear from the four Chief Dental Officers, who shared updates on their ongoing work, the challenges they face and their future priorities for dentistry within their respective regions.

As someone interested in the intersection of policy and public dental health, I found Rebecca Harris’ talk on the mechanics of policy-making particularly insightful. One key takeaway was the recurring challenge of spending significant time defining problems, rather than progressing towards reasoned, politically achievable solutions.

The group exercise at the end of the event, where attendees worked collaboratively in teams, provided a valuable space to explore current challenges and potential solutions in dentistry. It was interesting to hear how leaders across the profession approach complex issues and balance competing priorities. It would have been great to see more early career dentists in this space to give them the chance to engage in thought-provoking discussions that are rarely part of day-to-day clinical practice.

Overall, the event was an excellent opportunity to build relationships with influential figures across dentistry and to act as a bridge between lived experiences and national leadership. The discussions were timely, relevant and genuinely engaging. They reinforced why it is important for organisations like BBD Network to engage with the Dental Leadership Network on an ongoing basis. Our organisation is committed to supporting, developing and amplifying the voices of dental students and early career professionals from underrepresented backgrounds.

Creating pathways into leadership, policy engagement and specialist careers is part of our goal to ensure that the future dental workforce is both diverse and representative of the communities it serves.