CATEGORY 22 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST EVENTS Reviewing entries for the inaugural Australian Dentistry Awards was a lesson in humility. Across the six categories I assessed – Charity/Community Practice, New Practice, Practice Design and Brand, Sustainability, Website of the Year, and Treatment of Nervous Patients – what struck me the most was how deeply embedded care was in every decision, from clinic layout to digital interfaces to community outreach. Excellence wasn’t announced with fanfare; it was evident in compost bins that included autoclave pouch paper, websites that anticipated patient anxiety before the first click, and solar panels that had quietly paid for themselves over a decade. Design as an act of care In Practice Design and Brand, one entry transformed a heritage building into a calm, modern clinic. Vaulted brick ceilings remained, but so did thoughtful details: garden views at eye level in treatment rooms, acoustics tuned to soften clinical noise, and a complete absence of antiseptic smells. Another new practice built its identity around clarity – consistent typography, restrained colour, and language that avoided jargon entirely. Their website, waiting room, and follow-up communications all spoke in the same calm, human voice, reinforcing trust at every touchpoint. Sustainability woven into daily operations The Sustainability submission from one practice detailed a 144-panel solar array that has generated 340 megawatt-hours over 10.5 years – saving 445,000 kilograms of CO2, equivalent to nearly 9 million “black balloons” of emissions. They’ve installed 17,000 litres of rainwater tanks (painted with Victoria’s endangered species like the helmeted honeyeater and Baw Baw frog), compost 14 waste streams – including autoclave pouch paper – and work with suppliers like SDI and Henry Schein to reduce packaging. Sustainability isn’t a side project. Staff “plog” (jog while picking up litter) around Akoonah Park. Patients bring in old toothbrushes for Terracycle recycling. The lead dentist has spoken at Men’s Sheds, the FDI World Dental Congress, and influenced nearby businesses to install solar panels. Their environmental policy isn’t tucked away – it’s part of their identity. Community as continuity In Charity/Community Practice, the strongest entries reflected long-term engagement. One described regular outreach to remote towns as core to their mission, not an annual event. Another detailed school partnerships and free care for people who’d avoided dentists for years. A handwritten note from a patient who hadn’t been able to chew solid food in over a decade summed it up: “I can eat an apple again.” That kind of impact doesn’t happen in a day. It’s built through consistency, presence, and respect. Anxiety met with structure and innovation For Treatment of Nervous Patients, one practice uses trauma-informed protocols that include cognitive behavioural therapy, Australian Dentistry Awards The Quiet work of excellence Judging the inaugural Australian Dentistry Awards revealed not a contest of accolades, but a profession grounded in purpose – where care, creativity, and commitment show up in ways both visible and unseen. By Danny Chan
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