CATEGORY 42 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST Dr Ti any Chen, founder of e Cusp Collective chats with Andrew Cunich from Cunich Advisory on building wealth in dentistry and what a truly integrated nancial strategy should look like across a career. Dr Chen believes a career you enjoy is the most sustainable one you can build. Because when work gives more than it drains, life gets better. Q What financial risks do women in dentistry often underestimate during strong earning years? Peak earning years often coincide with life transitions such as maternity leave, reduced hours or caring responsibilities. A key risk is assuming income will remain stable, without planning for interruptions, business uctuations, or exibility. Strong earning years are the ideal time to build bu ers, protection, and longterm exibility to future-proof various life stages. Q For practice owners, what financial foundations matter most early on? Successful practice owners begin with a clear end in mind and build a sound business plan to support that vision. Such as improving tax e ciency, protecting personal assets and designing a practice that supports income without full-time chairside work. Well contrasted legal and tax structures are essential, as are strong human resource practices that help create an employerofchoice culture. Securing insurance early, planning longterm succession, and seeking high quality advice provide both protection and exibility as careers and personal priorities evolve. Q What’s the difference between earning well and building real wealth? Having a high income does not automatically translate to long-term wealth. When investing is delayed, spending rises with income, or super contributions are inconsistent, such as during career breaks or when selfemployees do not pay adequate super to themselves, then longterm nancial security can be challenging to obtain. Q How should women dentists think strategically about competing financial priorities? Women often manage multiple priorities concurrently, such as career progression, family, property ownership, personal interests, health and wellbeing, and supporting extended family. When these demands converge, nancial decisions are frequently made in response to immediate pressures rather than as part of a considered sequence. Without a clear framework for prioritisation, this reactive approach can dilute progress and make it harder to align shortterm decisions with longterm goals. Q What’s a practical first financial step toward greater freedom? e rst step is clearly de ning what freedom means to you – whether that’s exibility, nancial security, time with family, or control over how and when you work. From there, seek advice that re ects both your professional strengths and personal priorities. Wealth is rarely built quickly, but early, deliberate decisions have a powerful compounding impact. Waiting often costs more than starting. u Disclaimer: General information only. Not personal nancial advice: is information is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances, objectives or nancial situation. You should seek personalised advice before making any nancial decisions. Andrew Cunich. Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 000343812) of Infocus Securities Australia Pty Ltd ABN 47 097 797 049 AFSL Licence No. 236523 If you’re interested in building a career that gives more than it drains, sign up to Her Side of Dentistry Newsletter via www.thecuspcollective.com.au EVENTS The 11th Fotona Asia Paci c Meeting in Melbourne brought together dental professionals, educators and innovators from across the region for two days centred on hands-on learning and clinical exchange. e dental programme combined lectures, live demonstrations and workshops, covering developments in SWEEPS® endodontics, LightWalker® clinical protocols and SkyPulse® technology. Beyond the presentations, much of the value lay in how these techniques were discussed, tested and interpreted in a practical context, as clinicians considered how they could be integrated into everyday work ows. A distinguished lineup of speakers, including Dr David Barnard, Dr Tim Silbert, Dr Nicole Pingsuan Yeh, Dr Ung Viet Cuong, Dr Angie Papas-Ginis, Dr Phil Hand, Dr Fernando Duarte, Dr Maki Tanaka, Dr Wendy Gill, Dr Jason Pang, Dr Louis Chan, Dr Linhlan Nguyen, and Dr Donny Mandrawa, shared their expertise and experiences, sparking meaningful dialogue across disciplines and borders. A key development highlighted during the meeting was the LA&HA Training Centre Melbourne, which has since opened in early 2026. is dedicated hub for advanced laser education will serve as a cornerstone for continuous learning, supporting clinicians at every stage of their laser journey and strengthening the region’s leadership in dental innovation. As the meeting’s host, Innovative Medical Technologies thanks all speakers, delegates, and partners for making the 11th Fotona Asia Paci c Meeting a truly memorable gathering u Building the future of laser dentistry with Fotona Conference + Connect speakers One-to-one with Cusp Collective speakers Andrew Cunich
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