Graduating dental school brings the feeling of relief and excitement that you have finally succeeded. The long stressful journey of exams, case presentations and trying to find patients to complete your treatment quotas is now over, you've finally done it, and you have obtained your BDS qualification.

Some thoughts from Michael Lessani on life after dental school.

This article gives advice as to the questions you need to ask before accepting your first associate job.

As you throw your graduation caps in the air, don't you suddenly realise that the world is so wide that you wish you were still...

The people we work with, the materials, instruments and equipment we use and the dental laboratories with whom we work, and professional colleagues to whom we refer patients or who refer patients to us, are all part of our clinical routine and ‘comfort zone’.

When you leave dental school, you think that the world is your oyster and that you will never ever have to worry about work.

When I graduated from Birmingham in 2003 the dental career route was simple.

There are many young practitioners who seem to think that working in private dentistry must be the equivalent of living in Utopia.

Dentistry is considered one of the one of the most stressful of the health professions. Here are some useful tips for avoiding the effects of stress.

Finbar O'Mahony reflects on his first six months in dental practice and gives advice on overcoming the challenges both in performing the dentistry and dealing with your patients.

General Dental Practice is an area of work that demands a complex set of skills and knowledge. Vocational Training (VT) in Scotland or Foundation Training (FT) in England and Wales is the established means of developing these skills in newly qualified dentists.

Sami Stagnell explains his experiences working in his first practice.

Asking for payment, explaining costly treatments and broaching the subject of bad debts can all be difficult and unfamiliar in the early years of practice. Whilst at dental school, many undergraduates transform the business of asking for money almost into an art form; with the bank manager's direct line stored prominently in the mobile in case urgent funding for an emergency (such as an elective in Aruba) is instantly required! However, on graduating and moving into practice, some dentists find themselves feeling strangely uncomfortable when it comes to asking for payment.

Leaving one dental practice and starting afresh is an exciting time, especially when you have a long career in front of you that is full of opportunities. It may therefore seem odd to be thinking about how you are going to leave a practice when some of you are only just beginning to settle in, but there are some important considerations to keep in mind for the future.

Corporate dentistry has taken an increasing share of the NHS dental market since the inception of nGDS in 2006. The largest player, IDH, has slowly and quietly acquired more and more practices and contracts.

This article critiques working in a regionally based versus a metropolitan practice in the early phase of your dental career, highlighting the adventures, advantages and pitfalls of each.

Hints and Tips Final year is a lot more relaxed than 4th year but still it doesn't mean that you don't need to do any work. Get your revision started in plenty of time as most of the clinics will not finish until half 4 or 5 so if you are on outreach then you won't get back home until quite a bit later. Time is precious so use it wisely.

Raising finance for purchasing a practice is becoming more difficult, despite funds being available and European finance guarantees in place to assist.

The VT process is always changing and it is always under review. Do not make any assumptions and especially don't rely on information from last years candidates.Thoroughly research into the different Deaneries/Postgraduate Centres and their procedures

Many students have limited professional interview experience, so applying for a job as an FD can be a little scary. Your future rides on a 20 minute interview! So, how to maximise your chances of getting the job you really want? Let’s start by asking what a Trainer wants in an FD?

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