James Goolnik on becoming chair of the Private Dentistry Awards

Summary

In this engaging conversation, Dr. AJ shares his passion for purple branding and its impact on his practice, before diving into his role as Chairman of the Private Dentistry Awards. He explains the meticulous judging process, highlighting the importance of following criteria, providing recent evidence, and ensuring independent, transparent scoring. The discussion emphasizes how the awards benefit practices, teams, and the wider dental industry by raising standards, fostering innovation, and enhancing patient care. Dr. AJ also outlines his vision for the awards’ future, including increased entries, more video content, community engagement, and celebrating excellence while inspiring others to elevate their practice.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Purple is a signature color for the guest, representing uniqueness, aspiration, and personal branding in dentistry.
• 🏆 The guest is the new chairman of the Private Dentistry Awards (PDA) for 2025, taking over from David Houston.
• 📈 PDA entries have become increasingly professional, with digital submissions, well-presented documentation, and higher overall standards.
• 👩‍⚖️ The judging process is structured, transparent, and evidence-based, with judges checking for conflicts of interest and scoring entries out of 10.
• 🤝 Judges work in pairs, usually one clinician and one non-clinician, and make unanimous decisions wherever possible, with the chairman resolving ties.
• 🌟 The awards encourage dental teams to improve patient care, invest in technology, and give back to their communities through charity and engagement.
• 📊 Entering awards helps young dentists build portfolios, improve marketing, and develop professional skills while elevating the overall industry standard.
• 🎥 Future awards will likely see increased use of video submissions, including patient testimonials and community outreach efforts.
• 💡 Judges learn from entries, discovering innovative practices and techniques that they can integrate into their own practices.
• 🥂 The awards foster networking, positivity, and celebration within the dental community, benefiting both entrants and the broader industry.

Q & A

Why does the host favor purple in their practice and personal branding?

The host favors purple because it is regal, aspirational, and unique compared to traditional dentistry colors like blue and green. Purple was initially expensive and hard to match, which also contributed to its aspirational quality. Over time, the host's preference for purple influenced trends in dental practice design.

What is the significance of the Private Dentistry Awards?

The Private Dentistry Awards recognize and reward excellence in dental practices and professionals. They aim to raise industry standards, improve patient care, encourage community involvement, and foster professional growth among dental teams.

How does the entry process for the Private Dentistry Awards work?

Participants submit entries according to strict criteria, including correct format, word count, and category. Entries are screened, shortlisted, and then independently evaluated by judges based on standardized marking sheets. Evidence must be recent, typically from the last 18 months.

What measures are taken to ensure fairness in judging?

Judges are independent and checked for conflicts of interest, ensuring they do not evaluate practices they are affiliated with. Entries are graded systematically, judged in pairs (clinician and non-clinician), and discussions are held to reach unanimous decisions.

How does participating in the awards benefit dental practices?

Participation helps practices benchmark their performance, reflect on patient care, invest in equipment, improve team skills, and enhance their reputation. It also provides opportunities for marketing, recruitment, and building professional portfolios.

What role does community involvement play in the awards?

Community involvement is highly encouraged. Practices are recognized for charitable work and outreach, which contributes to their overall score and demonstrates their commitment to giving back beyond patient care.

How are winners of each category determined?

Winners are selected based on graded criteria, including quality of entry, evidence, presentation, and patient outcomes. Judges debate scores, reach a unanimous decision, and in the case of close calls, the chairman makes the final determination.

What impact do the awards have on younger dentists?

Younger dentists benefit by building professional portfolios, improving skills like photography and case documentation, enhancing their CVs, and gaining visibility. The awards encourage them to develop their practices and community contributions early in their careers.

What changes or innovations are expected in the future of the awards?

The chairman aims to increase entries by 20%, promote more video submissions and testimonials, encourage wider community outreach, and showcase winning practices with multimedia content to highlight the effort and processes involved.

How do the awards contribute to raising standards across the dental industry?

The awards motivate practices to improve patient care, invest in new technologies, adopt better procedures, and learn from top performers. Judges also learn best practices during evaluation, creating a ripple effect that benefits patients, teams, and the broader industry.

Why is transparency emphasized in the judging process?

Transparency ensures fairness, credibility, and trust in the awards. It allows judges to follow consistent criteria, address conflicts of interest, and provide constructive feedback to entrants, helping everyone improve and maintain high standards.

How does the awards process encourage holistic practice development?

By reviewing entries, practices consider every aspect of patient care, team growth, marketing, community work, and technology investments. This reflection promotes a comprehensive approach to developing a well-rounded and high-performing dental practice.