Natalie Bradley studied at Newcastle Dental School and qualified in June 2014. "I wrote this article based on a talk by Jane Merivale who talked at the FGDP Open Day" "it is an explanation of how complaints come about and how to manage them in practice."

Jennifer studied in Dundee and graduated June 2014. Jennifer says "I wanted to write this article for anyone who felt as nervous and scared as I did before starting my foundation training position, hopefully by writing this - some fears will be put to rest!"

Aisha Ahmed is a third year student at Leeds Dental School. She has written this article to share her experience of clinic life, from the very first patient she treated to when things didn't go according to plan.

This is just one of the many resources that Dental Protection provides for members during the early years of your career. As a member of Dental Protection you receive reduced rates during your first five years following graduation, a range of events including the Young Dentist conference, a dedicated risk management publication, free CPD and access to the online digital library.

Ajay Mehta is currently a BDS3 student at King's College London. He felt passionate about sharing his experiences of the course on reaching halfway and how he has tried to take up every opportunity worth taking at university to help character building.

Joe White is a fifth year student at The University of Sheffield. "I wanted to write this piece to share some rare experiences I had during my "non-orthodox" volunteering experience."

Danielle Dineen graduated from The University of Cork in 2014. She has written this article to share her experience of her time volunteering in Kumasi, Ghana.

Alice Springs: a land shaped by caterpillars, wandering boys, wild dogs, & rivers with no water, and a dental experience as inimitable as the landscape! Sam Osborn is a recent dental graduate. In this article he provides a brief insight into his time as a locum Dental Officer in Alice Springs, in an attempt to illustrate the professional, cultural, and social opportunities that exist in remote areas of Australia.

In the depths of winter my time spent providing dentistry in the Peruvian Amazon this summer seems very far away. But what an amazing experience it was!

If you are a member of Dental Protection and you need advice following a complaint, you have access to our expert team of dento-legal advisers.

We are unique in that we are the only UK-based defence organisation serving 64,000 dental members worldwide. This gives us a wide experience and may make it possible for your membership to travel with you.

Milan Chande graduated from the University of Manchester in 2014. As a passionate user of technology, I feel there are many ways in which Young Dentists can help improve the level of service offered to patients at dental practices.

Ciara graduated from University College Cork in 2013, from there she completed foundation training on the Charing Cross scheme in London. Ciara is now in her DCT1 year in maxillofacial surgery in Northampton General Hospital.

Surinder Poonian graduated from Sheffield in 2011 and completed her DFY1 placement on the Whipps Cross Scheme based in London.  After this she worked as an oral surgery DFY2. She has since worked as a locum GDP and is now doing a CDP post in restorative dentistry. Surinder is one of the young dentist representatives within the Metropolitan Branch of the BDA.

Dental Protection dento-legal adviser and practising dentist, Dr Raj Rattan, advises young dentists to be aware of the factors that can lead to sub-optimal care legal pitfalls in practice that could result in patient litigation.

Treatment of your first patient is, without doubt, one of the biggest hurdles in the dental career pathway. Kalpesh Prajapat a fourth year Dental Student, shares his experience on the invasive treatment of his first paediatric patient; highlighting the fundamentals to success.

An injection of local anaesthetic or the provision of high concentration fluoride products are procedures that are controlled by the Medicines Act 1968 because they involve the use of prescription-only medicines (POMs). This means they can only be prescribed by a suitably qualified prescriber. The General Dental Council has no influence over this legislation and it is quite separate from the direct access regulations introduced in May 2013.

Dental Protection is disappointed to see that a recent Which? report on dental treatment and costs oversimplifies a complex and highly individual range of treatment options and undermines the relationship between the patient and their dentist.

When the practice receives a complaint it must acknowledge the complaint not later than 3 working days after the day on which it was received. At the same time, an offer must be made to discuss with the patient the handling of the complaint and the likely period for the investigation and response.

A young dentist shares his experience of foundation training and how to provide the best patient care to achieve a happy patient.

Owning your own practice is seen by many as a natural career progression and it can be rewarding both financially and professionally. Whilst you must seek professional advice, here are some of the key points you should consider in what will be one of the biggest decisions you will make...

Hannah Morison graduated from Cardiff Dental School in 2012. Hannah currently works as an SHO in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Northern Ireland. She has also undertaken a year of training as an SHO in Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.