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Orthodontics Education, Evolved.

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A Simple Woman, Dentist & Orthodontist

Vandana KatyalBOSS News, Dr Katyal’s Publications

This is a story of a simple woman, dentist and an orthodontist, and now a dentapreuner(!!not sure what it means) who was caught up in a web of frustration and decided to BREAK FREE! I graduated from Dentistry in 2001 and Orthodontics 2013. I was a general dentist for 9 years. Full of passion and always wanting to learn I dived into lots of seminars and courses. When it came to Orthodontics, I did every course/seminar/residency including all major ones that exist today. I walked out always excited and ready to start – plan – help my patients. I had all these gurus showing me how easy it is and how much more $$$ you could make and I could do it better than my local specialist!

Personally, the $$$ never interested me – otherwise I would be driving a famous red sports car or dressing designer head to toe or eating at lavish places and flying first class. I would rather donate money to UNICEF but that’s just me.

I just did orthodontics as a dentist for the PASSION and its what I enjoyed! I could not afford to do a university degree and this was the easier solution at the time. THIS STORY RINGS A BELL?

The future looked bright. I felt I had enough training to do orthodontics. The only thing I didn’t touch were surgical cases and impacted canines. As with everything I do, I launched into orthodontic treatments full of passion. The more I did, the more I realised it actually wasn’t that easy. I had to train my staff, source out labs, learn what to do when things started to go wrong (and they definitely did – lets get real and honest here!). I always told my patients that I was just a dentist but felt competent to do their treatment well. My patients put their trust in me. I HAD TRUST IN ME!

After several years, I started to see my own failures and inefficiencies. The gurus were either not around or too busy to sit down with me and help me and wanted more $$$. RINGS A BELL? I tried networking with multiple dental colleagues who did similar courses to improve – I was going around in circles – but then I decided to BREAK FREE and contact my local orthodontist. These gurus told me how unfriendly these local orthodontist are so I didn’t know what to expect. I WAS FORTUNATE FOR MY LOCAL ORTHODONTIST TO GIVE ME HIS TIME. Eventually he employed me and I only did orthodontics as a general dentist under his supervision.

He started to gradually coach me and look at all the patients I had underway. He shared his knowledge of latest evidence, clinical pearls and especially case diagnosis and stability. Because this was real and patient-focussed and related to my everyday practice, it was THE BEST WAY TO LEARN – A WHOLE NEW MEANING came about to my ORTHODONTICS practice as a general dentist. MOST OF ALL – the personal one-on-one case-based approach helped me really understand the COMPLEXITIES OF HUMAN VARIATIONS AND OUR TREATMENTS. I became a learner again and decided to specialise in Orthodontics knowing I would sacrifice my flourishing dental career (I was already starting a path toward LVI dentistry!). It was my only way to learn it at the level I wanted.

BOSS endeavours to create that positive environment I experienced doing my orthodontics degree.

TODAY AS AN ORTHODONTIST, I want to help my dear friends who’s stories are similar to mine, who approach me with their problems and whose patients put their ABSOLUTE TRUST in them everyday. I also have an ulterior motive – I want to never stop learning, doing research, reading journal and becoming a better clinician everyday (hence I’m still SINGLE!!). The only way to learn Orthodontics outside of specialist degree is by continual lectures, seminars and case-based discussion/sessions from starting of a case to finish in a multidisciplinary environment. Its how I learnt it in my Orthodontics degree. We spent days/weeks diagnosing a case to its fullest, reading all relevant literature about stability, mechanics, risk management.

I have started BOSS – Best Orthodontics Seminars & Sessions & it will be launched very soon in Sydney, Australia. BOSS endeavours to create that positive environment I experienced doing my orthodontics degree. BOSS is about evidence-based orthodontics, its about giving your patients the BEST you can. BOSS is about continual support and growth for dentists and orthodontists. Orthodontist are on a path of continual learning too and it never stops! $$$ will follow the most efficient and effective dental practitioners even with out trying (- I hope so!).

If you would like to know more about me – read my LinkedIn profile https://au.linkedin.com/in/vandanakatyal

Please register your interest and email me any tips for BOSS at info@breakthroughwithboss.com and I promise to keep you updated with new exciting stuff as it develops and it will be very soon! Yes – I am still planning to stay SINGLE!! At least till BOSS is ready! Please visit our IG/G+/Twitter/FB page to see snippets and stay updated with the developments.

YES it will be exciting and lots of fun! Yes it will be ultra modern and focussed on the future of digital orthodontics! Yes it will stay on top of current & upcoming research! Yes it will be supportive in everyday practice in every part of your practice! Most exciting of all – You get to make friends that support each other!

And NO this is not going to cost you $$$$$ – anywhere like your previous courses! BOSS is about actual coming together, staying together and working together.

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What People Are Saying

  • I completed the BOSS UK Diploma in 2021 and when it became available, signed up for the AU course as well. I completed the AU course at the end of last year and can honestly say BOSS (now Digital Orthodontic College) has completely changed my approach to clear aligner treatments and increased my confidence with treatment planning immensely. The fact that the course is 100% online was a huge drawcard for me initially since I have two young children, work clinically part-time and run my own business. It allowed me the flexibility to study when I had the chance and didn’t result in any loss of clinical time. Dr V is extremely passionate about orthodontics and more importantly sharing her wisdom and that comes through in her approach to teaching. The course is extremely comprehensive (NB: the AU course has quite a few complex assessments) and covers everything starting from the basics of tooth movement, which sets a good foundation and is therefore suitable even for beginners. The monthly/bimonthly webinars allow students to share cases and is a safe space, non-judgmental and therefore an incredible learning platform. I had been doing clear aligner treatments prior to starting this course, but BOSS helped me see patients with new eyes and has overhauled my treatment planning approach. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone interested in learning, or to extend their knowledge about, clear aligner treatments.

    Thank you so much Dr V!

    Dr Lora Banicevic, Dentist NSW

  • The Australian accredited 10905NAT Graduate Diploma of Digital Orthodontic Treatment offers comprehensive training in the field, gives the candidate the opportunity to do things in a self-paced manner, while getting a personalised 1-on-1 learning experience with Dr Vandana Katyal. It was an excellent choice for me and gave me the flexibility to get the well-designed training done in my own time frame. I would strongly recommend the course to any practitioners who is looking to upskill themselves with a no-compromise high quality course, while also having to juggle between busy practices and family schedules.

    Dr Charles Sun, Dentist WA
  • I started this course unsure of how much I would benefit. The in-person lectures were fantastic (although the course is now 100% online) where I made good friends and learned a lot. The online resources are extensive and second to none, accessible at your convenience. The webinars were great – usually with the right mix of teaching, cases demonstrated and the attendees’ cases being discussed. I was also invited to deliver a webinar on intra-oral scanners, 3D printers and in house aligner manufacturing (from a dentist’s point of view) – which I enjoyed.
    Most of all the course gave significantly more confidence what can be done with aligners, how plan the setup efficiently with the end in mind and how to make the processes to get there smoother. As a result, a MUCH larger chunk of my work is now aligner based. My conversion rate for aligner treatments has definitely increased along with my confidence. The course has easily paid for itself. Full disclosure: I was invited to deliver a webinar on intra-oral scanners, 3D printers and in house aligner manufacture to my BOSS batch mates, which I also thoroughly enjoyed doing. I declined any remuneration for this, although it was offered.
    Dr Shammi Moopen, Dentist VIC

  • Since I have joined the postgraduate diploma in orthodontics I have noticed all the applied practical learning/knowledge on my patients and I am only half way through the year. Dr Vandana is a genuine educator. She goes way beyond to simplify every lecture and I really like her evidence based information and that is available for us 24/7. Her webinars helped a lot for busy dentists and loved the feedback we get in the one on one sessions with our cases. It make us think every step of the way. But the best thing I like is to see she is giving back to the community and her association with Smile Train in helping children with cleft palate is just beyond words. Thank you so much for being nice and approachable.

    Dr Claudia Braybon, Dentist NSW
  • Received my Diploma in Digital Orthodontics from BOSS and couldn’t be more stoked! Huge shout out to Dr Vandana Katyal and the BOSS team for a wonderful year. I would recommend BOSS to every dentist no matter their level of experience with Orthodontics and clear aligners. Starting off with barely any orthodontic experience, I have commenced about 9 cases in the matter of months and BOSS gave me the confidence to predictably deliver results for my patients through clear aligners which are the future of modern orthodontics.
    Dr Sarang Sathe, Dentist NSW

  • I chose Boss’s clear aligner diploma because I wanted to know the latest evidence based practice to enhance my treatment planning and case execution. I now have a much better understanding of how to diagnose, what movements can be done and what will get me into trouble. The flexible nature of the course delivery also fit perfectly into full time work and my otherwise packed schedule. The monthly case presentation webinars are also great to not only get feedback from Dr Katyal, but also to validate your own thoughts self-assess and see how you are tracking with your learning.

    Dr Gregory Nguyễn, Dentist NSW

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