Australian Dental Congress 2025 speaker spotlight: Dr Rakesh Jivan

Meet: Dr Rakesh Jivan

Holder of a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Birmingham and postgraduate qualifications from the Restorative Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Institute, London, Dr Rakesh Jivan has managed private dental practices in both the United Kingdom and Australia for 25 years. With extensive experience in various dental settings, including public, private, and corporate environments, Rakesh has collaborated with dental materials manufacturers as a Key Opinion Leader. In 2004, he assumed the role of Clinical Director for Education at one of Australia’s largest corporate groups. In this capacity, he spearheaded the development of educational programs for more than 800 dental practitioners within the group and developed one of the first structured graduate programs. His contributions to dental education were recognised in 2021 when he was inducted as a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Currently, Rakesh holds the position of Scientific Affairs Manager at GC Australasia.

Q. You originally earned your qualifications in England and have managed dental practices both here and in the UK. What are the main similarities (or differences) in the Australian and UK dental landscape, to you?

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to practise dentistry in two different countries. The dentition is the same but the culture, view and opinions of patients and dentists is often very different.

Although both countries maintain high standards of care with regard to regulatory frameworks to ensure patient safety and evidence-based treatment, I found in Australia that, unlike the General Dental Council in the UK, Ahpra and the Dental Board are less prescriptive in their requirements for continuing professional development (CPD). The onus is more on the dentist to identify their own areas of need.

This has often resulted in more engagement in clinical or treatment-based subjects than in clinical governance topics such as consent, record-keeping, and communication.

Additionally, while Australia and the UK have a mix of public and private dental services, the balance between the two differs significantly, with a greater emphasis on private practice in Australia which is further complicated by the funding of dental services through private health funds.

Both countries however face the similar inequalities in accessing dental care especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Q. Is there anything we can learn here, from the UK experience/dental profession?

Absolutely. The UK offers compulsory structured one- and two-year training and mentoring programs for new graduates to facilitate a smoother transition into private practice. While we’re witnessing the development of similar programs privately in Australia, they’re not yet accessible to all graduates.

The UK also has well-established full- and part-time postgraduate training pathways for general dental practitioners, which provide structured career progression often facilitated by reputable universities and private institutions.

These Diploma and Master’s programs enable dentists to acquire recognised qualifications while simultaneously maintaining their practice. Australia could benefit from a more formalised system to support career development for general dentists, not just specialists.

Q. Your career has taken you into the educational and corporate spheres. Tell us about that?

Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about both clinical excellence and education. My passion for education began early in my career working with a global dental materials manufacturer as a Key Opinion Leader – a relationship that lasted for more than 10 years and opened up a lot of new opportunities for me. In practice, I had a keen interest in dental materials, endodontics, and prosthodontics, which eventually led me to dedicate a few days each week to taking referrals for complex endodontic cases from local practitioners.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve collaborated with universities, professional organisations, and industry partners to develop and support educational programs for general practitioners.

After selling my dental practice in 2017, I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and offered a role with Pacific Smiles Group to develop a brand-new, year-long structured mentoring program for new graduates. This was my first experience in the corporate world and a challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The success of the program led me to take on the role of Clinical Director for Education for PSG where I was responsible for developing CPD programs for more than 900 dental practitioners within the group. The industry connections that I made during this time have shaped my career to date.

Q. Tell us about your current position at GC Australasia? What does a mix of corporate and clinical life look like, day to day?

Today, I work three days a week as the Scientific Affairs Manager for GC and the remaining time supporting my family and young son.

Having used GC products throughout my career, I was delighted to accept a position that allowed me to return to my passion for dental materials.

My primary responsibility is to develop training and educational content for dental and medical practitioners. I collaborate with GC sales specialists and colleagues in both the dental and medical fields to ensure that our content is comprehensive and relevant.

Recently, I’ve been involved in creating educational content specifically for cancer nurses and patients. This topic is deeply personal to me, and I find immense satisfaction in helping others understand and manage oral complication of this challenging condition.

My daily routine involves extensive reading of material science, clinical research articles, and papers to develop content that is easy for dental practitioners to comprehend and apply in clinical practice.

Q. What kind of subject matter will you be covering at ADC2025? How did you choose it and how will you be presenting it?

At ADC2025, I’ll be presenting my communication training program as a small group workshop.

Effective communication is at the heart of good, patient-centred dentistry. My training program has been developed with the Dental Board’s Code of Conduct at its core.

The workshop will enable participants to better understand patient psychology, their legal obligations under National Law and develop more profound skills in patient-centred care.

As with any communication program, it’s all about engagement, lots of talking and role-play.

My communication program has been running for almost eight years and in that time more than 600 dentists have participated. I run my program twice a year at ADA NSW’s Centre for Professional Development and deliver training throughout the year for private and corporate groups.

Q. What are you most looking forward to at ADC2025? Or what is the most important part of it for you?

In addition to having the wonderful opportunity to deliver my communication workshop at ADC2025, it’s also an incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and learn from some of the best in the industry. I’m particularly looking forward to engaging with fellow clinicians and experts, exchanging ideas, and seeing the latest advancements in dentistry.

Q. What do you think (or hope) the future holds for Australian dentistry?

The future is bright for Australian dentistry. Widespread adoption of digital technology and emerging AI applications makes it an exciting time to be in practice.

We are also seeing a change in how new and recent graduates are supported after graduation through post-graduate mentoring programs.

I would of course like to see more engagement in this space from the universities to provide part-time Diploma and Master’s programs for general practitioners, and to emulate the types of mentoring programs for new graduates that have been run so successfully in the UK for more than 30 years.

Q. What would be your best advice for students or recent graduates?

My best advice for students and recent graduates is to embrace continuous learning. Start with the basics: walk before running. Pay attention to your soft skills and learn how to practise safe dentistry.

Seek out mentorship opportunities, attend hands-on courses, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Also, to remember that dentistry is as much about patient communication as it is about technical skills. Developing strong interpersonal skills and building trust with your patients will go a long way in your career.

Lastly, don’t rush. Early in your career, there’s often pressure to master everything quickly, but real expertise comes with time and experience. Focus on building a strong foundation, and success will follow.