Pull up a chair: welcome to The Dental Dining Club

Some of the best conversations in dentistry happen after the formal programme has finished. They happen over dinner, when titles matter less, the slides have disappeared and people have time to talk honestly about the pressures and possibilities of professional life.

That is why I am delighted to welcome the launch of The Dental Dining Club, a new London-based community founded by orthodontist Claire Nightingale. It will bring dentists and specialists together for relaxed evenings built around good food, good company, useful conversation and one hour of CPD.

Claire has identified something important. As she puts it, “Dentistry can be a lonely, intense business.” Even when we spend our days surrounded by patients and colleagues, the responsibility of clinical practice can still feel isolating. The pandemic reminded us that digital contact has its place, but it does not replace being in a room with people who understand the same challenges, highs and lows.

The Dental Dining Club offers an antidote: a deliberately informal place to belong. There is no black tie, head table or stiff ceremony. Members arrive for a drink, share a three-course dinner, hear from a guest speaker and then continue the conversation. A thoughtful seating plan encourages people to meet beyond their usual circle. That may lead to a new friendship, a referral, a second opinion or simply the reassurance that you are not navigating dentistry alone.

I congratulate Claire on turning a personal conviction into a practical and generous initiative. Creating a professional community takes imagination, energy and courage. The programme she has assembled includes seven evenings across the autumn, winter and spring, followed by a summer party. An affordable annual membership covers administration, after which members book only the dinners they wish to attend.

I am also honoured to be the club’s inaugural guest speaker on Thursday 8 October 2026 at The Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington, London.

My subject will be “Making independent practice win: how to beat the corporates and the competition in your postcode”. I will share a field guide to best practice for 2026 and 2027, including the decisions, disciplines and points of difference that enable independent dental businesses to compete without surrendering their identity.

Of course, I hope the presentation will be useful. But the club’s philosophy is exactly right: the lecture is the excuse; the table is the point. The lasting value will come from whom you meet, what you discuss and the connections that continue after the evening ends.

The evening begins at 7.30 pm, with dinner, wine and water included. It is designed not as another large-scale conference, but as a more human way to learn, exchange ideas and strengthen the profession together.

If you are a dentist or specialist in good standing with the GDC and would value a wider professional circle, I invite you to pull up a chair. Discover the forthcoming programme, request an invitation and become a member at The Dental Dining Club. I look forward to welcoming you to the first dinner.