Dr Anni Seaborne has built an unconventional career at the intersection of healthcare leadership, dentistry and elite sport. At 27, she became Medical Director of London's largest skin clinic, before becoming Head of General Dentistry at Bupa Dental Care at age 30. As the first female graduate of an MSc in Sports Dentistry, she now supports elite athletes and teams including England Rugby, McLaren Formula 1 and London City Lionesses, while continuing clinical practice and studying for an MBA as an Impact to Sector Scholar.

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Anni, your session is titled 'Using your difference to make a difference'. What does that mean to you, and why is it an important conversation for dental professionals right now? 

It's about recognising that what makes you different is often what makes you valuable. I've stood out in many leadership rooms, but my strength is bringing a different perspective. Leadership also means helping others feel comfortable being themselves. That's when people do their best work and make the biggest difference for patients and the profession. 

Dentistry can be a high-achieving profession. Do you think there can be too much emphasis on external validation - titles, qualifications, recognition or following a conventional career path? 

External achievements have real value. The problem is when they become the sole measure of success and we chase milestones without asking whether they matter to us. The most fulfilled professionals I know aren't the most decorated. They're the ones connected to their purpose. 

Was there a point in your own career when you realised that success didn't necessarily have to look the way you had originally imagined? 

Yes. The things that energised me most weren't part of the plan: sports dentistry, working with elite athletes, and leadership and culture development. Rather than climbing a predefined ladder, I built something reflecting my strengths and values, and that's been the most rewarding part. 

What do you mean by identifying and using your 'difference', and how can dental professionals begin to recognise what makes their own contribution distinctive? 

Your difference sits where your strengths, experiences, values and passions meet. Sometimes it's seeing problems differently or connecting ideas others haven't. Ask yourself: What gives me energy? What do colleagues come to me for? What do I care deeply about improving? The answers reveal your difference. 

For someone who feels they are simply moving from one career milestone to the next, what can help them take a step back and think about the impact they actually want to make? 

Create space for reflection. Instead of What's my next role?, ask What problem do I want to help solve? or What do I want people to say I contributed in ten years' time? That shifts the focus from achievement to impact. 

Does creating a career of impact require making major changes, or can it start with relatively small decisions in the way we work, lead and interact with patients and colleagues? 

Impact nearly always starts small: mentoring a colleague, improving a patient's experience, speaking up with a new idea. Those actions add up, often leading to unexpected opportunities. 

You've built a career spanning clinical dentistry and leadership. What have those different experiences taught you about where an individual can make the greatest difference? 

Clinical dentistry taught me the power of making a difference to one person at a time. Leadership showed me that shaping culture and supporting teams amplifies that impact. Both are powerful ways to improve people's lives. 

For younger dental professionals in particular, comparison with colleagues can be difficult to avoid. What would you say to someone who feels they are falling behind because their career looks different to somebody else's? 

We're a healthcare profession, not a competition. No two careers, or lives, are the same, and comparison makes us chase someone else's version of success. If you're growing, learning, staying true to your values and helping your patients, you're not falling behind. You're following your own path. 

What do you hope delegates will think about differently - or perhaps do differently - after attending your session at Dentistry Show London? 

I hope they leave more confident defining success for themselves and pursuing opportunities that align with their values, even off the traditional path. Above all, I hope they feel empowered to make an authentic impact. 

Finally, with so much happening across Dentistry Show London, why would you encourage dental professionals to make time for this session in their schedule? 

Clinical knowledge is essential, but careers are built on much more: purpose, mindset, leadership and the courage to embrace what makes us unique. If you're thinking about what's next, I hope this session offers a fresh perspective and questions that stay with you long after the conference. 

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Don't miss Anni Seaborne's session on ‘Using your difference to make a difference, creating a career of impact not validation’ taking place on 1.15pm on the 9th October 2026 at the Keynote Theatre.