BDJ In Practice asks Dr Raabiha Maan, founder of the Dental Mums Network, about the profession, the challenges and opportunities she sees and how they feed into the network she has built.

What were the driving forces behind establishing the Dental Mums Network?

RM The Dental Mums Network came out of a place of need. In 2020 I bought a practice, and at the time I felt incredibly isolated in the decisions I was making. I had my partners, my brother and my husband, but we often approached the business differently. Our ideas didn't always align, and it left me doubting myself and wondering if I was getting things wrong.

When I started speaking to other women who owned practices, I realised they felt exactly the same. We all carried that same uncertainty, that same sense of guilt when motherhood was added into the mix. I was expecting my baby, and the weight of taking time away from both the business and my child felt very real.

So, I set up a WhatsApp group. That was the seed. From there it grew into a network. When I shared the idea with my friend Shandy, she championed it from the start and encouraged me to build it into something bigger. She now works alongside me to help grow DMN, and together we've seen it become a thriving community for women across dentistry.

In your session at Dentistry Show London you said you've spoken to women who have felt pressure to return to work quickly after maternity leave, who've navigated fertility treatment in silence, who've faced discrimination or been overlooked - why do you think this happened and was allowed to happen?

RM I think one of the biggest reasons is that women often don't talk about their struggles. We worry that if we do, it will make us seem less able or less committed. It doesn't always feel like a safe space to admit what we're going through. You can feel like your colleagues or your team might think you're distracted, and that's a really hard place to be.

There isn't much support either. Many women feel like they are the only ones experiencing it, and so they just carry on quietly. Until the Dental Mums Network was born, or even more recently through the Dental Women's Podcast, these things weren't really spoken about openly.

I'll be honest, I didn't know much myself about certain topics. Infertility for example, or domestic abuse. At our event in October, we're focusing on domestic abuse, and the reality is one in three women go through it. Yet so many of us don't know much about it, even though it affects our own gender so widely.

Through the Network and the podcast, I'm learning too. I think the real problem is that we simply haven't taken the time to talk about these issues out loud. Now that we are, it's becoming more acceptable, and women are realising it's okay to share what they're going through. That shift is so important.

There are now more women in dentistry than men. Do you think this is an opportunity to begin to eradicate these issues?

RM Yes, it's an incredible opportunity, but it doesn't guarantee change. Just because women now make up the majority doesn't mean leadership structures or policies will automatically shift. For years, the panels, the stages, the decision-making seats have largely been filled by men. And men won't always see or raise the issues that affect us as women, simply because they don't experience them in the same way.

That's one of the reasons the Dental Mums Network exists. Instead of waiting for space to be made, we created our own stage. It's a platform by women, for women, so we can highlight our struggles, talk openly about what impacts us, and start leading the conversations ourselves. This isn't about excluding men. It's about recognising that women deserve space too, and until recently we didn't have it.

There are very real, practical things that need to be addressed. Flexible work hours. Term-time working. Employers understanding what support a returning mother might need postpartum. Making space for breastfeeding and pumping at work. Creating safe, open conversations about fertility journeys and the challenges of coming back after maternity leave. These aren't ‘extras.' They are essentials if we want women to thrive in dentistry long-term.

So yes, the opportunity is there, but only if we use it with intention and make sure women's voices are not just heard, but centred.

You also mentioned that ‘We are taught to be professional, to keep going no matter what' - how can oral and dental health practitioners change this message?

RM We need to rethink what professionalism actually means. For too long it has been tied to hiding how you feel and carrying on regardless. But true professionalism is about sustainability. It's about being able to deliver excellent care while also looking after yourself.

Leaders can model this by being open about their own challenges. Practices can make it safe for people to ask for support without feeling judged. And students need to hear from the start that balance and boundaries are not a weakness, they're part of building a long and healthy career.

What areas of progress are you most excited about?

RM What excites me most is that conversations about women's health are finally happening out loud. At our Thrive event, women took the mic to talk about heavy periods, perimenopause, menopause, fertility struggles and instability, and how these were affecting their lives and work. These are subjects that were once hidden but are now being discussed on bigger platforms and reaching wider audiences.

I'm also encouraged to see support coming from every direction. Men are joining the conversation, and companies like Bupa and Boutique Whitening are partnering with us because they believe in helping women thrive in dentistry. And then there's the community itself. One woman told me she made four new friends at Thrive, something she never thought would happen later in life. Moments like that remind me how powerful female friendships are, and how incredible things can happen when women come together to support one another.

Conversely, are there areas you remain concerned about?

RM My biggest worry is tokenism. It's easy to put a panel together about women in dentistry and feel like the job is done. But making real change takes time, and it requires going deeper than surface-level conversations.

I also think sometimes we can be our own biggest block. Imposter syndrome is so common, and it can make us feel like we're not good enough or not ready. I see so many women hold themselves back from opportunities because they're waiting to be perfect before they step forward. The truth is, nothing is ever perfect. Sometimes you just need to get on with it, take the chance, and figure out the rest along the way. That's when progress really happens.

And there's still uneven progress across the profession. Some women are thriving because they have networks, mentors and supportive workplaces, but others are still isolated, unheard and burning out quietly. That gap worries me, because until we reach those women too, our work isn't finished. That is why we have to keep building spaces that welcome every woman in dentistry.

With more of the profession seeking part time roles and work/life balance than ever before, how will this impact the areas you discussed in your session?

RM I think it will challenge the profession to rethink what success really looks like. For years, value has been measured in full-time hours and output. But part-time work doesn't mean less committed. Some of the most motivated and engaged colleagues I know are those who have carved out time for life outside of practice. They bring fresh energy because they're not running on empty.

I've always worked part-time since finishing vocational training, and I think that's what's kept my passion for dentistry alive. It requires a mindset shift. We are in a privileged profession where part-time work is possible, and where we can still earn well while doing other things that make us feel fulfilled. Dentistry is not our whole identity. It's our job. And if we don't remember that, we risk burning out by being in clinic five days a week.

That's why I actively encourage part-time work for my associates and for my mentees, men and women alike. I think it's important that we create workplaces where balance is normalised and wellbeing is valued, because that is what sustains a long and happy career. ◆