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Join Laura Horton and Leanna Best for a light-hearted catch-up where dentistry talk meets real-life banter. No guests, no scripts — just honest conversations, laughs, and a few surprises. Tune in for our popular features, such as Banned Words and Confessions, where dental professionals share their funniest, most shocking, and downright gross stories for us to read aloud. Fresh, fun, and a little bit cheeky — welcome to the new Horton Hangout podcast 2.0 for the dental team and industry.
Episodes
Friday Oct 31, 2025
Friday Oct 31, 2025
We're bringing something new this season...
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Thursday Aug 14, 2025
Thursday Aug 14, 2025
In this episode, Laura and Leanna dive into the danger of pretending to be premium. They unpack what happens when practices or businesses talk a five-star game but fall short on substance — and how that erodes patient trust faster than you can say “paper cone cup”.
Leanna shares a deeply personal story about hair loss, emotional vulnerability and a clinic that tried to take advantage — emotionally and financially. It's a powerful reminder that the best service comes from empathy, not just a fancy reception.
There’s also a dental nurse prank in Confession Corner that could only have happened in the good old days, and a brilliant Hangout Question on managing persistently rude patients. Plus, this week’s banned word is short but deadly — and we’ve got a better one to use instead.
In this episode:
🏨 Why businesses that look five-star often miss the mark behind the scenes
🛏️ Laura compares two treatment experiences: and one was very bouncy
🥤 Why a paper cup could ruin your entire brand (yes, really)
💇♀️ Leanna shares a personal experience of emotional manipulation at a high-end clinic — and how her husband’s common sense saved the day
💸 How looking premium doesn’t mean being premium – and what real value looks like in patient care
🩺 Hangout Question: “How do we deal with a patient who’s continually rude to staff and their dentist?”
🚫 Why zero-tolerance policies matter – and how to make sure your systems back your team, not the patient
😱 Confession Corner: a Dental nurse’s April Fool’s Day prank that nearly gave an associate a breakdown
🚫 Banned Word: “Free” – why we’re swapping it for “complimentary” and what language really says about your brand
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
This week Laura and Leanna reflect on their brand-new look, fresh colours and all — and why their latest rebrand brings everything full circle. They also chat about business cards, supermarket substitutions, name-blanking etiquette and how Ocado has changed Laura’s life (sort of).
The Hangout Question of the Week dives into why it’s so important that the Treatment Coordinator sees the patient first. Laura shares a masterclass in patient experience, patient psychology, and the subtle difference between being helpful and accidentally becoming “the salesperson”.
This week’s banned word? A classic that instantly makes your practice feel outdated. And as for Confession Corner — let’s just say it’s one of the most memorable moments yet.
In this episode:
🎨 The big rebrand – what inspired it, and why green, circles and the letter L are all part of the story
🛒 Supermarket substitutions, Tesco-induced marital arguments, and the magic of Ocado (not an ad… unless they want to)
📇 Are business cards dead? Laura isn’t convinced — and explains why her husband’s wrong (again)
🤷♀️ Blank on someone’s name? Leanna and Laura share their go-to tricks (and confessions)
🗣 Hangout Question of the Week: Why does the TCO need to see the patient first?
💬 Laura breaks down the full patient journey: rapport, scanning, managing bad news, and avoiding the “hard sell” moment
🔁 Why skipping the start of the workflow derails everything — and makes it harder for patients to say yes
😳 Confession of a TCO: “Can I [BLEEP] with my aligners in?”
🚫 Banned Word: “Waiting Room” – why no one wants to wait, and how to rethink your patient space
🪑 From “patient area” to “lounge” — tips for making even basic spaces feel considered
🍜 Why Laura refuses to eat at Wagamama — and the agony of chewing noises in public
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
This week, Laura and Leanna answer two big listener questions – starting with what to do when your associates resist the Treatment Coordinator (TCO) role, even though it’s clearly beneficial. From communication and workflows to mindset and motivation, they cover it all.
Next up: managing your mates. What happens when a dental nurse steps up to practice manager – and suddenly has to lead her friends? They get honest about leadership, friendship boundaries and what really separates good managers from great ones.
Then it’s time to ban not one but two common words in dentistry – both of which carry more negativity than you might think. And finally, Confession Corner is back… with a thud. Literally.
In this episode:
- 🤝 A listener asks: how do I get my associates to use a TCO when they don’t see the value?
- 📈 Laura explains why the issue might be communication – or the workflow itself
- 🧠 Why most resistance is about control or misunderstanding – and why a trial is the best way forward
- 👩⚕️ Second question: “I’ve become the PM after 11 years as a nurse – how do I manage people who are also my friends?”
- ⚖️ Leanna shares her own experience navigating friendship and leadership
- 💬 Why leadership is the skill most practice managers are missing – not management
- 🚫 Banned Words:
“Unfortunately”
2. “Case” - 🩺 Confession of a Dental Nurse: Fainting
- 😵 Leanna adds a surprise twist: she fainted at a ......
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Jul 24, 2025
Thursday Jul 24, 2025
This week, Laura and Leanna are fresh from the ADI Team Congress and full of energy. From co-presenting treatment coordination to discussing the challenges of being a speaker and a parent, this episode is packed with professional insight — and personal honesty. They also dive into a new banned phrase, help a TCO navigate a tricky dentist dynamic, and wrap up with a confession that’s part horror film, part dental drama.
In this episode:
- 🎤 ADI Team Event recap – what it’s like to co-present live, and how events can be better planned to support working parents and female speakers
- 💡 Banned Phrase: “When would you like to come in?” — why this seemingly polite question hands all the power to the patient (and ruins your diary)
- 🗓️ Laura breaks down the right way to lead a conversation at reception, protect the diary flow, and avoid the dreaded mid-block appointment chaos
- 🦷 Hangout Question: “One of my dentists refuses to treatment plan with me. What do I do?”
- 🙋♀️ Laura shares exactly how to lead a constructive conversation using the 7 Habits framework — and why coming with solutions is key to being heard
- 💬 Leanna adds insight on emotional reactions, dentist guilt, and building buy-in by showing the true value of collaboration
- 🌿 Product Spotlight (not an ad!): Tooth Angel — the duo review a new eco-friendly oral care kit sent to them, including breath spray (perfect for lectures) and a travel-ready soft toothbrush
- 😱 Confession of a Dental Nurse: a mid-treatment horror story with a very unsuspecting patient.
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Jul 17, 2025
Thursday Jul 17, 2025
In this episode of the Horton Hangout, Laura shares her unexpected journey into dentistry – a tale of cold bus stops, fish and chips, and an NHS dental practice that kick-started it all. Meanwhile, Leanna tackles a listener's question about confidence in new roles, and the pair dive into the difference between managing and leading a team. Oh – and there’s a very curly surprise in this week’s Confession Corner.
In this episode:
- 🎓 Laura’s honest story of how she stumbled into dental nursing
- 🚌 Why travel & tourism college didn’t last – and what fish & chips have to do with dentistry
- 🦷 The doctor who believed in investing in his team – and sent Laura straight to radiography class
- 🚫 Banned Word: “Just” – and why it has got to go from dental language
- 🔇 The running commentary at reception that makes things worse (and what to say instead)
- 📎 Coworker Nickname of the Week
- 👩💼 A listener’s question: “I’ve been offered a new role, but I don’t feel confident” – Leanna and Laura share personal stories and advice on secondments, imposter syndrome and honest leadership
- 👑 Why real leaders don’t micromanage – and how to stop ruling with an iron fist
- 🤝 Blame-free culture: why it’s essential for a happy and high-performing team
- 😬 Confession of the Week: A dental nurse finds a .......
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
This week’s episode is a rollercoaster of awkward confessions, heartfelt honesty, and real talk about running a dental practice. Laura and Leanna dive into everything from changing the word “patient” to “client’, to the power of transparency in financial targets, and a dental nurse’s accidental – and audible – bodily moment mid-root canal.
In this episode:
- 🇮🇪 Leanna’s back from another fab trip to Ireland – full of energy, insight, and interactive learning
- 🦷 Laura shares a behind-the-scenes look at her patient experience evaluation days – and how one Monday morning went completely off the rails
- 💻 Why one dentist’s interactive TV during assessments absolutely wowed Laura
- 🚫 Banned Word: “Patient” – should we be using “client” instead? Laura explains why it matters, and the responses she’s had from both ends of the spectrum
- 📊 Hangout Question: Which KPIs matter most for the whole team – and how do you actually get people to care?
- 😂 Confession #1 (Dental Nurse): A mid-treatment fart that echoed through the surgery – and was very much owned
- 😱 Confession #2 (Practice Manager): When your best friend applies for a job… and accidentally CCs the boss
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Jul 03, 2025
Thursday Jul 03, 2025
In this powerful and hilarious episode, Laura and Leanna blend heartfelt discussion with their trademark humour. They open with a moving conversation about miscarriage rights, share banned words that sabotage patient trust, and dive into workplace stories you genuinely won’t believe – including lollipops, expensive sofas, and a nurse accidentally declaring “love you” to a patient.
In this episode:
- Leanna reflects on a brilliant training trip to Ireland – and why interactive clients make all the difference
- ⚖️ Did you know there’s no bereavement leave in law for miscarriages under 24 weeks? Laura breaks down what’s changing — and why it matters deeply to the dental profession
- 💔 Women suffering in silence at work, and the role clinic owners play in emotional support
- ❌ Banned words alert: “Policy” and “Check-up” get the chop — and Laura’s got a hilarious rug doctor story to prove her point
- 🗣️ The case for saying “system”, “routine assessment” or “dental health review” instead
- 🐌 When a team member is painfully slow — and why that doesn’t fly in dental nursing
-
😂 Coworker nicknames
- 😳 Confession: Lollipops, bodily fluids & water theft at closing time
- 😬 Confession: Dental nurse accidentally says “love you” to a patient… in front of the whole waiting room
- 📢 Reminder: Share your own anonymous confession — we need more
Link to send in your confession
Link to send in your question for the Horton Hangout
Links you may find useful
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
In Episode 3, Laura and Leanna are back with plenty of laughter and a side of chaos. From speaking surprises (this btw was a wind up) to patients storming in and swinging shirts over their heads — it’s a wild one.
Laura teases that Leanna might be speaking at the Dentistry Show, Laura’s idea of having a joke. She did confess to this wind up when filming wrapped up for the day!
They dig deeper into banned phrases in dental practice (hint: "take a seat" is out), explore the controversial plan to get teachers brushing kids’ teeth, and unpack a listener question about transitioning a dental nurse into a TCO role — including how to handle pay, responsibilities and expectations.
In this episode:
- 🎤 Laura jokes that Leanna might be speaking at the Dentistry Show — but don’t worry, she was only winding her up (Laura!). All in good fun — and yes she sets the record straight in the show notes!
- 🛎️ A story about the world’s most memorable waiter and secret hotel stays
- ❌ Banned Word of the Week: “Take a seat” — say “make yourself comfortable” instead
- ☕ Offer a “refreshment”, not “a drink” – language matters in patient care
- 🚽 Why “bathroom” sounds better than “toilet” in a dental setting
- 🪥 News: Should teachers teach tooth brushing in schools? Laura & Leanna debate
- 🧒 Neglect vs. lazy parenting — and what’s really behind poor oral hygiene in kids
- 📚 Laura’s oral health awakening & teaching Cub Scouts via Yellow Pages
- 😂 Funny co-worker nicknames: Lantern, Motion Sensor, Foreskin
- 😱 Confessions: Shirt-swinging protester and cake-stealing “non-verbal” guest
- 🚨 Crime scene confession — when Monday morning starts with a broken door and blood
- 👩⚕️ Listener Q: Transitioning a dental nurse to a TCO – how to do it properly
- 💷 Pay bands, training periods, and how to have difficult conversations the right way
Links you may find useful
Link to send in your confession
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
In this episode of The Horton Hangout, Laura and Leanna open up about the real-life juggle of parenting, running businesses, and staying sane. They continue the banned words in dentistry conversation (spoiler: hygiene might be doing more harm than good) and share side-splitting workplace confessions — including the mystery of a pair of rogue knickers and a dentist who really should’ve chosen his words more wisely.
What you'll hear in this episode:
- 🤹♀️ The juggle of business and motherhood – and why empathy is everything
- ❤️ Husband appreciation voice notes (private but powerful!)
- ❌ New “banned word” alert: why saying hygiene appointment might put patients off
- ☎️ From “follow-up” to “care call” – making post-treatment contact feel positive and professional
- 🤣 More hilarious co-worker nicknames (featuring Teflon, Kit Kat and Wheelbarrow)
- 😳 Confessions of a dental nurse: the worst job ever — and the infamous “suck” story
- 🩲 A jaw-dropping tale involving a patient, a child… and a pair of knickers
- 📱 This week’s hot topic: Should WhatsApp be banned in dental practices? Laura and Leanna debate the pros, cons, and culture clash
Links you may find useful
Link to send in your confession