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A chance connection between two Melbourne dentists became a close professional partnership, and the catalyst for the study group, Smile Society Melbourne. By John Burfitt
Drs Lauren Fowler and Madeleine Duff didn’t set out to start a movement. After meeting through Instagram, the pair initially set out to talk about all things dentistry.
But what began as a casual catch-up between the two Melbourne dentists quickly grew into a trusted friendship and professional partnership built on shared plans to create a group that reflected the changing demographics of the Australian dental profession.
From that, Smile Society Melbourne emerged—an all-female study club to foster career growth and future female leaders of the profession. And as their group enters its second year, it’s inspiring others to form similar organisations around the country.
Dr Lauren Fowler
“It was in 2022 when I first met Madeleine Duff, or Maddie as I know her, through Instagram. I noted we were at similar stages of our dentistry careers, and she was also in Melbourne, and we got chatting and agreed to meet up for a coffee. We have been chatting ever since.
“I hadn’t met many dentists my age who were going through the same day-to-day clinical experiences and who I could relate to on that work level. Within a few months we had built a solid friendship and bonded over how to be better dentists.
“I graduated as a dentist in 2013 from Adelaide University, then returned to Melbourne and after working at a range of practices, I joined Next Smile Melbourne which I now co-own.
“Maddie is so highly motivated by professional development (CPD), and on a constant learning quest. She inspires me to do more because she’s always doing something new.
“A few other women later joined our dental catch-up group, and one day I said to Maddie, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if there was a study group where women could connect professionally like we have?’ I wanted it to be about a peer-level connection, clinical education and genuine networking. As there was nothing like it, I decided we should build it. That’s where Smile Society Melbourne came from.
One day I said to Maddie, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if there was a study group where women could connect professionally like we have?’ I wanted it to be about a peer-level connection, clinical education and genuine networking. As there was nothing like it, I decided we should build it.
Dr Lauren Fowler
“One thing I noticed is that while there has been an increase in the number of women in dentistry, that change isn’t necessarily reflected in leadership positions. In implant surgery, female representation is especially low. That gender divide intrigued me, and I wanted to find a way to nurture and support women, allowing them to connect over the unique experience of juggling career, leadership and motherhood.
“The idea is to build connections and nurture confidence in female clinicians, including those who might be interested in moving into leadership positions.
“Very soon, we got sponsorship from Nobel Biocare and in February 2025 we had the first meeting of Smile Society Melbourne and 20 people attended. I remember thinking, ‘If no-one else turns up, Maddie and I will just have dinner’, but it didn’t turn out like that. The enthusiasm and the energy in the room was incredible. We had a second meeting in September, with an even larger group and we have since set up social media channels where members can communicate between meetings.
“Smile Society is planning its next meeting in the coming months, and we have had some interest in expanding this style of group into Sydney and Adelaide. All this started out of a friendship with Maddie and proves why more women need spaces like this in dentistry to help chart where we are going in the profession.”
Dr Madeleine Duff
“I graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne Uni in 2014, then graduated from the Melbourne Dental School in 2018. In recent years I have been an associate dentist at The Smile Designer in Preston and, naively, thought when I hit that five-year mark, I would know everything about dentistry!
“As I kept discovering, we are always learning and there is always more to know which is why I do a lot of CPD courses and spend a lot of time networking, trying to meet as many other dentists as possible. It was about this time I met Lauren.
“The thing I remember most about our first meeting was asking lots of questions because clinically, she’s a few years ahead of me. We also got along really well outside of dentistry and soon became close friends, and our husbands are friends too.
“Lauren is a go-getter and works really hard. She puts her head down Monday to Friday, but she still has this strong work-life balance, and that’s something so many of us aspire to.
“We have a couple of other friends who are dentists, and so this little community of female dentists who catch up regularly took form. It has been a great way to share ideas and learn from each other. Then one day Lauren said, ‘Maybe we should open this up and make this bigger.’ And that is how the Smile Society was born.
We have a couple of other friends who are dentists, and so this little community of female dentists who catch up regularly took form. It has been a great way to share ideas and learn from each other.
Dr Madeleine Duff
“At that first Smile Society event, it just seemed to take off. We had some great discussions and good ideas emerged—some clinical, some about patients and some about management.
“There was something so nice about being able to share experiences across the table, in a space created by the girls, for the girls. By the end of it, many other women were saying, ‘This is great—when is the next one?’ That’s when we knew this would work.
“At the Smile Society events, I was so impressed watching Lauren present a lecture. She had this idea and has made it work. At the meetings, she also has a way of rallying us together to inspire us in a way that’s engaging, and also with a sense of fun.
“Last year, I spent a day with Lauren at her clinic to watch her work through a day of surgery. I have looked at her in a whole new light ever since as her skills are incredible. I walked out later and thought, ‘Oh my God, I want to be more like that!’”
