Swiss Oral Health Day 2025 – A Special Experience in Bern

Celebrating 50 Years of the Swiss Oral Health Day

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at the Swiss Oral Health Day 2025 in Bern — and honestly, it was one of those moments that makes you pause for a second and realise how special this industry really is.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the event.

Fifty years.

Half a century of professionals coming together to learn, share, discuss, and push dental health forward in Switzerland. That alone says everything about the importance of this industry — and about the people who hold it up.

And the venue couldn’t have been better: the Young Boys football stadium, in the Champions Lounge.

Walking into a big sports arena early in the morning, with a tiny tractor quietly preparing the pitch while 500 people settled in to talk about dental health — that contrast was amazing. It made the whole day feel unique, fresh, and full of energy.

Why Events Like This Matter in the Dental Industry

Continuous Education as a Standard in Swiss Dentistry

These kinds of events are not only a chance to connect with peers; they are part of the backbone of the profession.

In Switzerland, if you’re a dentist and own a practice, you’re expected to complete around 80 hours of continued training every year — through events, workshops, and hands-on courses.

It’s something I’ve always admired: dentistry treats lifelong learning as a standard, not an exception.

And I genuinely believe many other industries could learn from this mindset.

My Talk: Opportunities and Risks of Social Media for Dental Practices

Why This Topic Matters More Than Ever

For this event, I spoke about a topic I’ve been deeply involved with:

how dental practices can use social media professionally — and what the risks are when they don’t.

In many clinics, social media still works like this:

It gets handed to the receptionist, or whoever “has a few minutes,” with the instruction to “just post something.”

No strategy.

No context.

No understanding of the impact.

But social media is no longer just entertainment.

It has become part of people’s daily navigation — quite literally. Patients use it to:

• look up treatments,
• check opening hours around the holidays,
• find directions to the clinic,
• get a sense of the atmosphere and the team,
• and decide whether they trust a clinic enough to book an appointment.

Why Social Media Is a Strategic Tool — Not a Task

When used well, social media becomes:

• a communication channel,
• an information platform,
• an impression-building tool,
• and a way to connect with potential patients long before they pick up the phone.

For clinics that embrace it strategically, it can lead to stronger trust, better clarity, and even steady new patient flow.

But the opposite is also true: without structure, it becomes chaotic, inconsistent, and ineffective.

That’s why I enjoyed sharing insights, best practices, and real examples from my work with clinics and brands.

Reflections on Speaking at Industry Events

I don’t do a huge number of speaking engagements.

This was only my second dental conference appearance this year, after the SSO Congress in Lugano (Schweizerische Zahnärzte-Gesellschaft SSO) this summer.

But both times, I left with the same feeling:

• the audience is open, curious, and willing to learn,
• the events are well organised,
• and there’s a genuine desire to improve the way dental clinics communicate and operate.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak, share ideas, and help the industry move forward — even if just a little bit.

Looking Ahead: Why I’m Writing This

Part of why I’m sharing this recap is personal — I like capturing these moments.

But it’s also for anyone who wasn’t there, and for people interested in how I work, what I observe, and what I contribute to events like this.

Days like the Swiss Oral Health Day remind me why I enjoy my work so much:

It’s the mix of human connection, strategy, and the chance to enable teams and leaders to do things differently.

If You Were at the Event — Let’s Stay in Touch

I had some great conversations yesterday, and I genuinely hope to continue a few of them.

If you were in the audience and something we discussed resonated with you — or if you’d like to explore how your clinic or organisation could improve its digital presence — feel free to reach out.

Open to Conversations, Collaborations, and Future Speaking Engagements

As a fractional executive in marketing & sales, I regularly help clinics and healthcare organisations:

• build their marketing engines,
• improve their communication,
• structure their teams,
• and develop a clear digital presence.

If you’d like to discuss any of this — whether casually or with a concrete goal in mind — I’d be very happy to connect.

📩 Contact: r.livain@icloud.com

🌐 Website: https://www.livain.com

💬 Or reach out on Social Media (such as Threads: here is my profile) — I’m always open to a conversation.