Sheena Tanna, winner of Dentistry’s Next Top Digital Dentist, shares how her journey has ‘exceeded expectations’ and caught the attention of national media.
Earlier this year, Dentistry revealed Dr Sheena Tanna as the winner its Next Top Digital Dentist competition – a brand-new initiative created to champion dentists embracing a digital transformation.
Run in collaboration with Align Technology, the programme offers a unique opportunity to embark on a year-long journey of mentoring, coaching and access to cutting-edge digital tools designed to drive clinical excellence and practice growth.
With Align’s support shaping the experience, the initiative helps one dentist unlock the full potential of digital workflows.
Here, Sheena reflects on why she entered, her journey so far, and the impact the competition has had already…
Being named Dentistry’s Next Top Digital Dentist 2025 was ‘nothing short of surreal’ for winner Sheena Tanna.
‘It was a real pinch-me moment,’ she admits. ‘I couldn’t actually believe it. It felt like a credit, not just to me, but to my team as well, because we’ve been on this digital journey for such a long time now, and it’s a major part of what we do, so it just felt so lovely to be recognised for that.’
That sense of team effort is central to everything Sheena does. As principal dentist and owner of Billericay Dental Care, she’s spent years building a practice where innovation, collaboration and patient experience go hand-in-hand.
Building Billericay Dental Care
Sheena qualified from the University of Leeds in 2009, beginning her career as a mixed practitioner. The early years were about refining her general dentistry skills before moving into smile design, which became a key focus.
‘When I bought my practice,’ she explains, ‘I used the background knowledge I’d built up – I’d spent a lot of time learning the science of dentistry – and I combined it with what I believe is an art. That’s how I formed Billericay Dental Care, and that’s when I created our motto, “every smile is a masterpiece”. I feel that if you combine the science and the art together, that’s when you create amazing results.’
That philosophy continues to guide the practice’s approach today – combining artistry, precision and, most importantly, technology, to enhance patient outcomes.
What digital dentistry means to her
More than anything, dentistry is about improving communication and the overall patient experience as far as Sheena is concerned.
She explains: ‘Digital dentistry has lots of different aspects to it. For me, my passion has always been about patient experience and alleviating anxiety, and it’s one of the main ways I use digital dentistry.’
One of her favourite examples is using 3D scans obtained from her Align iTero Lumina to help patients visualise what’s happening in their mouths. ‘We go from what traditionally would have been, “you need a filling” to now, “let me show you this 3D scan of your teeth.” I can point out the brown area, and they instantly understand what needs to be done. They can see it for themselves.’
‘Suddenly you’re collaborating. Your patient is on the journey with you. You’re no longer telling them what they need.’
That same approach extends to cosmetic work too. Using the digital smile design software Invisalign Smile Architect, Sheena can show patients their proposed new smile before treatment begins. ‘Our communication is so much better,’ she says. ‘We alleviate anxiety for the patient, but also as the clinician my anxiety is down, because I know exactly what the patient wants and what I’m going to create.’
For her, digital tools are about clarity and confidence, for both the dentist and patient.
Why she entered
When the competition opened for 2025, Sheena saw it as an opportunity to use Align Technology’s expertise to take her digital journey to the next level.
‘I entered Dentistry’s Next Top Digital Dentist was because it was something I was already very passionate about. I had renovated the practice, we doubled our size, and I had planned the practice to accommodate digital dentistry. So when I saw this award, it wasn’t just the fact that I was being named Dentistry’s Next Top Digital Dentist, it was about what it was offering me.
‘I thought, well, all of these things are going to help me be better, and upskill me, and as a result, I’m going to be a better leader, which means I’m going to be able to educate my team better, which means my practice is going to do better.
‘We were on a digital journey. We were always going to take that journey, but this prize was going to help me elevate us much quicker and grow on a much bigger scale faster, and that’s why I entered.’
A roadmap of the journey
Mentorship and coaching
- Kick-off meeting at Align Technology HQ
- Quarterly mentor check-ins
- 12-month programme of digital workflow coaching
- 12-month Aligner Dental Academy membership
- 12-month loan of an iTero Lumina intraoral scanner.
Clinical development
- Digital mentoring on iTero Lumina
- Tickets to Invisalign Live 2026 and ADA training
- Postgraduate certification course
- Visit to Align’s manufacturing facility in Poland.
Practice growth
- Invisalign and iTero marketing assets
- Team training for an Invisalign coordinator
- MiSmile ‘Mastering Your Invisalign Business’ day
- Social media and communication coaching.
Media exposure
- Coverage in Dentistry magazine, Dentistry.co.uk and Dentistry’s social channels.
Exceeding expectations
Winning the award has already been a transformative experience – and one that’s gone well beyond what she anticipated.
‘It’s completely exceeded expectations. I don’t think I could ever have imagined so much input, so much attention to detail from everyone, especially from the Align team. How amazing everyone’s been with me, and how much they are really paying attention to what I’m doing, and then tweaking me and making it better, and then trying to personalise that experience so that we get the most out of it, has been amazing.’
The recognition has also created a wave of interest outside the profession. ‘What’s been really amazing is how much it’s already resonating with the wider population,’ she explains. ‘I’ve already been on national radio – Heart, BBC – and featured in my local newspaper. It feels amazing to be part of something that’s getting digital dentistry out there and getting both patients and colleagues involved on that journey.’
Managing growth and balance
As both a mother of two and a principal dentist, Sheena acknowledges that the next phase of her digital expansion will come with challenges.
‘I think whenever you’re implementing change or growing a business, there’s always the work-life balance to think about,’ she says. ‘I’m going into my systems and changing the journey so we can be bigger and better, but that involves education – not just for me, but for the team. Balancing that alongside home life will probably be the biggest challenge.’
But already, the process has brought unexpected positives. ‘One of the amazing things that’s come from it is that I’ve had to delegate more because I’m busier,’ she explains. ‘And what we’ve found is that individual team members are shining because of that. I’ve given them new titles and responsibilities, and they’ve really risen to it.’
For Sheena, that’s a sign that growth doesn’t just come from new technology – it comes from empowering people too. ‘It’s a really good thing for Billericay Dental Care. Individuals are upskilling, they’re taking ownership, and that’s what it’s all about.’
Looking ahead
Over the coming months, Sheena has clear goals for what she hopes to achieve – personally, clinically and professionally.
On a personal level, she says it’s about learning and growth. ‘I’ve always believed knowledge is power. The more knowledge I can absorb, the better leader I’m going to be for my team, and the more my practice is going to progress.’
Clinically, she aims to fine-tune her techniques and patient journey so that care is always of the highest standard. ‘Once again, the better I am, the better mentor I’m going to be for my associates,’ she adds.
And professionally, she wants Billericay Dental Care to become a benchmark for how digital dentistry can transform the patient experience. ‘I want my practice to be a digital backbone – something other practices can aspire to, that shows how it can impact patient experience and alleviate anxiety.’
Encouraging others to take the leap
Sheena’s advice to others considering investing in digital dentistry is simple: ‘You just need to start. Stop thinking about it, just start. Buy one piece of equipment and master it and read about it and use the resources around you, because there are so many other people out there who are happy to help you, and there are so many amazing courses.’
She says once you step into it, the technology quickly becomes intuitive. ‘You realise how easy and user-friendly it is, and how much it alleviates anxiety – both for your patient and yourself. It makes things like patient consent and treatment planning so much smoother.
‘AI and digital dentistry are developing month on month, day on day. It’s getting better and better, and it’s now time to embrace it and get on board. It’s not scary, and you’re going to be just fine.’
A buzz across the practice
Winning has already had a ripple effect throughout the team.
‘It’s created a real buzz winning the award already, and that has really boosted morale and made everyone even more driven towards the patient journey and making sure we’re providing an amazing experience. But also this award came with courses and learning points for the entire team, and there’s been a lot of time and effort put into helping educate individual team members, and I think that’s going to be really amazing to help create an amazing patient experience when people come to our surgery.’
As she continues her journey as Dentistry’s Next Top Digital Dentist 2025, her focus remains on developing her team, refining patient experiences and showing how digital tools can make dentistry more effective for everyone involved.
