Vision, passion and female power in the dental industry

Sanela Drobnjak, owner of Dental Media Group and initiator of innovative projects in dental and aesthetic medicine, was a guest on the DBL Podcast and openly shared her business story, challenges and vision for the development of the profession.

Magazines that educate and change perceptions

Sanela has been a recognizable name in the dental industry for almost two decades, and her publishing work has launched numerous professional and educational magazines. “Our core business is publishing. We have one of the professional magazines, Dental Tribune, Croatian edition,” she pointed out, adding that she also launched Smile magazine out of a need for better patient education: “I launched an informative magazine for patients and it was really great, it was written by local authors, in the language of patients, so they brought the dental profession, procedures, prevention closer…“

However, as the profession developed, the need for specialized content for dental technicians and aesthetic medicine arose, which is how the magazine Esthetic&Design was launched.

Sanela emphasizes how challenging it is to launch a new magazine: “It’s not easy, definitely. First you need to have an idea, you need to create a concept. The biggest problem is the content… When something new is launched, I finance it myself. I have to create something first, make it in order to show some value to someone.“

“Women in Dentistry” Conference: A Platform for Networking and Empowerment

The podcast focused on the conference “Women in Dentistry”, which will be held on May 24th in Zagreb. The project, as Sanela says, has been waiting for the right moment for a long time: “Back in 2010, I had the whole project finished… but there was no time. Back then, it was just clinical skills… but there simply wasn’t time for it and it was put in a drawer. And last year… I came across that project of mine again and said, oh my god, maybe now is the time. And I think it is.“

The conference is intended for the entire dental team, with an emphasis on a holistic approach and support for women in the profession: “We are addressing exclusively women in dentistry, the entire dental team, so not just female doctors. Somehow, I am based on that holistic approach and all parts should be connected into one whole.” The program includes education on business, marketing, communication, but also inspiring panels with successful female doctors and young leaders.

Sanela also emphasizes the importance of female energy: “I kind of adore that female energy, which is fascinating to me. I’m not a big feminist, but we women really have that special something inside us and we can really help each other a lot.“

Synergy of aesthetic medicine and dentistry: New standards of beauty and health

Sanela was one of the first in Croatia to recognize the potential of connecting aesthetic medicine and dentistry: “It started a long time ago, in 2013-2014. When I entered those educations for dentists, because in fact this branch of medicine started to grow. Minimally invasive aesthetic medicine is actually the strongest and fastest growing branch of medicine… we entered first, we were kind of pioneers in these educations.”

In Esthetic&Design magazine, she promotes a natural, balanced approach to beauty: “There’s this trend now that less is more. There are literally a million great products on the market now. We promote that natural facial look. So, refreshed, hydrated, a little tight, nothing too much, and no volumizing. And so I’m really happy that this trend has come about, because there are products that make that possible.“

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This is just part of the conversation from the new episode of the DBL Podcast – watch the whole show on our Youtube channel and don’t forget to subscribe!