Recent dental graduate Amit Patel has launched the dental-network, a new online platform for dental professionals to find and connect with colleagues easily.

The dental-network enables users to contact old university friends, find potential referral work or 'simply look for a local dental technician'. Basic membership is free and premium membership offers enhanced profile and search tools and the ability to upload a CV, referral form or lab docket.

Amit, who now works in a practice in Essex, was inspired to set up the dental-network due to the current pressures on and challenges facing newly-graduated dentists. He says: 'When I joined dental school in 2008, job security was almost a guarantee. Today, with the implementation of national recruitment and only limited dental foundation training posts, UK graduates are being pushed out by the competition and finding it that little bit harder to secure a foundation post and associate position after'.

Realising that dentistry can often be a lonely place, especially when looking for a post or moving to a new location to secure a job, Amit decided to create a way to bring all dental professionals together as one big supporting team with the dental-network.

To find out more about the dental-network and to sign up, visit www.thedental-network.com.