#309 Against the Odds — Kash Qureshi

From knife crime in East London to owning one of the capital's most successful dental laboratories, Kash Qureshi's story is one of remarkable transformation. 

At just 15, a violent altercation became the catalyst that changed everything, pushing him from a dangerous path towards an apprenticeship that would define his future. 

Now owner of Swiss Dent and a thriving denture clinic, Kash shares the raw realities of growing up on the streets, the technical mastery required in dental technology, and the leadership skills needed to build a business. 

This conversation explores how early adversity can forge unstoppable resilience, and why sometimes the most unlikely backgrounds produce the most determined entrepreneurs.

In This Episode

00:03:50 - Street life and knife incidents in Walthamstow

00:07:10 - Finding dental technology through newspaper adverts

00:11:15 - Apprenticeship training and specialisation paths

00:14:25 - Why crown and bridge got outsourced to CAD/CAM

00:17:00 - Clinical dental technician qualification and denture work

00:26:05 - Transition from employee to business owner

00:30:05 - Acquiring Swiss Dent with zero personal investment

00:34:00 - Cold calling and door-to-door client acquisition

00:39:30 - Clinical insights: overextended special trays revelation

00:42:10 - Swiss system for aesthetic denture setups

00:48:55 - Immediate loading implant techniques

01:08:25 - Managing 100-200 cases daily at the laboratory

01:18:25 - Blackbox thinking

01:24:25 - Cash crisis: when payroll meets empty accounts

01:26:40 - Fantasy dinner party

01:39:35 - Last days and legacy

About Kash Qureshi

Kash Qureshi is the owner of Swiss Dent laboratory in London and operates a clinical denture practice. Starting as a 16-year-old apprentice at the very lab he now owns, Kash has grown the business from 7 to 18 employees whilst developing expertise in prosthetics and digital denture technology. He qualified as a clinical dental technician at 23, making him one of the youngest in the country at the time, and now trains dentists in digital denture techniques.