Shameek Popat - The Tooth Angel E161

In this episode, Andy and Chris welcome Shameek Popat, a dental professional with an incredible journey and passion for dentistry and CEO/Founder of Tooth Angel. They take a trip down memory lane to explore Shameek's childhood and the importance of family in his life, especially his close-knit connection to his uncle, who inspired him with a career in dentistry.

Shameek’s joyful outlook on life reflects his positive approach to both personal and professional challenges. He discusses his qualifications, from graduating from Guys in 1993 to earning an MSc in Sports Dentistry and an ICD Fellowship in recent years. He shares insights into the niche field of sports dentistry and explains some of the key issues.

As a former dental practice owner for 18 years and now working as an associate, Shameek talks about the transition and overcoming owner fatigue. With connections in the dental world, both in the UK and abroad, he chats about his experiences mentoring at the Kois Center in Seattle and how dental education compares between the UK and the US.

Finally, he talks about the story behind Tooth Angel, the innovative dental care product company he founded and shares the inspiration behind the brand and why it’s set to make a big impact on dental practices.

Topics:

- Your childhood: where did you grow up?

- What was family life like for you?

- Were you close as an extended family?

- Explain about your dental career to date, from graduating to earning an Msc in Sports Dentistry

- Is sports dentistry a niche?

- What are the specific issues present in sports, from a dentistry perspective?

- Tell us about being a practice owner for 18 years

- Did you suffer ‘owner fatigue’?

- How did you find the transition from owner to associate?

- Explain about your dental connections in the US & how dental education in the US is different to the UK

- Tooth Angel – what’s the story behind the brand and the inspiration?