Dental Leaders Podcast

Reader’s around orthodontics will be familiar with this week’s guest and author of one of the best blogs around. Kevin O’Brien’s Orthodontic Blog is an exploration of orthodontic issues and debunking of some of the bad science,  These subjects are just a small part of today’s discussion. The professor emeritus in orthodontics and former dean of the University of Manchester talks us through his student days in the city. We also chat about the limitations of orthodontic training, the state of play in the UK Vs the rest of the world, and much more. Enjoy!  In This Episode 01.36 - Backstory08.05 - UK Vs the US11.06 - Deanery, teaching and academia21.29 - GDC27.13 - GDPs and ortho34.02 - Aligner science and new treatments41.42 - On limitations44.26 - The blog55.02 - Ortho for cosmetics and health01.00.35 - The future of orthodontics01.05.19 - A quick plug01.05.34 - Last day on earth When you look at trials of surgery, for example, it is not necessarily always the technique that comes up with the best results. It's the skill and the care of the surgeon. And that's the same with orthodontics. Prof. Kevin O’Brien About Kevin O’Brien Prof. Kevin O’Brien is a former Dean and current professor emeritus in orthodontics at Manchester University. He is also a former chair of the General Dental Council and the author of Kevin O’Brien’s Orthodontic Blog - an ‘occasionally irregular’ exploration of evidence-based orthodontics.   

In one of our most packed episodes to date, we catch up with Love Teeth’s Kunal ‘Dr K’ Patel.   Kunal lets us in on his early days as an angry young man, his unusual entry to dentistry via training in the Czech Republic and how a seemingly routine job interview at his Cheam practice changed everything.    And it’s an unplanned double-bill as Kunal’s wife and co-entrepreneur Lucy Patel sets the record straight.   Enjoy!   We're like Pinky and the Brain. We wake up and say, "What's the plan today?" And he goes, "Take over the world." Lucy Patel In This Episode 01.31 - Early years 06.50 - Reality Czech 13.53 - Back in the UK 17.56 - Purchasing a practice 22.07 - Making friends and influencing 26.26 - Love Teeth and being seen 35.46 - Building value 42.14 - Wedding Smiles 46.02 - On marketing 48.07 - Love at first sight 01.08.48 - Finding fame 01.18.34 - Lucy enters the fray 01.20.42 - Love at first sight - Lucy’s version 01.27.24 - Team happiness 01.32.05 - Future plans 01.36.40 - The Love Teeth experience 01.42.14 - Family life 01.49.44 - The question About Lucy and Kunal Kunal Patel is the owner of Love Teeth dental clinic is Cheam Surrey. He is an Invisalign Apex provider and a FastBraces Senior Master Affiliate. He also runs the successful Wedding Smiles brand.     Lucy Patel is a dental nurse, aesthetic therapist and manager at Love Teeth.

There’s no love like brotherly love. And there’s plenty on tap in this week’s episode, as we welcome Kailesh Solanki, brother of podcast host Prav.   Kailesh talks about his journey from growing up in Manchester in the shadow of his elder brother to forging his own path as one of the UK’s busiest and most prolific dentists.   Warning: As Kailesh lets us in on some of the secrets of his success, there will be expletives and maybe even some tears.    Enjoy!   “I made friends with my breadman who delivered bread at the shop, and one of his really close friends was a dentist. So he said, "Why don't you go and see my mate. He's a dentist, he does super well, he's got the best Mercedes in the golf club. The guy's chilling. He does two days a week." I was like: “Let's have a look.” Kailesh Solanki In This Episode 00.51 - Backstory 15.04 - Into practice 21.32 - Kailesh’s secret 23.50 - A day in the life 28.47 - Being prolific, polymathic 36.22 - On failure, success and mentoring 47.06 - KissDental and family business 57.51 - A traumatic experience 01.06.08 - Future plans 01.10.41 - Efficiency hacks 01.16.53 - The dream 01.30.42 - Advice for the next generation About Kailesh Solanki Kailesh Solanki graduated from Manchester University in 2003 and went on to gain implantology qualifications.   In 2005, Kailesh purchased a practice in central Manchester which he rebranded under the KissDental moniker and quickly expanded the clinic to a group of three.  

Talk about a work ethic - this week’s guest redefines the term.    Facebook users may recognise Lauren ‘Sparkle’ Harrhy as the founding member of Mental Dental - a forum set up to support dentists with all aspects of mental health.   But that’s just one of many hats. Lauren tells us all about Mental Dental and her helpline charity Confidential. She lets us in on how her family background has shaped her philanthropic outlook and reveals how her own professional burnout inspired her to help others.   Lauren also tells us about her work within the BDA - and why it’s important to maintain a local outlook.   Enjoy!      “I like to be on the go. I like to help. If there's an opportunity, then I'll take it. Because I think that if we've got the option to help, if we've got the ability to help people, then we should.” Lauren Harrhy In This Episode 00.59 - Family and backstory 13.08 - Lockdown and being in the thick of it 18.58 - Mental Dental 22.08 - Burnouts and breakdowns 27.45 - Confidential 35.11 - Switching off 37.33 - BDA 46.05 - Cardiff 50.31 - Contributing 54.34 - Lauren’s last day About Lauren Harrhy Lauren Harrhy graduated from Cardiff University in 2009 and is now the owner of Sparkle Dental Centre in Pontypool, South Wales.   Lauren has helped to set up and run the Mental Dental Facebook group and Confidential charity helpline - both of which support dental professionals with mental health concerns.   Lauren is vice-chair of the British Dental Association’s (BDA’s) Young Dentists Committee and South East Wales representative of the BDA’s General Dentistry Practice Committee (GDPC). She also sits on the Welsh Dental Council.

In this week’s extra special episode, previous guest Druh Shah turns the tables on Prav and Payman, playing host while they take the hot seat.    And it turns out this isn’t the first time the pair have switched.   Before finding success as dental entrepreneurs and podcast hosts, Payman was all set for a career in general practice, while Prav seemed destined for great things in the world of research science.   Here they talk about making the switch, early days, inspiration and their respective journeys to becoming dental leaders in their own right.   Enjoy!    “This is a proper switch because [Prav] did a switch from pharmacology to marketing and Payman did the switch from dentistry to building a business and you guys have switched me into a host…” Druh Shah In This Episode 02.31 - Backstories 24.36 - Down to business 39.32 - Influence and inspiration 48.23 - Starting Dental Leaders 57.19 - On fatherhood 01.00.26 - A peek into the future About Prav and Payman Payman Langroudi started his early career as a dentist before creating leading whitening brand Enlighten.    Former research scientist Prav Solanki is the director of a national dental chain, a successful health and fitness brand and IAS Academy dental training institute. He is also director of The Fresh marketing and growth consultancy.   Prav and Payman are hosts of the Dental Leaders podcast.

The description of dynamo doesn’t quite do justice to this week’s guest, Zuber ‘Zubz’ Bagasi.   Bolton born and bred Zuber has already opened eight practices - all before age 40 and without ever borrowing a single penny.   And Zuber’s not about to stop.   He fills us in on future plans, lets us in on his inspiration and gives an insight into what it’s like being one of dentistry’s most driven.   Enjoy!    “If you have that structure, then you as a person, you've got a life. And what's more important in your life, is to make sure that you are enjoying it, that's the first thing. Otherwise, life's not worth living.” Zuber Bagasi In This Episode 01.17 - Backstory 07.56 - Mentors 13.41 - Expanding the empire 20.50 - Systems and processes 29.27  - Work/life balance 37.10 - A scratch of the nose 40.34 - Get up and go 46.41- Higher purpose 52.00 - Future plans 58.50 - Advice for the next generation About Zuber Bagasi Zuber Bagasi graduated from Birmingham University in 2005 and went on to found the Synergy dental group of practices.   He also developed the dental training platform SynTrain.   Zuber is a Member of the Joint Dental Faculty and holds PG Certs in implantology, restorative dentistry and facilitated learning in healthcare practice.   He continues to practice in his hometown of Bolton with the Synergy group.  

Dentistry was always in the stars for today’s guest, Rob Jacobs.    Rob’s father Tony is a prominent dentist and founder of the GDPUK website and forum, so you could say dentistry was destiny.   In this episode, Rob gets geeky about his passion and specialism - endodontics. He also talks family and lets us in on what happened during hid dad’s recent brush with COVID.    Enjoy! In This Episode 01.02 - COVID life and lockdown 02.17 - On dad and growing up 10.49 - What makes a great endodontologist? 15.21 - Insta-endo 19.01 - Heroics, referrals and day-to-day endo 25.42 - On pricing 32.17 - COVID and family values 46.30 - Future and practice ownership 51.03 - Rob’s black box moment 56.09 - To specialise or not to specialise? 01.02.15 - One thing you need to know about endo 01.07.16 - Rob’s last day on earth About Rob Jacobs Mancunian Rob Jacobs gained his bachelor of dental surgery from Newcastle University in 2012 and went on to work in Manchester as a general dentist.   In 2015, Rob embarked on specialist training in endodontics at Liverpool University, where he also completed a doctorate-level research project on patient-reported outcomes.   Rob currently practices in Garstang, Lancashire.

This week, Prav and Payman have the privilege of chatting with a giant of implantology and restorative dentistry.   The great Koray Feran shares insight into his exacting work ethic and reveals how polymathic status has helped secure his position at the very top.   Koray also talks about patient-clinician alignment, his thoughts on the bees, butterflies and leeches in practice, and much more.   Enjoy!   “Now for me, generalism is the new speciality.” Koray Feran In This Episode 00.36 - LCIAD 02.28 - Education and becoming polymathic 14.36 - Holistic planning - cost, benefits and considerations 24.42 - Trust and delegation 29.06 - Mistakes, patient alignment and psychology 33.31 - Associates & excellence 41.49 - Value and USPs 45.32 - Bees, butterflies and leeches 48.06 - Marketing 55.08 - Life outside the clinic 57.53 - Teaching vs clinical 59.34 - Last day on earth About Koray Feran Koray Feran graduated from Guy’s in 1989, where he stayed until 1991 on as house surgeon in prosthetic dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery.    From Guy’s, Koray went on to practice in North London while completing an MSc in periodontology, also from Guy’s.    In 1993, he gained a restorative dentistry fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in England and has since pursued a special interest in complex multidisciplinary restorative work.   In 2005, Koray founded the London Centre for Implant and Aesthetic Dentistry (LCIAD).   He is also a successful lecturer and dental educator. 

This week’s guest needs little in the way of introduction as Prav and Payman take a call from stateside and the legendary Dr Larry Rosenthal.   Larry talks about his rise to becoming one of the world’s best-known names and how a meeting with a bioengineer in his early career changed Larry’s life, in the process transforming the face of dentistry as we know it.   The trio talk ambition, happiness, success and what it means to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most influential people.    An episode not to be missed.   Enjoy!      “I didn't mean to transform the profession. I don't know if I did, I had some role in it, but I feel pretty good about it.” Larry Rosenthal   01.49 - Early years 06.18 - Porcelain laminates 16.47 - Innovation 20.26 - Rise to fame and life at the top 32.57 - Happiness and success 36.58 - When veneers fail 43.53 - The making of Mike Apa 54.57 - Zeitgeist  01.04.14 - Family and life in lockdown 01.10.37 - A day in the life 01.1404 - Larry’s last day   About Larry Rosenthal New Yorker Dr Larry Rosenthal is perhaps the world’s foremost dentist. Dr Rosenthal completed his residency at the Montefiore Hospital before graduating from New York University in 1972. He is director of the Aesthetic Continuum at the Advanced Aesthetic Program of the university’s Rosenthal Institute, as well as at The Palm Beach College and the FMC/Eastman Dental College of London.

While Prav washes his hair this week, Payman plays host to ambitious young dentists Hassan Asad and Sorabh Patel.   The pair may be relative newcomers to the profession, but they’re already making big waves.   In April, disheartened by the lack of support for new and younger dentists, Hassan and Sorabh set up the Deciduous Facebook group, which quickly grew to a membership of thousands.   Here Hassan and Sorabh talk about the group. They also relate some of the challenges faced by graduates and reluctantly let slip some of their big plans for the future.   Enjoy!     “We want our members to feel safe. To feel like they can post cases and ask and get advice, and ultimately not feel like a shark pit is out there to bite them.” Hassan Assad In This Episode 00.54 - Deciduous group 08.26 - Thoughts on careers 12.23 - Soft skills and support 21.44 - Leaving Iraq 24.34 - Gold standards and tales of the GDC 30.52 - The Deciduous team 39.31 - Life in practice 43.26 - Coping through COVID 49.46 - Ambition About Hassan and Sorabh Sorabh graduated from King’s College London and completed foundation training in Portsmouth. Hassan is a Leeds graduate, who found fame on social media as The Bearded Tooth Fairy.   In April 2020, Hassan and Sorabh founded the Deciduous Facebook group which now boasts over 2500 members. The group also has a growing presence on Instagram.