Dental Leaders Podcast

Payman Langroudi chats with Mark Allan, General Manager of Bupa Dental Care. Mark shares insights into leading one of the UK’s largest private healthcare organisations, discusses current challenges and opportunities in the dental industry, and offers valuable leadership advice.  The conversation touches on corporate dentistry, talent acquisition, the importance of listening to frontline staff, and how tech is shaping the industry’s future. In This Episode 00:00:55 - Dentistry—first impressions 00:06:00 - Bupa's brand, reputation and impact 00:10:30 - Organisation and structure 00:14:15 - Recruitment and career progression 00:24:50 - Frontline staff and corporate strategies 00:28:35 - Dental insurance 00:33:55 - Leadership approach 00:38:35 - Work-life balance 00:47:45 - Bupa's acquisitions and strategy 00:52:50 - Data and AI 01:06:35 - Fantasy dinner party 01:14:35 - Last days and legacy About Mark Allan Mark Allan is the General Manager of Bupa Dental Care. Prior to this role, he served as General Manager for Business & Specialist Products in Bupa's UK Insurance business, responsible for the commercial leadership of business & specialist products, SME and corporate channels for private medical and dental insurance.

Manrina Rhode recounts her journey from practice fresh from dental school in high-end London clinics to owner and CEO of the upscale DRMR practice and medical skincare line. She discusses her experiences in cosmetic dentistry, teaching, product development, and practice management. Dr. Rhode also opens up about personal challenges, including divorce and loss, and how these experiences have shaped her both personally and professionally.  In This Episode 00:01:15 - Evolution of Veneers 00:04:35 - Backstory and pursuing dentistry 00:16:35 - Early career 00:41:35 - Work ethic and generational differences 00:54:50 - Personal Challenges 01:07:00 - Practice ownership 01:21:45 - Product development 01:29:30 - Teaching and mentoring 01:46:35 - Quick-fire questions 01:50:50 - Fantasy dinner party 01:51:50 - Last days and legacy About Manrina Rhode Manrina Rhode is a cosmetic dentist and founder of the DRMR dental clinic, aesthetic studio and medical skincare brand.

This week, we take a walk into the archives with a look back at an early conversation with a true dental leader. Andy Moore discusses balancing his stellar career with a healthy, happy home life, reveals the story behind his architecturally stunning practice, and gives a peek into hanging out with Richard Branson and Larry Page.  Enjoy!   In This Episode 02:12 – The perfect environment for practice 13: 07 – The power of delegating 15:03 – Hiring process – an oft-overlooked trait 18:43 – Achieving work-life balance 25:21 – Getting into implants 35:13 – A life-changing case 47:05 – Teaching other dentists   About Andrew Moore Andrew is a dentist, educator and owner of Advance Dental Clinic, which was given an award for design by the Royal Institute of British Architects. 

In this solo episode of the Dental Leaders podcast, Prav discusses the importance of humanising the sales process in dentistry.  He touches on the need to move away from rigid, formulaic approaches and instead focus on connecting with patients as one would with friends or family.  Prav provides practical advice on handling conversations about treatment costs, addressing patient concerns, and securing commitments. He stresses the importance of confidence, open communication, and understanding the patient's perspective to create a more effective and natural sales process. In This Episode 00:01:35 - Rrigid sales processes 00:02:45 - Inner confidence 00:04:30 - The 'dance' 00:09:00 - Expectations and frank conversations 00:15:30 - Upselling and cross-selling About Prav Solanki Prav Solanki is a marketing scientist and dental growth specialist who has supported countless dental professionals and organisations to achieve stellar growth. He is a co-owner and director of IAS Academy and founder of The Fresh, the UK’s leading dental growth and marketing agency.   His latest project, Leadflo, is described as the world’s most advanced CRM for dental clinics.

Adam Marsh and Ala Rozwadowska, the creators of Dental Audio Notes (DAN), an AI-based platform for recording and managing dental patient consultations. Adam and Ala discuss the importance of capturing emotions and sentiment in patient interactions and share their vision for revolutionising communication in dentistry.  The conversation delves into the technical aspects of their AI-powered software, its benefits for dentists and patients, and the future of dental record-keeping.  Enjoy! In This Episode 00:02:40 - Backstory 00:19:40 - DAN in practice 00:32:55 - Tech specs 00:41:35 - Consent and communication 00:47:35 - AI 00:57:35 - Capturing sentiment and emotion 01:16:20 - Features and getting started 01:27:35 - Last Days and Legacy About Adam Marsh and Ala Rozwadowska Adam Marsh and Ala Rozwadowska are the founders of the DAN AI platform which supports dentists in creating complete, accurate and contemporaneous records by secure audio recording.

This episode of Mind Movers features Sonia Szamocki, founder of 32Co clear aligner training startup Sonia shares her journey from studying medicine at Oxford University to becoming an entrepreneur in the healthcare tech space. The conversation covers Sonia's early life and education, her time at Oxford, and her transition from practising medicine to consulting at Boston Consulting Group.  Sonia discusses the challenges she faced in her career, including burnout and the difficulties of balancing work and personal life. In This Episode 00:02:55 - Backstory 00:06:00 - Oxford University 00:11:35 - Medicine to consulting 00:16:35 - Work-life balance and burnout 00:23:25 - Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 00:30:40 - Healthcare and NHS challenges 00:37:35 - Culture and generational differences 00:41:45 - Darkest days 00:48:40 - Family, work and gender 00:58:55 - 32Co 01:14:35 - Advice for young female entrepreneurs About Sonia Szamocki Sonia Szamocki is a dentist and founder of the 32Co clear aligner training platform.

Payman chats with Instagram favourite Teki Sowdani, who shares his journey from his initial work experience to his time at Sheffield University.  He discusses growing up in Essex with Iraqi parents, and how this shaped his perspective. Teki also discusses his meteoric career progression, and rise to prominence on social media, and his journey into practice ownership.  He candidly discusses the professional and personal challenges he faced, including a medical diagnosis that profoundly impacted his life and career outlook. In This Episode 00:01:55 - Backstory 00:05:55 - Study 00:08:15 - Outsider mentality 00:11:35 - Early career 00:15:15 - Social media 00:21:10 - Cancer 00:31:25 - Clear aligners 00:45:20 - Darkest day 00:54:50 - Composite bonding 01:04:35 - Dental monitoring 01:20:45 - Practice ownership and management 01:24:50 - Teki's future plans and potential sale of his practice 01:30:40 - Final questions: fantasy dinner party guests and life advice About Teki Sowdani Teki Sowdani is the founder and owner of London-based Teeth by Tekki clinic and a prominent voice on Instagram under the @teeth_by_teki handle.

This episode of Mind Movers features Hunter Michael Shepard, a recovery advocate and content creator who shares his personal journey through addiction and recovery. Hunter discusses his early experiences with drugs, starting at age 12 with Adderall, alcohol, and marijuana.  The conversation covers Hunter's rock-bottom moments and the impactful words that led to recovery. him to seek treatment seriously. Hunter describes his rehab experience and early recovery, including how he began creating content about his journey. In This Episode 00:02:20 - Backstory 00:04:15 - ADHD and overmedication 00:06:00 - Drug use 00:12:10 - Hunter's experiences in juvenile prison 00:24:35 - Addiction and relationships 00:31:25 - Opioid crisis 00:37:35 - Reaching rock bottom 00:43:15 - Recovery 00:56:30 - Addiction intervention and management 01:03:35 - Breathwork and community 01:08:25 - Recovery advocacy 01:11:30 - Future plans About Hunter Shepard Hunter Michael Shepard is a recovery advocate and content creator who overcame a severe drug addiction that began at age 12. Hunter now works as an interventionist and case manager, helping others struggling with addiction. He's known for his social media presence, where he shares his recovery journey and provides support to those in need.

Prav chats with Todd Williams, an expert in customer service and leadership training. Todd shares his unique journey from growing up around older adults to working in healthcare, then transitioning to the luxury hotel industry with Four Seasons, and finally applying his expertise to dentistry.  He shares strategies for breaking down barriers, authentically engaging with people, and bringing out the best in staff, customers, and patients. Enjoy! In This Episode 00:04:35 - Backstory 00:09:15 - School and social dynamics 00:15:40 - Study and work 00:31:25 - Four Seasons 00:39:35 - Customer and patient experiences 01:14:50 - Public speaking 01:46:15 - Last days and legacy About Todd Williams Todd Williams is a speaker and consultant specializing in culture development across healthcare, hospitality, and customer-facing industries. He spent 20+ years developing service delivery training for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. As VP of Culture Development at Centura Health, he focused on employee engagement and improving patient experiences.

Payman and Rhona chat with award-winning facial aesthetician and dentist Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar.  Yusra touches on her experiences growing up in the UK as a Muslim woman and the impact of her father's return to Iraq after the war. She also explains the rationale behind her move from dentistry to facial aesthetics and shares thoughts on consent and ethics in aesthetic procedures. Yura also discusses balancing motherhood with a demanding career, the role of healthcare professionals in discussing humanitarian issues publicly, and the importance of speaking out against injustice. Enjoy! In This Episode 00:02:50 - Backstory 00:24:50 - Transition from dentistry to facial aesthetics 00:33:35 - Differences in aesthetic preferences between Liverpool and London 00:39:35 - Ethics and aesthetics  00:52:00 - Motherhood, career and family 01:01:45 - Fertility 01:08:15 - Healthcare and humanitarian issues 01:24:50 - Islam and Islamophobia 01:53:20 - Future plans and projects 01:54:10 - Advice for young dentists 01:55:25 - Awards and success About Yusra Al-Mukhtar Yusra Al-Mukhtar is a dental surgeon, medical aesthetician and founder and clinical director of Dr Yusra, providing medically-led aesthetic treatments in Liverpool and London.