DENTOLOGY - The Business of Dentistry

This week Chris and Andy chat with Brad Thornton, Principal of Ivory Dental Practice in Leeds and serial entrepreneur and investor. Brad is no stranger to the Dentology podcast, having been a guest back in November 2021.  In this latest episode he chats about entrepreneurship and balancing the need to stay at the forefront of clinical dentistry alongside developing broader business skills. He shares his thoughts and advice on the importance of investing in non-clinical learning for both personal and business development.  And finally, he talks about his recent achievement completing an MBA from the prestigious University College London, how this has supported him as a dental business owner and gives his top tips to anyone planning to buy a practice who may need to develop skills in this area.   Topics: -  How do you define entrepreneurship? -  How do you balance the need to ensure you stay at the forefront of clinical dentistry but also develop broader business skills? - Does a lack of business competence make owning and running a practice more stressful? - Why is investment in non-clinical learning important for your personal and business development? - Your MBA achievement -  How has this supported you in your role as practice owner? - Any advice for those looking to buy a dental practice who feel they need to develop in this area? - What are the most important skills for an entrepreneur to have?

Abhi Krishna shares his journey from India to the UK, discussing Carestack's impact on the dental sector. He talks about embracing imperfection, new tech like AI, and the importance of client partnerships. The podcast explores cultural influences, entrepreneurial struggles, and the future vision for Carestack.

This week’s guest is Simon Thackeray, Principal and Clinical Director of Thackeray Dental Care in Mansfield and Secretary of the British Association of Private Dentistry (BAPD). In this episode Simon chats about his childhood, the reasons why he decided to pursue a career in dentistry and talks about life as a practice owner having been running his own practice for some 27 years now. Simon talks about why he decided to go fully private back in 2005, reflects on how since then, his practice has expanded and shares some of the learnings from his entrepreneurial journey. He reflects on some of the key moments in his career where he’s seized opportunities, including his involvement in setting up the BAPD a few years ago. Finally, he shares his thoughts on the future of dentistry, what things he would like to see change and how he feels social media could play a key role to advance the profession. Topics:  -        Tell us about your childhood and school years -         Was dentistry always a calling for you from a young age? -         Life as a practice owner -         Your decision to go fully private back in 2005 -         Your learnings from your entrepreneurial journey -         Any key moments where you took opportunities? -         Your involvement in setting up the BAPD -         What are your thoughts for the future of dentistry? -         What one thing would you like to see change? -         How do you see social media advancing the profession?

This week Andy and Chris welcome Lucie Simic to the Dentology Podcast. Lucie is a well-known dental business consultant, trainer and speaker and has worked in the dental industry for nearly a decade, helping practices increase their turnover and deliver exceptional customer experience with five-star service. In this episode she chats about her early career days working in journalism before moving over to work as a practice manager before moving on to undertake consultancy work with practices around the UK supporting them on their own journey.  Lucie shares her thoughts on how the role of a practice manager has changed over the years, how she feels the mood in dentistry is at present and considers the key things she believes practices need to focus on in 2024 to thrive. Topics: - Tell us about your childhood and your early career days as a broadcast and newspaper journalist -  What did these industries teach you that’s proved to valuable transferable skills? - Your first role in dentistry as a Practice Manager -  How has this role since changed? -  How do you gauge the mood in dentistry at present? -  What is the key thing practices need to focus on in 2024 to thrive?

Our guest this week is Ritesh (Rick) Aggarwal, Principal dentist of Edge Dental in Sheffield and co-founder of Psynergy Mental Health, a business dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being culture of organisations. In this episode he looks back on his early years and what his inspiration was for becoming a dentist.  He talks about the years he spent studying dentistry in Sheffield and how this time influenced his career path. He goes on to explain more about his pathway to practice ownership and his ambitions to be a principal, as well as how he has created a positive culture within in his practice and how in part, this has led him to develop Psynergy Mental Health. Finally, he tells Chris and Andy more about the links between a positive culture and mental health and the ways in which culture can be improved through a data driven approach. Topics: -  Your early years -  What was your inspiration for becoming a dentist? -  What was it like to study in Sheffield? -  Tell us about your career pathway to practice ownership -  How have you created a positive culture in your practice? -  Development of Psynergy Mental Health -  Is there a link between a positive culture and mental health? -  Can culture be improved through a data driven approach?

Experienced business trainer/coach Ashley Latter shares insights on discussing fees with confidence and selling dentistry ethically. He talks about his entrepreneurial journey, differences in the UK, and his latest book on practice management evolution.

This week Andy and Chris chat to Jonathan Webster, Managing Director of World of Mouth Marketing, a telemarketing business working solely with UK dental practices and dental groups. In this episode, Jonathan chats about his early career days, how he started working in the world of direct marketing and telemarketing some 25 years ago and how this marketing approach has changed over the years.  He talks about some of the global brands he has worked with during his career, shares his experience on how global brands differ from local businesses in terms of market positioning and considers if it is more complex today as a result of all the marketing channels available to us. Finally, he shares more about the services offered by World of Mouth Marketing to UK dental practices and explains how this can make a big difference to a practice! Topics: - Your early work career and experience -  Was direct marketing a different world when you started some 25 years ago? - How do global brands differ from local businesses for market positioning? - Has it got more complex today? - Explain more about the services offered by World of Marketing - How does this make a difference to a dental practice?

Our guest on the podcast this week is Dr Bobby Bhandal, founder of Avenue Dental Practice in Leamington Spa. Bobby obtained his bachelor’s in dental surgery from the University of Birmingham in 2013 and is passionate about postgraduate education and training.  After university, he worked as an associate for approximately eight years, during which time he developed a specialist interest in implants and completed two years of dental implant training at the Campbell Academy. In this episode he talks about those early career years and what drove him to move on from being an associate to designing his own squat practice. He tells Chris and Andy about some of the highs and lows of his first year as a practice owner and explains about the course he now runs supporting others looking to follow a similar path.   Topics:  - Tell us about your time at Birmingham Dental School and your graduation in 2013 - Working as an associate and your specialist implant training - Why did you move on? - What led you to design your own squat? - Almost one year on….how is it going? - What are the non-clinical traits others would need to do something similar? - Explain more about how you now help others follow a similar path - What are the hard truths about owning a practice that associates might not understand?

This week we welcome Dr Christina Radics to the Dentology Podcast.   Christina is a Transformational Coach for dentists and dental professionals and a former practice owner.   Having started her dental journey in the early 2000’s, Christina talks to Chris and Andy about qualifying as a dentist in Sweden and her time at dental school before she decided to make the move to Spain to run her own practice.  She talks openly about her experience as a practice owner, the impact ownership had on her own wellbeing and how this led to two periods of burnout, all of which prompted her to change her life and sell her practice.  She shares some great tips on how others in similar situations can prevent burnout and shares her experience and insights on when it’s the right time to sell a dental practice. Topics: - Tell us more about your early dental career - Did you get lots of hands-on experience at dental school? - What was your motivation to live in Spain? - How did practice ownership impact your own wellbeing? - What was the build up to your periods of burnout? - What prompted you change your life and sell your practice? - Any tips for others on how to prevent burnout? - Any insights for others on when to sell a practice?

Andy and Chris are joined this week by Dr Suganthan Mahalingam, a general dentist based in the London and Hertfordshire area. In this episode, Suganthan talks about his work offering both NHS and private services to patients and his passion for writing. He reflects on his childhood and how he decided on a career in dentistry despite always being more interested in words than numbers and science at school.  And he goes on to talk about his passion for writing, shares his views on how the recent explosion of AI will influence copywriting going forward and explains more about the writing he loves to do that ranges from marketing messages to poetry and song lyrics! Topics: - Tell us about your childhood - How did you decide on a career in dentistry? - Explain more about your day to day work in a mixed practice in Hertfordshire - What sort of writing interests you? - The explosion of AI as a copywriting tool - What sort of writing do you do? - Within dentistry, is copywriting given the attention it deserves?