Dental Leaders Podcast

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 01.0...

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.   En...

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,...

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 Has...

The energy is palpable this week as Prav and Payman welcome one of dentistry’s most recognisable voices.   Milad Shadrooh is perhaps better known as the Singing Dentist. In this episode he recounts his incredible journey from posting a single Facebook video to live TV appearances and worldwide fame.   Milad sheds some light on his study years and balancing his love of urban music with dentistry, a...

This week Prav and Payman connect with dentist and dentolegal professional, Dr Victoria Holden.   Victoria lets us in on life as a moderator on one of the UK’s busiest online dental forums and shares some of her experience working as a senior advisor with Taylor Defence Services - a legal defence company representing the dental profession.   The trio also discusses life under lockdown, women in de...

This week, dentist Jimmy Palahey takes time out from his busy chain of Midlands practices to talk about the current state of play in COVID-era dentistry.   He shares some of his experiences as urgent dental care (UDC) provider throughout the worst days of the crisis and lets us in on how his mixed practice is balancing UDC with the demands of general post-lockdown operations.   Jimmy also lets us...

This week, we welcome British Association of Private Dentistry (BAPD) co-founder and British Association Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) past president Dr Bertie Napier.   Bertie talks about his early years and dental training in apartheid-era South Africa, and the contrasts with life and practice in London.    Bertie also takes us through his involvement with the BACD and newly-formed BAPD.   He talks...

This week, Prav and Payman explore the meaning of life, the universe and everything with implant dentist Dominc O’Hooley.    In a wide ranging conversation, exploring mortality, longevity, family and more, Dominic talks candidly about turning some of life’s challenges to his advantage.   He tells how a serious cycling accident became an opportunity for introspection and self-improvement, and how a...

This week, Prav and Payman get wise to the world of Nikuj Sondagar and Saeid Haghri.   Nik and Saeid talk about their Wise 360  - a digital learning platform connecting dentists with training providers.   This relatively young pair has form - between them, they’ve already established several successful ventures including a dental social presence, marketing and development company and clever plaque...

Zaki Kanaan might have been a banker if it wasn’t for an embarrassing incident as a small child. But banking’s loss in dentistry’s gain. In this week’s show, master of implants Zaki talks Payman through his early move from war-torn Beirut to London.   Zaki talks life at boarding school and later Guy’s, and explains how fate appeared to play a guiding role in his development as a dentist.   Prav co...

Today’s guest says he doesn’t think of himself as being a leader. But a few minutes into the episode, and it’s clear we could all have something to learn from Vishsaal Shah.   In 2017, an unsettling discovery at Visaal’s practice turned his world upside down, leading to regulatory investigations, lawsuits and more than a lifetime’s-worth of stress.   In this episode, Visshal gives us the lowdown....

This week, we welcome Sofina Ahmed. Things kick off with a conversation about how her father’s unconventional approach to business has informed her own entrepreneurial mindset.   And what a mindset! Sofia talks about the highs and lows of expanding a single practice into a nationwide chain with a rapidity that would make most of us wince.     Sofia also lets us in on why night time is the perfect...

This week, our hosts checked in with dentist, trainer and mentor, Andrew Wallace.    Andrew talks about his upbringing in Northern Ireland and lets Prav and Payman in on how an unusual odd-job helped him through university.   He shares his thoughts on the highs and lows of practice ownership and gives some practical advice for leaders facing the pain of firing staff.   No conversation with Andrew...

This week, Prav and Paiman get to sit down one of their dental heroes - Andrew Dawood.    Andrew talks about early challenges setting up his West End practice and his thoughts on the pros and cons of investing in pioneering tech.   The trio also talk about the virtues of independent practices and how using the highest quality implant materials doesn’t always translate to a quality experience for t...

In this bite-size episode, we welcome aboard old friend Richard Howarth. Richard fills us in on how he made a roaring success of his SmileStyle brand after disillusionment almost made him put down his handpiece for good.   Richard also lets us know about why he eventually decided to exit the venture and fills us in on his latest incarnation as a PPE supplier and manufacturer who has literally turn...

This week, Prav and Payman welcome their old friend Jason Smithson to the show. Jason talks about his modest Yorkshire upbringing and lets us in on how he almost chose a very different career path.   Jason fills us in on how a lack of technical know-how almost stopped his lecturing career before it began, but didn’t stop him from becoming an early internet sensation.   “Just be yourself, nobody wi...

This week, Prav and Payan welcome rising social starlet Rhona Eskander to the show. Rhona talks about her mission to make dentistry accessible to all.    Rhona discusses the pros and cons of Instagram and her relationships with some of the net’s biggest influencers. She also educates Prav on Nevada’s Burning Man Festival and talks about her experiences providing vital dental care for refugees.   E...

Many dentists feel they have been let down during the coronavirus crisis. Professional bodies were slow to speak up, delivering an ineffectual message to members when they finally did so.   The profession has not benefited from the government’s package of financial support for small businesses and insurers have proved that policies aren’t always worth the PDFs they’re written on.   This week, we m...

In this week’s bulletin, Prav and Payman quiz Dr Christopher Orr on what practical steps dentists must take upon emerging from lockdown.   Their wide-ranging discussion covers indemnity, protective measures and adopting a triage approach to inviting patients back to clinic.   They also tackle the difference between NHS and private practices, and how regulators and dentists might improve their resp...

Mark Topley spent time as a primary school teacher, drum tech and roadie before setting his sights on coaching in corporate social responsibility.   We are thankful he did. Mark talks us through his early work as CEO of Bridge2Aid, and how a financial fraud against the dental charity almost put a stop to its operations.   Mark also talks us through his decision to step away from Bridge2Aid after a...

Faced with a lack of clear advice, guidance and representation, dentists have taken the unprecedented step of forming a new association.   The British Association of Private Dentistry (BAPD) started out as an online grassroots movement in response to the COVID-19 crisis and quickly gained a huge following.   In the first of our topical buletin shows, Prav and Pay are joined by BAPD co-founders Jas...

  Social distancing prevented Prav and Payman from being together in person this week, but it didn’t stop our hosts hearing from three true dentistry leaders.   In this fascinating roundtable, Prof. Nairn Wilson makes a welcome return to the show, joined by Dr Anthony Kilcoyne and Prof. Mike Lewis.   The trio discuss their predictions for dentistry in the post-COVID landscape and talk about what r...

This week, we caught up with dentist and pistonhead Neel Jaiswal. Neel talks about his early years and introduction to the craft, as well as his hopes for the future.   We also got to chat with Neel about one of his biggest passions - fast cars.   Recently, Neel has been dividing his time between clinical practice and work with Professional Dental Indemnity - an insurance company he set up to serv...

Over a 50-year career, self-proclaimed benevolent battle axe Jenny Pinder was instrumental in shaping the face of UK dentistry as we know it today.    We chat with Jenny about her family’s generational background in dentistry, which helped shape her reputation as an early champion of women in the profession.   Jenny also spills the beans on her time at the GDC and shares some insight on the unique...