Why Stay Mixed NHS and Private

Grant Goodstein isn't a dentist — and that might be exactly why this episode is so refreshing. An American tech exec turned practice owner, Grant moved to London for love (a Hannah Montana-inspired trip to LA, a dating app, and a last-minute Vegas concert, if you can believe it) and ended up buying a mixed NHS practice in Fulham with his wife, Leah. 

What follows is a masterclass in what happens when someone with zero clinical background but serious business chops walks into a neighbourhood dental practice and starts asking, "What do patients actually want?" 

From GBT machines and AI phone systems to living wage accreditation and obsessing over Wi-Fi signal strength in the toilet, Grant's approach is equal parts Silicon Valley hustle and genuine community spirit.

In This Episode

00:01:00 – Meeting Leah: dating apps, Hannah Montana and a spontaneous trip to Vegas

00:06:15 – London vs Los Angeles

00:08:25 – Growing up sports-obsessed and working for Michigan basketball

00:13:10 – Coaching rituals and building team enthusiasm

00:15:25 – Buying the practice: staff turnover, evolution vs revolution

00:19:35 – Practice valuations then and now

00:22:05 – Listening to patients and expanding hygiene

00:26:10 – Running a mixed practice: the case for keeping NHS

00:32:20 – Growing Invisalign from 20 to 100 cases a year

00:34:10 – Genuine interest, patient conversations and the "daughter test"

00:36:10 – The search for the right practice

00:41:20 – Nervous patients and the patient experience

00:43:35 – Investing in GBT and premium hygiene

00:49:40 – Learning when and how to say no

00:55:25 – Tech stack: CareStack, VoIP, AI transcription and remote hiring

01:02:45 – Reception as a revenue driver

01:06:25 – Training, role plays and AI for SOPs

01:09:20 – High-performing teams: sports analogies in practice

01:11:30 – Blackbox thinking

01:15:20 – Refurb lessons and driving urgency

01:18:50 – Finding purpose after tech burnout

01:21:15 – Favourite business books

01:24:50 – Fantasy dinner party

01:31:15 – Leah's fearless flyer course and treating nervous patients

About Grant Goodstein

Grant Goodstein is the managing director of Pearly Whites dental practice in Fulham, London, which he co-owns with his wife, dentist Leah Goodstein. A University of Michigan economics graduate, Grant previously worked in tech — including a stint at Twitter — before moving to the UK and channelling his business background into practice ownership.