Dental Leaders Podcast

Payman Langroudi chats with Giovanni Martino, a young Italian dentist practising in the UK. Giovanni shares his journey from studying dentistry in Italy to working in the NHS and private practice in the UK. Giovanni discusses the importance of continuing education, challenges and opportunities in dentistry and how his musical background has influenced his approach to dentistry. In This Episode 00:03:55 - Background with the Delta Academy 00:05:50 - Teaching and learning 00:08:45 - Work and the UK 00:14:00 - Music and dentistry 00:21:10 - Patient communication 00:28:25 - Study in Italy and Spain 00:37:35 - DJing 00:43:00 - Fatherhood 00:51:30 - UK Vs Italian dentistry 00:57:55 - Unrest in the UK 01:04:35 - Patient-driven orthodontics 01:15:45 - Adhesive dentistry and "aha" moments 01:25:25 - Thoughts on practice ownership 01:37:35 - Standardization and corporate dentistry 01:40:10 - Blackbox thinking 01:44:20 - Fantasy dinner party  01:45:54 - Last day and legacy About Dr Giovanni Martino Dr Giovanni Martino graduated with a Diploma in Dentistry from the University of L'Aquila, Italy, in 2017. He now practices in Bristol, UK.

Payman Langroudi chats with May Firoozmand, a young dentist who recently qualified from Bulgaria. May shares her journey into dentistry, her experiences studying abroad, and her perspective on life and service shaped by her Baha'i faith. The conversation covers topics ranging from her dental education in Bulgaria to her charitable work and future aspirations in dentistry. In This Episode 00:02:35 - Faith 00:07:35 - Family influence 00:14:50 - Study 00:19:20 - Oral surgery 00:23:25 - Bulgaria 00:29:35 - Charity and community  00:43:40 - Faith and personal loss 00:49:15 - Oral surgery career paths 00:54:15 - Mentoring and support 00:57:30 - Fantasy dinner party 01:00:25 - Last days and legacy About May Firoozmand May Firoozmand graduated in May 2024 from the Medical University Varna with a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine).

Dr Tara recounts her journey from a conservative upbringing to becoming a leading voice in sexual education and empowerment.  The professor and sex expert shares her personal experiences with marriage, divorce, and finding a fulfilling relationship, while also delving into topics such as sexual mindfulness, the impact of cultural norms on relationships, and the complexities of infidelity.  Enjoy! In This Episode 00:02:00 - Background 00:04:35 - Religion, culture and sexuality 00:08:35 - Body neutrality and body image 00:16:50 - Academia 00:20:20 - Sexual chemistry 00:26:25 - Divorce and healing 00:31:30 - Relationships and monogamy 00:41:00 - Sexual mindfulness 00:45:45 - Pornography and ethics 00:52:50 - Toxic masculinity 00:57:20 - Celebs Go Dating 01:06:35 - Infidelity 01:25:50 - Future plans About Dr Tara Dr. Tara is a tenured professor at California State University Fullerton, where she teaches relational and sexual communication and quantitative research. She is also a researcher and appears as a sex expert on the TV show Celebs Go Dating. Dr Tara is also the host of the Luvbites by Dr Tara Podcast.

Payman meets Kunal Thakker, the founder of Tooth Club, a rapidly growing dental practice group in the UK. Kunal shares his journey from a career in banking to disrupting the dental industry, discussing his approach to creating a patient-centric experience, scaling a dental business, and the challenges of maintaining quality while expanding.  He offers insights into his marketing strategies, recruitment practices, and the importance of company culture in building a successful dental group. In This Episode 00:04:35 - Backstory 00:09:50 - From finance to dentistry 00:21:10 - Tooth Club 00:25:25 - Setting up squats 00:31:25 - Recruiting and retaining 00:37:35 - Measuring success 00:43:00 - Painless injections 00:49:55 - Management and structure 00:57:30 - Marketing 01:08:25 - Ethics and motivation 01:25:35 - Blackbox thinking 01:27:20 - Fantasy dinner party  01:28:20 - Last days and legacy About Kunal Thakker Kunal Thakker is a former executive director at Goldman Sachs and the founder of Tooth Club—a membership-based chain of dental practices.

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.