Dental Leaders Podcast

If you’ve ever had the good luck of hearing one of Louis Mackenzie’s lectures, you’ll know you’re in for a treat: He’s one of the most engaging, entertaining and witty speakers on the circuit.   Louis sits down with Prav and Payman to talk about what it takes to spot and nurture exceptional talent. They also discuss the secrets behind treatment longevity and Louis’ role at Denplan, sharing plenty of groan-inducing dad jokes along the way!   Enjoy!     In This Episode 02.29 - Being an inspiration 06.04 - Talent spotting and training 12.25 - Specialising Vs generalism 14.37 - Treatment longevity 22.03 - The new generation 23.57 - Why dentistry and background 28.09 - Dental school 33.18 - Moral tension and motivation 48.21 - Bad decisions and black box thinking 57.23 - Leaving the NHS 01.04.15 - Denplan 01.14.18 - On stage 01.22.45 - Research and opinion leadership 01.36.03 - Fantasy dinner party 01.38.11 - Last days and legacy About Louis Mackenzie Louis Mackenzie is a GDP who practices in Selly, Birmingham.   He is a clinical tutor at the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry, where he lectures on conservative dentistry and oral pathology.   Louis is also a prolific lecturer and educator and often conducts training on behalf of dental insurers Denplan.

You wouldn’t know from it his calm demeanour, but Rajiv Ruwala is a busy guy.   Things have always been that way for Rajiv, who purchased his first practice with his sister Aneeka before starting his VT year and quickly grew the ailing three-chair practice into a successful seven-surgery clinic.   He’s since opened a second practice under the 2 Green Dental brand and is poised to open a third, just weeks after the arrival of his first child.   Rajiv talks about the ups and downs of his journey so far, reflecting on what defines success, building organisational culture, and much more.   Enjoy!  In This Episode 01.44 - Current practice and ownership 07.39 - Structure, management and culture 18.33 - Mindset and communication 26.44 - Why Rajiv loves clinical work 30.07 - Growth and marketing 37.00 - Brand positioning 40.44 - Plans and project management 45.38 - 2 Green Dental 52.06 - Keeping going 01.00.19 - Associates and the comfort zone 01.08.31 - Defining success 01.10.10 - Blackbox thinking 01.22.09 - Cultivating culture 01.31.39 - Last days and legacy 01.38.52 - Fantasy dinner party About Rajiv Ruwala Rajiv qualified from King’s College London in 2008 and joined his sister Aneeka in purchasing and running Croydon-based 2 Green Dental.   He earned a Postgraduate Certification for Dental Education from the University of Bedfordshire, acted as a clinical demonstrator at King’s College Dental Institute, and is now a foundation tutor with the London Deanery.   Rajiv is a prolific lecturer for the British Dental Association’s Squadron strategy on professional development and patient communication and has also addressed audiences on behalf of Invisalign and SmileFast. 

Payman takes a trip across the pond this week to chat with UK-born Upen Patel, who practices in Sacramento, California.   They explore the differences between UK and US healthcare, education and culture, and Upen chats about his experiences at some of the US’ top training academies.   Payman and Upen also talk about the challenges of funding dental school, Upen’s love of squash, and much more.   Enjoy!   In This Episode 01.24 - Moving to the US 05.58 - UK Vs US schooling 08.39 - Funds and finance 17.59 - Next steps 21.23 - US associates 24.38 - Coping with COVID 28.42 - Safety nets 31.34 - Practice purchase 33.12 - Specialisms 36.33 - The team and US models 44.08 - Postgraduate training 56.01 - Fees, pricing and positioning 01.05.43 - Black box thinking 01.19.19 - Missing the UK 01.21.33 - Squash 01.23.41 - Fantasy dinner party 01.24.27 - Last days and legacy  About Upen Patel Upen gained his DDS from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco, US, in 2005.   As one of the course’s youngest ever graduates, Upen earned the Outstanding Achievement Award from the university’s Academy of Restorative Dentistry.   Depen then completed a residency in advanced education in general dentistry at PACIFIC University, where he graduated as valedictorian with the highest honour in his class. He is now a member of the university’s faculty.   He is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

After Mudasser Hussain discovered the transformational power of executive coaching, Mudasser Hussain decided to slim down his clinical hours to divide his time between dentistry and coaching.   In this week’s episode, Mudasser chats with Payman about his motivation for helping others through coaching and how his love of football is bringing the dental profession together on social media.   Mudasser and Payman also discuss the stresses and mental health challenges of being a practising dentist, the efficacy of professional bodies like the BDA, and much more.   Enjoy! In This Episode 01.20 - Social media and screen time 04.45 - Backstory 10.02 - Choosing dentistry 12.21 - Associates and principals 15.59 - First job and VT 20.00 - Benefits of coaching 34.56 - Mental health and stress 36.20 - Real-world examples 44.26 - Coaching - the nuts and bolts 50.36 - Blackbox thinking 59.25 - Chairside vs clinical skills and personality types 01.04.27 - Football on Facebook 01.08.14 - Professional bodies 01.19.07 - Last days and legacy 01.21.45 - Fantasy dinner party About Mudasser Hussain Mudasser Hussain is a dental surgeon with more than 15 years of experience in private and NHS practice.   He now practices part-time while studying for a master’s in medical law and ethics and providing executive coaching for dentists and professionals through Clarity Coaching International.   He is currently studying for the ILM-7 diploma in corporate coaching, international leadership and senior mentoring—the highest qualification recognised by the International Coaching Federation.

Foodies are in for a treat this week as we sit down to chat with dentist and Masterchef contestant Rishi Nanavati.    It’s not just Masterchef judges who were impressed with Rishi’s fusion dishes—they also struck a culinary chord with fellow vegetarian and Indian food lover, Prav.   Rishi takes us through his Masterchef appearance dish-by-dish, revealing how it felt to go head-to-head with eight other hopefuls.   Rishi also talks about his favourite dishes, plans for the future and why dentistry may now take a backseat to a kitchen career.   Bon appetit!   00.53 - Starting with cooking 05.53 - Favourite foods 07.34 - Backstory 12.14 - University life 18.35 - Being veggie 21.40 - Masterchef shortlisting 29.17 - Competing on Masterchef 33.52 - The dishes 42.26 - Instagram 44.03 - Back to Masterchef 47.53 - Finding time for dentistry 50.51 - Future plans 54.24 - Following Rishi’s recipes 55.08 - Fave foods and places 01.00.02 - Last days and legacy 01.01.20 - Fantasy dinner party About Rishi Nanavati Rishi Nanavati practices at Vogue Dental Care in Luton. A keen chef, Rishi was among nine hopefuls hoping to impress judges on Masterchef 2022.    He blogs and writes about food and recipes at www.dishbyrish.co.uk and can be found on Instagram as @dish_by_rish.  

In this week’s extended episode, Prav sits down to chat with one of the profession’s larger than life characters, Amit Patel.   In a wide-ranging conversation recorded shortly before the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) Team Congress in Manchester, ADI president Amit reveals how and why a specialist periodontist now leads the association.   Amit also chats about real-life Vs online networking, imposter syndrome and why skydiving is now his preferred method of relaxation.   Enjoy!     In This Episode 01.22 - Sartorial style 03.37 - Backstory 08.16 - Social media and real-life networking 19.28 - Confidence and imposter syndrome 31.17 - Political correctness 35.21 - School life and deciding on dentistry 45.32 - Dental school 56.52 - Specialism and practice ownership 59.41 - Connecting with experts 01.03.30 - Practice ownership and mindset 01.16.01 - Blackbox thinking 01.21.57 - Treatment longevity 01.36.17 - The Association of Dental Implantology 01.50.29 - Skydiving 02.00.40 - Last days and legacy 02.03.08 - Fantasy dinner party About Amit Patel Dr Amit Patel is the president of the Association for Dental Implantology. He graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1997 and gained membership of the Royal Faculty of Dental Surgeons in 2000.   He went on gain a master's in periodontology and clinical dentistry at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Dental Institute.   He is a specialist in periodontics and an honorary clinical lecturer at the University of Birmingham Dental School.   Amit is an ambassador for the Clean Implant Foundation, which aims to establish a science-based quality benchmark for implants.   In 2018, he was voted one of dentistry’s 50 most influential figures.

Niall Hutchinson’s red wine social media posts are designed to provoke discussion on some of dentistry’s thorniest topics.   So get ready for a robust and full-bodied discussion as Payman chats with one of dentistry’s most outspoken and engaging characters.   Niall and Payman take crack open a red to take on everything from the saturated dental courses market to NHS dentistry, the role of corporates, and much more.   Cheers! In This Episode 01.44 - Red wine 07.31 - CPD and profitability 26.28 - NHS - the second coming? 36.23 - Skills Vs soft skills 39.42 - Going private 44.13 - Price increases 47.28 - Corporates - a force for good? 57.50 - A little backstory 01.03.58 - Staying engaged 01.07.51 - Specialism Vs generalism 01.11.38 - Invisalign 01.15.47 - Business secrets 01.24.29 - Choosing associates 01.28.29 - The labour market 01.30.24 - Black box thinking 01.40.55 - Best and worst days 01.45.15 - Fantasy dinner party 01.48.13 - Last days and legacy  About Niall Hutchinson Dr Niall Hutchinson qualified from Queen’s University Belfast in 1987 and spent four years as an associate in Northern Ireland before moving to the UK.   He is the owner and clinical director of Cherry Tree Dental Care, near Wantage, Oxford

Fresh from the opening of her brand new squat practice, Martina Hodgson chats with Prav and Payman about the rationale behind opening a squat after years of successful ownership with Wakefield’s The Dental Studio.   Martina also talks about her insatiable drive and ambition, being an Invisalign Diamond provider and why she teamed up with Andrea Ubhi to start the Inspiring Women in Dentistry event. In This Episode 02.04 - Backstory 05.42 - The squat and practice ownership 13.03 - Leadership style 18.27 - Hiring and firing 23.53 - Practice structure and patient journey 37.37 - Invisalign Vs? 47.45 - A controversial offer 52.06 - The Dental Architect 59.10 - Sinking moments and project management 01.04.39 - Creative 01.06.56 - Black box thinking 01.11.02 - Mistakes and weaknesses 01.12.54 - Women and motherhood in dentistry 01.19.08 - Plans, confidence and inspiration 01.23.55 - Finally, a black box thought 01.28.37 - Last days and legacy 01.32.00 - Fantasy dinner party About Martina Hodgson Dr Martina Hodgson owns Wakefield-based The Dental Studio and The Dental Architect in Leeds.      She is a Diamond Invisalign provider, a speaker for Invisalign and Aligner Consulting and a key opinion leader for Dental Monitoring.   Martina was listed in Dentistry’s Top 50, 2021. She sits on the editorial advisory board of the  Private Dentistry Journal Editorial and is a prolific contributor to the general and dental press.   Martina is the co-founder of Inspiring Women in Dentistry organisation with Andrea Ubhi. 

Things have come a long way for Kailesh Solanki since he last joined his brother Prav for a chat on the podcast and talked about winding down his clinical hours to focus on business.    So how are things going?   Kailesh has been busy since his last podcast appearance, finalising an exit deal for his Manchester-based Kiss clinics that will see him staying on with the brand to open and develop ten new practices.   Kailesh talks about his ambitions for Kiss, discusses the challenges of exit and reveals big aspirations for the next ten years.   Enjoy!  In This Episode 01.15 - Catching up 04.26 - The exit 09.54 - The Ten Clinic plan and the partnership model 14.00 - Loss and control 20.29 - Changing challenges 24.24 - Ideal partners 33.07 - Purpose 35.44 - The next ten years 39.01 - Structure 47.38 - Existing practices Vs squats 52.23 - Patient offer and processes 59.19 - Maintaining the vision About Kailesh Solanki Kailesh Solanki graduated from Manchester University in 2003 and went on to gain implantology qualifications.   In 2005, Kailesh purchased a practice in central Manchester, which he rebranded under the KissDental moniker and quickly expanded the clinic to a group of three.   

In 2017, Hannah Burrows and Jay Shah set out to solve a problem that takes up hours of dentists’ time and designed a platform to automate clinical note-taking.   Some five years on and Kiroku is going from strength to strength. Jay and Hannah chat to Payman about the challenges of starting out and their vision for Kiroku’s for the future.   Enjoy!  In This Episode 01.20 - Kiroku 07.20 - Meeting and incubation 11.56 - Early days and getting feedback 17.07 - Dentistry Vs changing the world 20.42 - Influence and impact 22.42 - Day to day running 25.44 - Motivation 28.36 - The mom test 33.14 - Scale, pricing 40.12 - Future vision 43.17 - Blackbox thinking 47.18 - Weaknesses 53.13 - Mistakes 55.06 - Investors 56.55 - User stories 58.14 - Backstory 01.03.21 - Exit dreams 01.04.56 - Last days and legacy 01.07.43 - Fantasy dinner party About Hannah Burrow and Jay Shah Dentist Hannah Burrow and machine learning engineer Jay Shah are founders of Kiroku automated note-keeping platform.