Dental Leaders Podcast

Prav Solanki returns as host to interview Dev Patel, CEO of Dental Beauty Partners, about growing and scaling dental practices.

This episode effectively distills the regular conversations Prav and Dev have about practice growth, offering listeners a fly-on-the-wall experience of their candid discussions.

Dev shares his straightforward approach to practice growth, emphasising the importance of leadership, financial literacy, and a patient-first mindset. They discuss everything from evaluating practice potential and understanding financial statements to employee relationships and investment strategies.

The episode builds toward an exciting announcement about a new joint venture that promises to transform how practice owners approach business growth: https://www.startscaleexit.co.uk

In This Episode

00:02:40 - Practice-growth mindset

00:04:35 - Growth & NHS

00:09:00 - Improving patient journey and experience

00:12:30 - Due diligence and practice acquisitions

00:14:15 - Investing in people vs investing in premises

00:17:15 - Financial literacy and business training

00:33:10 - Investing in tech

00:36:35 - Sales and practice profitability

00:39:10 - Revenue growth with cost control

00:41:25 - Leadership and transparency

00:44:55 - Modern vs traditional leadership approaches

00:47:20 - Big announcement

About Dev Patel

Dev Patel is the CEO of Dental Beauty Partners, a dental group with 57 practices across the UK.

With over 15 years of experience in practice acquisitions and growth, Dev has developed a reputation for rapidly scaling dental businesses through strategic partnerships and a people-focused investment approach.

His expertise lies in identifying growth opportunities, streamlining operations, and creating sustainable business models in dentistry.

Payman chats with Kaival Patel, the dynamic force behind Kana Health Group. Kaival opens up about his journey from an enthusiastic associate dentist to the leader of a thriving dental empire comprising five large practices and 130 staff members. 

With refreshing candour, he shares the challenges of creating a positive culture, the emotional lows of practice ownership, and his innovative approaches to team building and referral marketing. 

What truly shines through is Kaival's passion for developing people and creating workplaces where positivity becomes the foundation for success.

In This Episode

00:01:40 - Practice culture and family vibe across multiple locations

00:04:15 - North Star: Establishing positivity and respect as core values

00:09:50 - Evolution vs. revolution in practice acquisitions

00:12:35 - Growing as a leader and management evolution

00:16:30 - The Kana Cup: Points for positivity team system

00:19:20 - Handling resistance to new ideas

00:24:20 - Hiring for attitude over skill

00:30:15 - Business structure and organisation

00:40:35 - Pursuing peace vs. potential

00:53:05 - Creating a referral centre

00:57:45 - The hamper drop: Innovative referral marketing

01:04:00 - Career evolution and identity crisis

01:14:15 - Fantasy dinner party

01:28:55 - Last days and legacy

About Kaival Patel

Kaival is the co-director of Kana Health Group, which operates five large dental practices with 28-29 chairs across Milton Keynes, employing approximately 130 team members. 

Originally from a family of Ugandan Asian immigrants who valued education above all, Kaival transitioned from clinical dentistry to business leadership after experiencing eye health issues during COVID. 

Together with his wife Serena, he has developed the Kana Academy, an educational institution providing high-quality dental training in Milton Keynes.

In this powerful episode of Mind Movers, Rhona and Payman speak with Jacqueline Hurst, one of the UK's leading life coaches and mindset experts. 

Jacqueline shares her remarkable journey from addiction, anorexia and self-destruction to becoming a force for change who has helped thousands transform their lives. 

With raw honesty, she explains how she hit rock bottom at 25, found recovery, and developed her no-nonsense approach to mindset work. 

The conversation explores how our thoughts create our feelings, the importance of self-awareness, and why finding inner peace has become Jacqueline's definition of success after 22 years of sobriety.

In This Episode

00:01:35 - Introduction and background

00:03:35 - Early struggles with addiction

00:05:25 - Parenting impact without blame

00:10:00 - Mindset management philosophy

00:22:15 - Fight or flight responses

00:29:10 - Rock bottom and turning point

00:30:10 - Recovery through meetings

00:39:35 - Thought patterns vs feelings

00:49:10 - Relationships and emotional intelligence

00:53:25 - Common limiting beliefs

00:55:40 - Self-awareness techniques

01:00:00 - Peace as true success 01:08:15 - Last days and legacy

About Jacqueline Hurst

Jacqueline Hurst is one of the UK's leading life coaches, a mindset expert and author of "How to Do You". After overcoming severe addiction issues and hitting rock bottom at age 25, she transformed her life and has now been clean for 22 years. Her straight-talking approach has helped over 9,000 clients break free from limiting beliefs and take control of their minds.

In this captivating episode of Dental Leaders, Payman sits down with specialist endodontist Ammar Al Hourani. Born in Syria and raised in Scotland, Ammar shares his journey from reluctant dental student to passionate endodontics specialist. 

The conversation weaves through his life-changing experiences in refugee camps, the challenges of specialist training, and his current success running courses in the UK and India. 

Throughout the discussion, Ammar offers valuable clinical insights on everything from diagnosis to obturation while reflecting on the importance of listening to one's gut instinct in both clinical practice and life.

In This Episode

00:01:55 - Scottish upbringing and cultural identity

00:04:55 - Path to dentistry

00:14:45 - Refugee camp experiences

00:22:25 - Endodontic specialisation journey

00:27:35 - Imposter syndrome and building a practice

00:33:50 - Endodontic diagnosis tips

00:36:15 - Access cavity preparation

00:38:05 - Irrigation techniques

00:41:35 - File systems and obturation

00:45:40 - Coronal seal importance

00:49:50 - Managing cracked teeth

00:55:00 - Internal whitening techniques

01:03:40 - NHS dentistry challenges

01:08:40 - Continuing education courses

01:28:10 - Blackbox thinking

01:36:45 - Fantasy dinner party

About Ammar Al Hourani

Ammar Al Hourani is a specialist endodontist based in London. Originally from Syria but raised in Scotland, he completed his specialist training at Liverpool after working in various clinical settings. He now divides his time between clinical practice at multiple locations and teaching through "The Endo Guy," offering courses in both the UK and India.

In this Dental Leaders episode, Payman sits down with Sam Cope, a dentist whose journey to dentistry began in physiotherapy.

Known for his focus on minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry, Sam discusses the habits that keep his clinical days finely tuned, the influence of mentors, and his obsession with detail. He reflects on how his background in physio shaped his approach to patient care, back health, and long-term sustainability in dentistry.

The conversation ranges from composite techniques and mental health to happiness, burnout, and redefining success. Honest, introspective, and often unexpectedly profound, this is an episode that challenges what it means to thrive in modern dentistry.

In This Episode

00:01:00 – Daily habits and preparation

00:13:00 – Mentorship and clinical growth

00:25:00 – Blackbox thinking: Mistakes & lessons

00:35:00 – From physio to dentistry

00:47:00 – Adversity and inner drive

00:58:00 – Mental health and fulfilment

01:10:00 – Dentistry, stress and back pain

01:23:00 – Work-life balance philosophy

01:36:00 – Living below your means

01:48:00 – Fantasy dinner party guests

About Sam Cope

Sam Cope is a minimally invasive cosmetic dentist based at Love Teeth, known for his highly refined clinical systems and patient-focused care. Originally trained as a physiotherapist, he transitioned into dentistry after discovering a passion for aesthetic and restorative treatment. Sam combines his love for detail with a strong belief in reflection, mentorship, and doing fewer things, better.