This week, Payman chats with Niki Keyhani, a newly qualified specialist prosthodontist who's already built something remarkable. Seven years out from qualification, she's opened a squat practice, completed her specialist training at King's, and somehow managed to do both simultaneously during a pandemic.

 What really stands out isn't just the clinical achievement—it's the way she talks about passion versus ambition, about choosing to do everything at once rather than waiting for the "right time." There's a refreshing honesty here about being underestimated as a young woman in dentistry, about that first complaint that knocked her sideways, and about why true kindness matters more than just going through the motions. 

Whether she's discussing optimal achievement over high achievement or explaining why she'd rather wait for the right person than rush into marriage, Niki brings a perspective that feels both grounded and aspirational.

In This Episode

00:01:15 - Introduction and background

00:01:55 - Passionate versus ambitious

00:03:00 - Sibling dynamics and guidance

00:04:40 - The "wanting it all" approach

00:05:50 - Sacrifice and balance in career building

00:10:00 - Growing up as a dentist's daughter

00:15:00 - Starting a squat practice during COVID

00:21:15 - Opening during the pandemic

00:22:20 - Decision to pursue specialist training

00:24:00 - Neil Nathwani's encouragement to specialise

00:25:30 - Getting into specialist training first try

00:27:45 - Clinical capabilities and full mouth rehabs

00:36:00 - Patient selection red flags

00:37:40 - Blackbox thinking

00:56:15 - Challenges as a woman in dentistry

01:06:15 - Business development mindset

01:07:10 - High achievers versus optimal achievers

01:09:15 - Child of a dentist privilege

01:10:10 - Building the perfect patient journey

01:13:50 - Spanish lessons and tennis

01:15:30 - Best lectures and courses

01:16:50 - Creating a thousand-page prosthodontic textbook

01:21:25 - Fantasy dinner party

01:24:00 - Last days and legacy

About Niki Keyhani

Niki Keyhani is a newly qualified specialist prosthodontist who graduated from King's College London in 2017. She completed her postgraduate diploma at the Eastman and her specialist training at King's whilst simultaneously opening and running her own squat practice from 2020. The daughter of a dentist, she's passionate about prosthodontics, teaching, and breaking down perceptions of what young women in dentistry can achieve.