Alex Buciu's story reads like something from another era. From endodontics in Romania to amalgams in Northern Ireland, his path through dentistry mirrors a deeper journey through loss, resilience and reinvention. 

When your mum dies at 14 and you're watching it happen, something shifts inside. When you arrive in a new country with £3,100 in your pocket—half of it borrowed—you learn what matters. 

Alex talks about communication trumping clinical skill every time, about choosing kindness when you're capable of violence, and why he'd rather be a brilliant generalist than a mediocre anything-else. 

There's philosophy here, hard-won wisdom, and the kind of honesty that only comes from someone who's genuinely fought for everything they have.

In This Episode

00:02:15 - Qualifying in Romania and building an endodontics practice

00:03:10 - The shock of NHS dentistry

00:08:40 - Why leave Romania

00:18:45 - Finding mentor Kieran

00:20:05 - Arriving with £3,100

00:26:00 - How to choose courses wisely

00:26:45 - The occlusion eureka moment

00:32:05 - Why not endodontics in the UK

00:37:35 - Moving to Peterborough

00:42:45 - Building from zero patients

00:44:00 - Favourite courses and lecturers

00:52:40 - Communication beats clinical skill

00:58:15 - Growing up under Ceaușescu

01:08:25 - Losing his mother at 14

01:14:20 - Volunteering in trauma

01:17:10 - Near-death experiences

01:24:50 - Blackbox thinking

01:35:40 - Fantasy dinner party

01:41:55 - Last days and legacy

About Alex Buciu

Alex qualified in Romania in 2004 and built a successful endodontics-focused practice before moving to Northern Ireland in 2018, later settling in Peterborough. He works as a private associate, focusing on restorative dentistry, occlusion and TMD, with a particular passion for continuous education and patient communication. Despite significant personal challenges, including arriving in the UK with minimal resources, he's built a reputation as an excellence-driven clinician who believes communication matters more than clinical perfection.

There's something about meeting someone who's truly hungry to learn. Payman spotted it straight away when Sanaa Harroussi walked into his Mini Smile Makeover course—that rare fire in the belly. 

But here's the thing: Sanaa's journey from Rabat to Paris to West London isn't just about collecting qualifications. It's about a woman who aced the ORE first time, built a fifteen-year career in the same practice, and then had everything turned upside down when her second son received a six-month life expectancy. 

What follows is a masterclass in resilience, the art of not taking anything for granted, and learning when perfectionism helps and when it hurts.

In This Episode

00:00:45 - Introduction and first impressions

00:01:25 - Growing up in Rabat

00:02:20 - Competitive entry into dental school

00:02:50 - How dentistry happened

00:03:50 - The serious student

00:06:25 - Postgraduate training in Paris

00:07:15 - Paris versus London

00:09:20 - The ORE challenge

00:11:20 - Blackbox thinking

00:17:10 - Finding her first job

00:20:30 - NHS reality check

00:21:55 - Patient expectations

00:24:25 - Family life begins

00:26:30 - The diagnosis

00:29:45 - Fighting for treatment

00:32:00 - Life with disability

00:33:40 - One day at a time

00:38:20 - The improvement obsession

00:40:00 - Retreats and self-care

00:40:30 - Clinical loves and methods

00:43:25 - Rubber dams and labs

00:48:40 - The digital question

00:51:10 - Invisalign journey

00:57:15 - Fantasy dinner party

00:58:45 - Last days and legacy

About Sanaa Harroussi

Sanaa Harroussi trained in dentistry in Morocco before completing postgraduate studies in prosthodontics in Paris. She's been practising in West London for fifteen years, building her career in the same practice whilst raising three sons. When her middle child was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, Sanaa fought to secure him a place in a clinical trial that would save his life.

What happens when a complaint over a scale and polish changes everything? For Alif Moosajee, a GDC investigation became the catalyst that transformed him from a dentist flying under the radar into the owner of Oakdale, one of Leicester's most distinctive private practices. 

This conversation charts his path from undergraduate struggles with imposter syndrome through the crucible of regulatory scrutiny to building a seven-surgery practice rooted in authentic patient care. 

Along the way, Alif shares hard-won insights about guided implantology, the perils of well poisoners, and why breaking kayfabe—wrestling's term for dropping the performance—might be the most honest thing you can do for your patients. It's a story about choosing growth over comfort, one calculated risk at a time.

In This Episode

00:01:00 - The Smiling Dentist origins

00:02:20 - Tony Robbins and the power of physiology

00:15:00 - Undergraduate struggles and fixed mindset

00:16:25 - The GDC complaint that changed everything

00:22:20 - Buying Oakdale practice

00:26:40 - Growing up in Slough and choosing dentistry 00:31:55 - Building the practice vision

00:35:20 - Firing the well poisoner

00:38:30 - Custodian of the vision

00:47:00 - The unmeasurable things that matter most

00:53:30 - Surprise and delight tactics

01:00:25 - Contentment versus ambition

01:06:00 - The Tony Robbins business mastery mistake

01:09:00 - Dark days in practice ownership

01:19:00 - Blackbox thinking

01:24:15 - Switching to fully guided implants

01:28:30 - Fantasy dinner party

01:33:55 - Last days and legacy

About Alif Moosajee

Alif Moosajee studied dentistry at Birmingham and owns Oakdale Dental in Leicester, a seven-surgery private practice where he focuses on implant dentistry and digital workflows. Known as "The Smiling Dentist" from his book published over a decade ago, Alif has built his practice around immediate implant protocols and fully guided surgery following early clinical challenges that reshaped his approach to risk management.

Raj Ahlowalia's remarkable 33-year journey in a single practice reveals what true dedication to the craft looks like. 

From almost missing university entirely to becoming an internationally recognised authority on functional occlusion, his story challenges everything we think we know about dental careers. 

The son of a polyglot interpreter who hitchhiked from India to the UK, Raj stumbled into dentistry through a teacher's intervention, then methodically built expertise that took him from Biggleswade to the stages of Pankey and Spear. 

His time on Extreme Makeover taught him the crucial difference between patients who want cosmetic work and those who genuinely need rehabilitation—a distinction that shaped his entire philosophy of practice.

In This Episode

00:07:15 - Father's extraordinary hitchhiking journey from India

00:19:20 - The accidental path to dentistry

00:39:25 - First job and VT experience

00:44:15 - Extreme Makeover TV breakthrough

01:13:15 - Teaching at Pankey and Spear institutes

01:28:00 - Blackbox thinking

01:31:40 - Forced retirement due to spinal issues

01:34:05 - Photography passion and flying adventures

01:59:25 - Learning NLP and hypnosis techniques

02:03:40 - Patient litigation experience

02:15:00 - Fantasy dinner party

02:15:25 - Last days and legacy

About Raj Ahlowalia

Raj spent his entire 33-year career at one practice in Biggleswade, evolving from VT to an internationally recognised expert in functional occlusion. 

He taught at both the Pankey Institute and for Frank Spear, appeared on the Extreme Makeover TV show, pioneering the first implant shown on British television, and developed a comprehensive approach to full-mouth rehabilitation that emphasises function over pure aesthetics.

Ashkan returns to reveal how Southcliffe Dental transformed from near-bankruptcy to unprecedented profitability through a revolutionary therapist-led model. From losing half his body weight to facing GDC proceedings, he opens up about the personal costs of rapid expansion and the dark period when £4 million in clawbacks nearly destroyed everything. His ex-wife's intervention during his lowest moment becomes a turning point, leading to a complete business overhaul that's now attracting attention from private equity firms across the sector. Raw, unfiltered, and brutally honest about the realities of corporate dental leadership.

In This Episode

00:01:25 - Quality over quantity mindset shift

00:02:50 - The £4 million clawback crisis

00:06:00 - Revolutionary therapist business model

00:17:35 - Organisational restructure and delegation

00:25:30 - Leadership philosophy and high standards

00:30:50 - Physical transformation journey

00:46:45 - GDC proceedings and workplace allegations

01:04:25 - Blackbox thinking

01:17:05 - Clinical errors and patient management

01:23:15 - Business decisions and banking relationships

01:33:15 - Fantasy dinner party

01:08:45 - Last days and legacy

About Ashkan Pitchforth

Ashkan is the CEO and co-founder of Southcliffe Dental Group, which operates 24 mixed NHS practices employing around 400 people. He pioneered an innovative therapist-led delivery model that has revolutionised the group's profitability, taking EBITDA from zero to 7-8 million within two years. A clinical dentist turned entrepreneur, he's known for his direct leadership style and willingness to challenge conventional dental business models.

Two Iranian dentists who took the scenic route to British dentistry, Sara Khandan and Mahan Mohaghegh's story reads like a masterclass in adaptability. 

From Tehran to Debrecen University in Hungary, then straight into the UK without ever having set foot in the country before, their journey showcases both the challenges and rewards of international dental careers. 

Now transitioning from NHS to private practice, they share candid insights about navigating visa dependencies, cultural differences between healthcare systems, and why being top of your class doesn't guarantee an easy path. 

Their conversation reveals how different countries approach dentistry, from Hungary's more invasive techniques to the UK's preventive focus, and why sometimes the most circuitous routes lead to the most rewarding destinations.

In This Episode

00:01:15 - Arriving in the UK without ever having visited before

00:03:30 - Why they chose Hungary for dental education over Iran

00:05:30 - First impressions of Hungary and cultural differences

00:08:25 - Military service requirements forcing early departure from Iran

00:10:15 - Financial challenges of studying abroad

00:13:10 - Hungarian education system: oral exams and luck factors

00:17:00 - Working in Hungary's NHS-equivalent system

00:19:15 - Cultural differences: Eastern European "egg" vs Western "peach"

00:25:15 - The decision to move to the UK post-Brexit

00:29:50 - Landing NHS jobs sight unseen

00:34:10 - Learning UK dentistry systems and mentorship importance

00:38:30 - NHS complaint system challenges

00:40:25 - The band system frustrations

00:43:25 - Visa dependency limiting job opportunities

00:47:00 - Transition to private practice

00:52:55 - Future aspirations: cosmetics vs surgical specialisation

00:59:15 - Darkest day: fear and uncertainty in early UK days

01:03:25 - Blackbox thinking

01:06:40 - TMJ dislocation during extraction

01:10:25 - Being top of class vs visa reality check

01:14:20 - Best dental lectures and mentorship value

01:18:20 - Fantasy dinner party

01:20:55 - Last days and legacy

About Sara Khandan and Mahan Mohaghegh

Sara Khandan and Mahan Mohaghegh are Iranian-born dentists who graduated from the University of Debrecen in Hungary before relocating to the UK. After three years of practice in Hungary's public healthcare system, they moved to the UK and completed two and a half years in the NHS before transitioning to private practice. Sara is pursuing advanced cosmetic dentistry training, whilst Mahan is focusing on surgical procedures and implant dentistry. Both are planning to eventually open their own practice within the next five to six years.

From knife crime in East London to owning one of the capital's most successful dental laboratories, Kash Qureshi's story is one of remarkable transformation. 

At just 15, a violent altercation became the catalyst that changed everything, pushing him from a dangerous path towards an apprenticeship that would define his future. 

Now owner of Swiss Dent and a thriving denture clinic, Kash shares the raw realities of growing up on the streets, the technical mastery required in dental technology, and the leadership skills needed to build a business. 

This conversation explores how early adversity can forge unstoppable resilience, and why sometimes the most unlikely backgrounds produce the most determined entrepreneurs.

In This Episode

00:03:50 - Street life and knife incidents in Walthamstow

00:07:10 - Finding dental technology through newspaper adverts

00:11:15 - Apprenticeship training and specialisation paths

00:14:25 - Why crown and bridge got outsourced to CAD/CAM

00:17:00 - Clinical dental technician qualification and denture work

00:26:05 - Transition from employee to business owner

00:30:05 - Acquiring Swiss Dent with zero personal investment

00:34:00 - Cold calling and door-to-door client acquisition

00:39:30 - Clinical insights: overextended special trays revelation

00:42:10 - Swiss system for aesthetic denture setups

00:48:55 - Immediate loading implant techniques

01:08:25 - Managing 100-200 cases daily at the laboratory

01:18:25 - Blackbox thinking

01:24:25 - Cash crisis: when payroll meets empty accounts

01:26:40 - Fantasy dinner party

01:39:35 - Last days and legacy

About Kash Qureshi

Kash Qureshi is the owner of Swiss Dent laboratory in London and operates a clinical denture practice. Starting as a 16-year-old apprentice at the very lab he now owns, Kash has grown the business from 7 to 18 employees whilst developing expertise in prosthetics and digital denture technology. He qualified as a clinical dental technician at 23, making him one of the youngest in the country at the time, and now trains dentists in digital denture techniques.

Shameek Popat takes us on a remarkable journey from his early days as a Ugandan-born dentist to becoming a serial entrepreneur disrupting the oral care industry. 

After 23 years of successful practice ownership, Shameek sold to Portman Dental and launched Tooth Angel, a luxury, eco-friendly oral care brand that's challenging the sustainability narrative in dentistry. 

Now he's back with Disruptive Smiles, partnering with renowned educators to bring premium composite materials to UK dentists. 

This conversation reveals a man who's never lost his childhood curiosity, whether he's crafting whisky blends, designing sustainable toothbrushes, or simply asking the big questions about contentment versus pleasure.

In This Episode

00:02:35 - Philosophy and losing senses

00:05:10 - Personal adaptability

00:07:40 - Contentment versus pleasure

00:09:10 - Beauty in imperfection

00:11:40 - Tooth Angel sustainability mission

00:16:50 - Research-backed product development

00:20:15 - Manual versus electric preference

00:24:30 - Dentist-made products

00:34:25 - Investment and funding strategy

00:50:35 - Uganda origins and Idi Amin

00:53:15 - Education journey to Manchester

00:57:50 - Dental school with Avi Banerjee

01:00:30 - Early practice ownership

01:04:30 - Kois transformation

01:15:20 - Team retention philosophy

01:20:10 - Whisky passion projects

01:24:00 - Practice sale emotions

01:26:40 - Disruptive Smiles launch

01:35:40 - Blackbox thinking

01:47:00 - Fantasy dinner party

About Shameek Popat

Shameek Popat is a Kois-trained dentist who spent 23 years building and running successful practices before selling to Portman Dental. He's the founder of Tooth Angel, a luxury eco-friendly oral care brand, and co-founder of Disruptive Smiles, which distributes premium composite materials alongside clinical education. Born in Uganda and educated across three continents, Shameek brings a unique global perspective to everything he creates.

This fly-on-the-wall conversation between Kailesh Solanki and Dev Patel, founder and CEO of Dental Beauty Partners (DBP), captures the remarkable 20-year journey of Kiss Dental, from a risky startup in a Flixton suburb to an eight-clinic powerhouse.

Kailesh Solanki reveals how he mortgaged himself to the eyeballs at just two years post-graduation, survived near-bankruptcy, weathered a catastrophic flood, and built one of the UK's most respected dental brands. 

The discussion explores his unique VT scheme that's producing the country's top-earning young dentists, the partner model that's breaking industry boundaries, and why keeping things "stupid and simple" might just be the secret sauce to sustainable growth.

In This Episode

01:15 - Starting Kiss Dental in 2005

02:15 - Taking the entrepreneurial leap after graduation

03:05 - Going fully private from day one

05:15 - Team as the key to longevity

06:30 - Most difficult periods in business

07:40 - Near bankruptcy from marketing spend

09:25 - Brother Prav's marketing transformation

11:40 - Vision for multiple practices and branding

14:15 - Growth expectations versus reality

20:05 - The VT scheme philosophy

21:25 - Partner model development

25:10 - Expansion plans

26:30 - Five-year aspirations for 15+ clinics

28:15 - VT scheme versus traditional associates

35:25 - Two-year VT program structure

41:55 - Biggest hurdle: the 2012 flood disaster

46:50 - COVID and the 2020 rebrand

50:25 - Technology, passion and innovation

53:45 - Advice for young dentists

About Kailesh Solanki and Dev Patel

Kailesh Solanki is the founder and CEO of Kiss Dental, which he established in 2005 at just 25 years old after completing his dental training. Having built the practice from a single Flixton clinic to eight locations across the North West, he's become recognised for his innovative VT training scheme and partner model. His approach combines high-end private dentistry with accessible suburban locations, creating one of the UK's most successful dental brands over the past two decades.

Dev Patel is the founder and CEO of Dental Beauty Partners (DBP), a UK-based dental group that has grown rapidly by acquiring and partnering with dental practices to scale their businesses through a people-focused investment approach. DBP operates a large network of dental practices across the UK and is known for its partnership-based corporate model.

Two remarkable women share their extraordinary journey from India to building three thriving NHS practices in the UK. Gauri Pradhan and Shivani Bhandari discuss their innovative therapist-led model that's revolutionising NHS dentistry, creating happy workplaces where staff genuinely want to be. 

From navigating the brutal ORE exam process to developing a groundbreaking patient app, they reveal how genuine friendship and shared values can build something remarkable. Their refreshing take on NHS dentistry challenges every assumption about what's possible in modern practice.

In This Episode

00:01:05 - Practice ownership journey and location in Cheltenham

00:03:20 - Family background in dentistry and choosing oral surgery

00:06:25 - Decision to move from India to the UK

00:09:25 - Shivani's path from dentist to dental nurse to management

00:12:15 - Team culture and treating staff like family

00:20:45 - First practice acquisition during COVID

00:28:15 - Innovative therapist-led NHS model

00:35:20 - Making NHS dentistry work profitably

00:50:00 - DPS UK app development and technology innovation

00:58:45 - Blackbox thinking - learning from clinical mistakes

01:08:20 - ORE exam struggles and eventual success

01:26:20 - Future expansion plans and business philosophy

01:34:40 - Fantasy dinner party guests

01:37:15 - Last days and legacy advice

About Gauri Pradhan & Shivani Bhandari

Gauri Pradhan is a qualified oral surgeon who moved from India to the UK, eventually transitioning to general dentistry after completing her ORE qualification. 

Shivani Bhandari made the bold decision to pivot from dentistry to practice management after working as a dental nurse with Oasis. Together, they own three mixed practices in the Bristol and Cheltenham area, pioneering an innovative therapist-led model that's making NHS dentistry both profitable and enjoyable for their teams.