In 1989, a 2-year-old Rhona Eskander and her Christian parents fled Saudia Arabia. With £10 left in their pocket, they sought refuge in the UK and worked in entry level medical positions before working their way up. Giving their ambitious child everything they could, these parents helped shape one of the UK’s most successful medical professionals, Dr Rhona Eskander. Now CEO of one of London’s most sought after dental practices, she’s responsible for so many celebrity smiles from Rochelle Humes and Mel B to more NDA clients from the biggest Hollywood actors and humanitarians that could be put into an email. Founder of the fastest growing toothpaste company Pärla, Rhona’s eco-friendly product is stocked everywhere from Boots to Sainsburys to Waitrose and has removed all the harmful stuff that’s in our normal toothpaste that we don’t know about. Dr Rhona’s story is one of ambition, resilience, determination to fix medical injustices.

Dr Rhona is everything a stereotypical medical professional isn’t who’s had a dream of becoming a dentist since aged 12. Rhona has created a dental empire, without the Dragon’s Den 30% equity offer that she turned down on Pärla, and is using her position to fix the deeply flawed system where huge injustices exist. From un-regulated online braces and teeth whitening practices, to the Turkey Teeth trend, the lack of knowledge surrounding dentistry is putting people’s teeth and lives at risk where there’s a direct relationship in the sky rocketing gum disease and tooth decay issues to health conditions such as diabetes, infection and heart disease. In a time where 90% of dentists are not taking on new NHS patients, the psychological impact of bad teeth and dental hygiene means people are searching for cheaper methods, often putting their safety at risk.

Rhona provides free treatment for those that have no more options, recently stepping in to save a woman’s life who had botched dental treatment in Turkey. She speaks out on the lack of access to dentistry, having struggled to get in herself due to prejudices against her eccentric style where she wasn’t taken seriously. Initially working in a demoralising NHS system, she moved to a struggling private clinic, gave it an overhaul, and turned it into a successful business.

Not afraid to put her head above the parapet, she’s fascinating, is making a difference, genuinely cares about the issues in the industry that affect us all.

Host: Jamie Neale @jamienealejn 

Discussing rituals and habitual patterns in personal and work life. We ask questions about how to become more aware of one self and the world around us, how do we become 360 with ourselves? 

Host Instagram: @jamienealejn 

Podcast Instagram: @360_yourself 

Music from Electric Fruit 

Produced by Tom Dalby 

Composed by Toby Wright

Should you wish to be on the podcast or have any questions/thoughts please reach out to: [email protected]