Students

What time do you normally get up on weekdays, and how far away from work do you live?
I get up around 4 or 5 a.m. every day (including weekends). Early mornings are very quiet and spiritual. I leave the house shortly after getting up, either to go to the gym and exercise, to take photos or just to drive around in my beloved Smart car. Sometimes on weekends I hit central London for filming or photography. It’s full of colourful characters at that time of the morning! I have set up four practices and I’m currently enjoying a two-year sabbatical after selling the last one.

What are your favourite areas of dentistry?
I’ve been practicing almost exclusively NHS dentistry in a mainly exempt area since I qualified 21 years ago. Some patients I saw as toddlers now bring in their own children!
I also particularly enjoy designing practices; I designed, decorated and helped to build all of my own personally. All the surgeries were finalists in the ‘Most Attractive Practice’ categories at dental awards.

Tell us about your longer-term ambitions. Where will you be in 5 years time?
My wife and I were on the same tube carriage when the Parsons Green bomb failed to detonate properly a few months ago. Since that could have been our last day alive, it has made us look differently at life. We have more passion for it and, even though we said we wouldn’t operate another practice, we’ve decided to open a fifth one. It will be unique in design and have a few surprises.

What are your interests outside dentistry?
After attending a part-time filmmaking course at the Met Film School, based at Ealing Film Studios, I made my first short movie, The Road. (Click here to watch.) It has been chosen to feature at a number of international film festivals. It was extremely low-budget movie and I decided to write, direct, produce, shoot, edit and even act in it (alongside colleagues and family). I’m working on a new short movie and on a feature-length script that has been in the works for seven years now. I’m also a keen photographer, and many of the photos I have shot are on my Instagram account, @shalinkapoor.

What do you believe will be the biggest changes we face in dentistry?
The new NHS contract. If NHS Dentistry disappears, competition increases within the private sector because everybody would be independent. It’s unlikely to disappear completely, but a new contract allows the government to put whatever it wants into it. It will be a “take it or leave it” contract, as it was back in 2006. Possible clauses that could destabilise some practices are:

1. Time-limited contracts. Fixed-term contracts of maybe five years, which are subject to meeting all the requirements within the contract. This would destroy goodwill values of NHS Contracts overnight. Banks are unlikely to lend for these short terms.
2. Standardised UDA values (possibly weighted depending on areas of high need). Good for those on low UDA rates; potentially devastating for those who are on higher values.
3. Government’s aim is always to increase access figures without putting more money in. A clause could be included that states you must take a certain percentage of new patients a year to retain your contract value, or clawback will be enforced.

What advice would you give to younger students now entering the profession?
Don’t worry about what your colleagues are doing and how much they’re making. You don’t need to have a particular car, watch or lifestyle to prove you’re doing well. Once you stop comparing and start living your life, your work becomes easy and rewarding. Most importantly, spend within your means and keep your debts down. Never be too busy. Slow down and take time to appreciate nature and the small things in life.

Scholarship Opportunity—The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s (BACD) Rising Star Scholarship

 

The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s (BACD) Rising Star Scholarship recognises individuals with a passion and drive to achieve in cosmetic dentistry.

This is an exciting award for dental students who demonstrate knowledge and insight into recent advances in the industry.

The winner will be awarded a one-year student membership of the BACD, which will provide them the chance to get involved in many of the educational opportunities the academy has to offer.

The winner will also be awarded a complimentary place at the much-anticipated BACD 15th Annual Conference in November 2018, and invited to shadow a committee member.

To stand a chance of winning this incredible scholarship, students must write an essay on either:

The Challenges of an Ageing Dentition
or
The Dark Single Central. Discuss.

This will be an amazing opportunity to discover more about cosmetic dentistry, and network with experts from across the globe.

Visit the BACD website for more details. For further enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry visit bacd.com.