My decision to launch Dentzz Dental was rooted in a combination of my understanding of market needs and instinct. As I was completing my dental education, I observed a gap in the market, which presented a massive opportunity—while patients in India were receiving good quality care in good dental practices, there was also a tremendous scope to further enhance the patient experience through more streamlined operations, better communication strategies, superior soft skills management, the latest infrastructure set-up and design, and quicker incorporations of the latest technologies. I decided to leverage this confluence by creating a brand that catered to the needs and desires of modern Indian patients and delivered a superior dentistry experience.
The decision to venture into dentistry with an entrepreneurial endeavour was as much of a gut instinct as a logical decision. I had always been keen on pursuing the entrepreneurial route, even before I decided to take up dentistry. In many ways, I didn’t give myself another option! I started out almost immediately after completing my education, with just an idea and a very rough framework, which I refined and developed along the way. My inspiration was very simple: I noticed that there were newer treatments and procedures recently developed and introduced around the world, which would dramatically enhance the efficacy of the way dentistry was practiced in India. There was a significant scope of enhancing and elevating patient experiences. I wanted to be the one who merged the two together and made this vision a reality not just in one location, but in multiple geographies.
The challenges were several and diverse. When I started out, I had no prior experience in business. I had to imbibe and assimilate the various components, including marketing, operations and finance, on the go. However, what I did have was the know-how and drive to deliver top quality care to patients with an unparalleled experience. That proved to be my greatest asset.
On the business front, our biggest challenge in the initial days was attracting patients, which also put pressure on our cash flows. These resulted in robust organic growth. The other challenge was to ensure consistency in the care and patient experience delivered across the entire team, which comprised other dentists as well. To overcome this, we developed an extensive training and soft skills grooming programme. Each dentist is required to undertake this programme before they interact with patients. We have also devised an innovative monitoring programme to ensure adequate checks and audits. Additionally, we curated careful and stringent selection criteria and processes for our dentists before they are brought onboard as a part of Team Dentzz. Some of these early guidelines and practices are still in use, after 18 years!
How do you define the core mission and vision of Dentzz Dental? How have they evolved since the company’s inception?
Our motto is simple and straightforward: Every patient who walks through our doors at any Dentzz Dental location across the world should undoubtedly and uncompromisingly receive the best dental experience they have ever experienced. This motto is imprinted in our DNA, across our operations and is imbibed by every team member. This vision has not changed since our inception.
What are some of the strategies or innovations that have been critical to growth and success?
Our core values of upholding best-in-class quality of patient care, an elevated patient experience, and operating with integrity are the bedrock of our brand. All our endeavours stem from these, and not from the perspective of numbers and projections. Our emphasis is to continually devise innovative ways of remaining a market leader in delivering top-quality dental care and experiences. The growth that follows is a natural outcome of our deep-seated philosophy.
How do you stay ahead of industry trends and ensure that Dentzz Dental remains competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape?
We recognise that the digital landscape is constantly changing and evolving. We have, therefore, established teams to continuously gather and analyse data. To this end, we are also making extensive use of AI tools. These concerted efforts keep us ahead of the information curve. Even as we execute strategies based on this information, we are also very mindful that we do not steer too far from the basics. Our plans are typically designed around a five-year industry forecast that takes into consideration existing and future trends and data. This defines our horizons and helps to design robust strategies, instead of being swayed in multiple directions every now and then.
What role does company culture play at Dentzz Dental, and how do you foster a positive and productive work environment?
An organisation’s culture is its DNA. This holds especially true for a healthcare setup such as ours. I firmly believe that it would be impossible to execute our core values unless they found resonance in every member of the team. The first step, of course, is to bring the right people on board. This includes talent with high integrity, as well as a growth and collaborative mindset.
Once an individual becomes a part of our team, we entrust them with absolute freedom. I personally do not believe in exerting too much control, in terms of micromanagement, stringent work hours and so forth. Instead, we focus more on the end output, and on whether our values are being upheld by every team member. We also provide a lot of intellectual stimulation by arranging advanced training programmes in different parts of the world. This ensures that every professional associated with Dentzz Dental is equipped with the necessary know-how to be at the forefront of our field.
Put together, these efforts create a culture where each team member feels a deep sense of belonging to the organisation and takes ownership. This, in turn, reflects in the overall experience our patients receive.
What strategies do you use for effective leadership?
I firmly believe that nearly 90 percent of effective leadership stems from the discipline of the leader. As a leader, I prioritise effective communication and actions that align with these communications. It is important to define clear and realistic expectations as well as boundaries, and maintain a low tolerance for intentional and repeated breaches of these boundaries. Most importantly, I emphasise treating my team members as team members and partners, and not as employees.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own ventures in the digital or tech space?
If you have a strong desire to start your own venture, are armed with a core concept that you believe in, and have a rough plan to get your feet off the ground, then don’t wait to start. Don’t ask for too much advice, too many opinions, or too many inputs, as these will cloud your gut feeling rather than become distilled into something more meaningful. In the digital space, it is important to pace your journey well and manage risks wisely in the beginning, as you are likely to face several challenges and obstacles. At the end of the day, it is all about the time you spend in the game: the more you are able to endure, the more you will learn and, consequently, the more you will increase your odds of success.
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