Dentology Podcast with Amit Patel

Transcript – Dentology Podcast Recording with Amit Patel

Episode Release Date – Monday 11 September 2023

Andy & Chris:
So I think we’re in for a good time today. I think it’s going to be a cracker. I think it’s going to be an absolute corker. So today… No pressure, Amit. No, we have

amit patel:
Good luck.

Andy & Chris:
Amit Patel joining us. Amit graduated from the University of Liverpool back in 1997. He’s a

amit patel:
Thanks for watching!

Andy & Chris:
membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 2000. Four year training program in periodontics

amit patel:
Let’s

Andy & Chris:
and

amit patel:
not

Andy & Chris:
implantology,

amit patel:
talk about me too much.

Andy & Chris:
guys. No, he’s making you sound really good. We’ve got to build you up.

amit patel:
I hate that.

Andy & Chris:
Principal at the Birmingham Dental Specialist and President of the Association of Dental Implantology. Hello, Amit. How are you? You well? Who

amit patel:
Yeah, I’m

Andy & Chris:
are

amit patel:
good.

Andy & Chris:
you?

amit patel:
Yeah. Thank you very much for inviting me to do the podcast. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve heard loads of nice things.

Andy & Chris:
We are as well. We are as well, yes. And for people who are watching this on YouTube, you may not recognize Amit because his hair is not as long as it used to be, but we’re going to come to that later. We will, sir. All will be explained. No exceptions visible.

amit patel:
No, not at all.

Andy & Chris:
So

amit patel:
But,

Andy & Chris:
before we

amit patel:
yeah,

Andy & Chris:
get…

amit patel:
no, going back to your podcast, I’ve obviously listened to some of it and it’s been, it’s quite good watching the 2View banter. I watched, actually I listened to Joe Lovett’s one, that was very good. Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, he’s a good guy Joe.

amit patel:
he’s a smart cookie really, isn’t he? Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
He is. He is. We’ve been very fortunate. People have been really generous with their time. Yeah, hugely. And what’s quite nice is whilst it’s the business of dentistry, it’s great having dentists on, but it’s also great having the wider profession on as well because talking to lots of dentists is quite insightful

amit patel:
My Nultimus,

Andy & Chris:
where…

amit patel:
is that what?

Andy & Chris:
No, but very often it’s dentists themselves that say we are only part of dentistry. And we don’t talk about dentistry, do we? No, no, no. I mean, not clinical. That’s not our bag. It’s not our world at all. It’s more important to talk about kind of people and the things that they’ve done. Interesting people, that’s what’s more interesting. But before we get to you and your dental career, what do we need to know about your early years? Talk us through your childhood to give us some insights to the man you’ve become today.

amit patel:
Am I the man that I’ve become today? God, that’s a good one, isn’t it?

Andy & Chris:
It’s a deep start, isn’t it?

amit patel:
It is a deep start. Yeah, actually, it’s interesting because I’m 51 this year and we had our school reunion two Saturdays ago. I’m from Northwest London, a place called Edgeware. And

Andy & Chris:
Ah, down the road.

amit patel:
somehow we managed to get 60 of us to turn up in a place called Mill Hill near Edgeware and a pub. And it was so good to see all the people that had, most of us left at 16, right? Only a few went on to do the A level. and to see all the girls and the boys that we hadn’t seen in years, it was great. And it was like, you know, you hadn’t left off, you know? And what was lovely was there was no competition about, oh, you know, what have you done? And this and the other, we never spoke about what we’ve done. It was as if we, you know, left in 1989 and carried on, talking about what school

Andy & Chris:
Well,

amit patel:
was like.

Andy & Chris:
well.

amit patel:
It was hilarious, you know? So it was, so we can do that again next year, hopefully. in New York and Japan and stuff like that. It was, that

Andy & Chris:
flip.

amit patel:
was my, yeah. So when I was living in Edgeworth, it was good, because I had a whole mix of friends. Lived in a very Jewish area. So I had a mix of Jewish friends and then friends from other religions and stuff like that. And we had, it was really multicultural. It was really good. And

Andy & Chris:
I

amit patel:
we

Andy & Chris:
was

amit patel:
just

Andy & Chris:
going

amit patel:
had a

Andy & Chris:
to say,

amit patel:
lot.

Andy & Chris:
I sense you really enjoyed your school years because

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
to go

amit patel:
yeah.

Andy & Chris:
back to a reunion and literally pick up where you left off and that not just be you but obviously everybody else buying into that, it sounds like a happy

amit patel:
Everybody,

Andy & Chris:
place.

amit patel:
you’re right. Everybody

Andy & Chris:
Wow. Yeah,

amit patel:
loved

Andy & Chris:
that’s cool.

amit patel:
it. It was just the coolest thing. And

Andy & Chris:
and

amit patel:
now

Andy & Chris:
the fact

amit patel:
you’re

Andy & Chris:
that no one was posturing.

amit patel:
in a WhatsApp group and we’re all talking about this. And the worst thing is, you know, we’re talking about some of the teachers and what they’ve been up to lately and some of the inappropriate stuff they were getting up to at school. And it’s like, oh God, no way get up with that. Get up, you know, get away.

Andy & Chris:
It’s a different world though, isn’t it?

amit patel:
It

Andy & Chris:
It’s

amit patel:
was

Andy & Chris:
a

amit patel:
a

Andy & Chris:
different

amit patel:
massively

Andy & Chris:
world.

amit patel:
different world. I mean, you know. Yeah, I went to a normal state school and it was entertaining and there’s stuff that, you know, it was good fun. Yeah. So yeah, that was me as a kid. And, you know, you get always asked these questions, Oh, you know, who did you, who influenced you in your childhood? Nothing did.

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
I just went out and played, right. And,

Andy & Chris:
Did

amit patel:
and

Andy & Chris:
you

amit patel:
just,

Andy & Chris:
do any sport, Emmet?

amit patel:
no.

Andy & Chris:
No spore at all.

amit patel:
I was shit at sports. So, I mean,

Andy & Chris:
HAHAHAHA

amit patel:
if you give me a football, I don’t know what to do with it. But yeah, so I’d stand, I’d be waiting there to be picked to play football. I hate football.

Andy & Chris:
Oh no.

amit patel:
And I was always the last person, which is fine, right? It’s not an issue. And even now, people will ring me up. Can you make up the team? I’m like, I am shit at the game. And then I will stand there, and I’m still the last one to get picked. So my girlfriend is very good at football, right? She used to play for me. when she was younger and stuff and she’s the athlete, you know, 100 meter sprint, all that sort of stuff. And so we play five side football and she’s like the captain of one side and there’s a bloke on the other one, the captain. And I’m still the last one and she says, I suppose we have to, I have to pick you. And I’m like, yeah. I am so sorry.

Andy & Chris:
You’re that kid, you’re that kid who always gets picked last. I’m just really impressed at 51 you’re still playing five-a-side football and not

amit patel:
Oh no,

Andy & Chris:
dying.

amit patel:
I’m fucking, I mean, I’m really bad. They don’t pass the ball. It’s just, you

Andy & Chris:
Oh really, so I like…

amit patel:
know, and if someone gives a rough tackle, I’ll be like, I’ll take them on. Do you know what I mean? But it’s like, oh, it’s only

Andy & Chris:
Hahahaha

amit patel:
a game. But no, I didn’t play any sports. And you know, obviously me being Indian, you know, I thought, oh, let’s play cricket because my dad watched it a lot and all this sort of rubbish.

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
And so I, you know, I tried to play, I was shit at that too. So, I think it’s very funny.

Andy & Chris:
There’s a theme with sports here.

amit patel:
Yeah, exactly. It was really funny because going back to the reunion, because in our yearbook, I managed to catch a ball, right? And caught someone out. And it was like put in the school book, like, Amit managed

Andy & Chris:
Oh,

amit patel:
to catch a ball. Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
right, that was impressive. Oh, well, that made the yearbook. Am

amit patel:
it

Andy & Chris:
it

amit patel:
was…

Andy & Chris:
cool

amit patel:
It was, yeah,

Andy & Chris:
to

amit patel:
it was

Andy & Chris:
ball?

amit patel:
so sad, yeah. And it was really funny because actually, I know I’m going off on one, but there’s one girl, a friend of mine, her name was Estelle, and she was like, I’ve still got your cricket jumper that you gave me. I’m like… Did I really? I can’t remember. It’s like, oh yeah, I do remember giving it to you because I never was going to go back to the spot. I’m like, take my jumper. I am wearing that piece of stupid wooly thing. I know,

Andy & Chris:
She’s still got your cricket jumper now.

amit patel:
I know, but there’s nothing there. But she says it’s, yeah, I didn’t listen to what she was doing with

Andy & Chris:
Flip?

amit patel:
it.

Andy & Chris:
30, 34 years ago

amit patel:
I know,

Andy & Chris:
I’ve got

amit patel:
yeah,

Andy & Chris:
your

amit patel:
has

Andy & Chris:
cricket

amit patel:
it not

Andy & Chris:
jumper.

amit patel:
rotted

Andy & Chris:
I’m

amit patel:
on it?

Andy & Chris:
surprised it hasn’t like rotted. Ha!

amit patel:
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, yeah. So, yeah, school was good, and I had a good time. And I think all of us, when you think about it, you had no worries, didn’t you? And you could just…

Andy & Chris:
Oh, it was a simpler time and a simpler life. No social media, no none of that nonsense. So what was the trigger

amit patel:
Yeah, I know that Milwaukee,

Andy & Chris:
for you

amit patel:
because

Andy & Chris:
to

amit patel:
you

Andy & Chris:
then…

amit patel:
could go out, sorry, you could go out and, you

Andy & Chris:
Oh

amit patel:
know,

Andy & Chris:
yeah,

amit patel:
no

Andy & Chris:
yeah.

amit patel:
one worried that you were killed or whatever, because that’s what I’m like

Andy & Chris:
No.

amit patel:
with

Andy & Chris:
No,

amit patel:
that.

Andy & Chris:
and you just rock up home when you got home for dinner.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
That was it. There were no mobile phones to send a WhatsApp or a text

amit patel:
No,

Andy & Chris:
message. No,

amit patel:
no,

Andy & Chris:
no, no.

amit patel:
exactly.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, just out and about living your life. Oh, no one took a

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
picture

amit patel:
know.

Andy & Chris:
of you and then post it. So, what was the trigger from school to end up going to dental school? Was

amit patel:
I don’t

Andy & Chris:
that

amit patel:
know.

Andy & Chris:
your choice? Was it your first choice? Was

amit patel:
So,

Andy & Chris:
it… Your mum and dad?

amit patel:
yeah, mom and dad’s choice. Yeah, that’s what it really is, isn’t it? No, so I am not an academic person. I’m not very bright. You know, I was never in the top sets. Always an average sort of thing. And I would have left school at 16. So my really good friends went on to do, we’re gonna go into the A level. So I said, all right, I’ll do this. So my GCSEs were really bad. So I had… two Bs, five Cs, one E, one N. And N is a near miss, right, from a fail, right? Yeah, I know. Back then, yes. Okay,

Andy & Chris:
An N.

amit patel:
you

Andy & Chris:
I didn’t

amit patel:
did,

Andy & Chris:
know they did an N. I suppose

amit patel:
yeah.

Andy & Chris:
I didn’t do GCSEs, but an N. It must be like a U.

amit patel:
So we

Andy & Chris:
We

amit patel:
were

Andy & Chris:
did

amit patel:
the

Andy & Chris:
a

amit patel:
first

Andy & Chris:
U, which

amit patel:
ones.

Andy & Chris:
is, I don’t know why you bothered.

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
Unclassified, yeah.

amit patel:
exactly. Unclassified, yeah. Because we were the first year to do GCSEs, you see. So they stopped the O levels

Andy & Chris:
All

amit patel:
back

Andy & Chris:
right,

amit patel:
then, the year before.

Andy & Chris:
yeah. Right, yeah.

amit patel:
And so I wasn’t very bright. And then I went to do my levels and literally, you know, I was okay at sciences and the school teacher said, look, you should do sciences, you know, just in case. I suppose they made the decision for me because they thought, you know, I’m sure you’ll wanna be a dentist because you’re Indian. You know what I mean? So, but

Andy & Chris:
Nothing like racial stereotype, innit?

amit patel:
now

Andy & Chris:
No.

amit patel:
I know, you know, but it’s worked out for the best, I suppose. But it was… So when I went for my careers interview with the school teachers, they were sort of saying, well, you good with your hands? I’m like, yeah, because I enjoyed, you know, design and technology and stuff,

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
you know, playing around with wooden lathes and metal lathes, all that sort of stuff, it was good, and glue guns. And they said, I said, yeah, yeah. They said, well, maybe you should become a dentist. I’m like, okay, and that was it, right? So, and then back then, if you remember, you had a book, right? And the book was, you know, A to Z, you know, you could, what was it?

Andy & Chris:
Mm-hmm.

amit patel:
An actor, he was the number one, you know, and you could think of what the hell is an acturist? Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
And then, and it was funny, because I was talking to somebody about it recently, you know, each career, they had an average salary for what they made, you remember that in the book?

Andy & Chris:
Mmm,

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
yeah, yeah.

amit patel:
and they weren’t, obviously, you’d never see that now. That was pretty interesting. You’d make a decision based on that. Anyway, so I became, you know, I applied to dentistry. And because I wasn’t very committed or didn’t know why I was doing it, I had like three interviews. One was at King’s and Sheffield. Yeah, that was it. So King’s and Sheffield and the others I got turned down, but essentially they all turned me down because I was, they said, why do you need a dentist? I said, I don’t know. So I never got the place. I

Andy & Chris:
What a surprise!

amit patel:
know, no, because I know it

Andy & Chris:
So, what, so Kings didn’t want you? Because you said, I don’t know!

amit patel:
wasn’t. Oh no. Can you believe that? So it was

Andy & Chris:
I had

amit patel:
funny.

Andy & Chris:
nothing better to do today.

amit patel:
But the good thing is, you know, I failed my A levels, which is even better. So I got, what did I get this time? I got a C-E-N as well. So I didn’t do

Andy & Chris:
Roll.

amit patel:
well. And at that point, my mom and dad realized maybe the school wasn’t good enough for me. And they took me out, and my brother, who was a year below me, they took us both out. And then we went and did some, we went to a Kramer college in Hendon. Because my best friend, who’s Japanese, his name is Yuki. So his mom and dad realized that school wasn’t that good. So they took him, they took him out much earlier and he went back cram school

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
and then did really well, got his A-levels and went off to Japan. So I then did my, I reset my A-levels, which is really annoying. Got three B’s and essentially I went to Liverpool university. I got turned down by everybody everywhere, really. Uh, cause I was a reset student and I went to Liverpool and they said, we assume you’ve got no, this is how short the interview was. They said, we assume you’ve got no offers. I’m like. Yes. They said, would you like a place? I said, yes, please. And they were like, what offer would you like? I said, like three Es, they’re like, that’s not gonna happen. And then I got a place and I passed, got the A-levels and then turned up at Liverpool really. It was

Andy & Chris:
I

amit patel:
a simple.

Andy & Chris:
love the fact it’s almost a negotiation. Yeah,

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
that’s right, yeah.

amit patel:
exactly. But it was really bad because I’m a Londoner, right? And I thought, fuck, I wanna live in London because my mates are still gonna be there. And I was so upset, really upset, really. And it was funny

Andy & Chris:
But

amit patel:
because when I…

Andy & Chris:
in retrospect, was going to Liverpool good for you?

amit patel:
I was the best, I was the best.

Andy & Chris:
Was it a good dental school experience? Did it allow you some space to grow?

amit patel:
So, you know, forget the word dental school. Dental school is pile of shit really in my mind, right? So what it was as the university experience was the best bit, you know?

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
So I turned up and I remember this so vividly. I was sitting in my halls of residence and my mum and dad left. Cause actually what was interesting is that my brother got his degree, sorry, his A levels. And technically my mum and dad were gonna lose their kids at the same time because I was a year late, right? And my mum…

Andy & Chris:
Oh yeah, yeah.

amit patel:
all the way back home because they dropped us both off the same day. One was in Birmingham, one was on to Liverpool. And I was sitting there and they’d left and I was like, this is what am I doing here? You know, I’m up north. This is fucking going to be shit. Right. And and then this guy knocks on my door. His name is Sean Rowlands and he goes, Oh, I’m Sean Rowlands. I’m a vet student. And that was it. And I just remembered, Oh, this is not bad. Right. And we became the best of friends and we had such a riot.

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
It was really good. Yeah. And And obviously the accent was very challenging. And it was funny, and I remember it so vividly because I got in the taxi, because we used to go to the union. So back then we had the biggest union in Europe. And I got in a taxi to go to the union like the first night. And this Scouser with a very strong, gruff accent. And I was like, I don’t know what you’re saying. Do you wanna fight me? Or you want me to?

Andy & Chris:
to fight with me.

amit patel:
Yeah, because. You know, because I was like 19 and I thought I was like pretty fucking hard, you know, the usual bullshit.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, you street wise, you were North London street wise.

amit patel:
Yeah, supposedly, yeah. But probably a pussy at the end of the day, yeah. But it was so funny. I had a great time. Liverpool University was a great place and it had made me into the person I am because it made you more independent. You know, I know nowadays it’s much more challenging because you know, it costs money and you may have to live it with your parents and stuff. But back then, I didn’t pay for my degree or anything like that. And I had a student. You know, it was.

Andy & Chris:
I suppose also the brilliance of uni then, there’s no communication. Because that would probably be before mobile phones or

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
did you

amit patel:
it was

Andy & Chris:
have a

amit patel:
before

Andy & Chris:
phone

amit patel:
my blocker.

Andy & Chris:
or whatever.

amit patel:
Yeah, it was.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
So like,

Andy & Chris:
so

amit patel:
literally, yeah.

Andy & Chris:
no one knows where you are, do

amit patel:
And it was really good because

Andy & Chris:
you?

amit patel:
literally, you know, you’d have a little queue of like, there was a phone that you put money into in the halls and you’d speak to your mum and dad

Andy & Chris:
Ha ha.

amit patel:
once a week, if you did, and you get food parcels. It was really good. That was, you know, and, you know,

Andy & Chris:
Feed parcels!

amit patel:
you think about it, right? It’s like you’d all end up somehow going out on a Monday night or in the week. But now how the hell did you do that? You know, with no mobile

Andy & Chris:
Oh.

amit patel:
phones, but you rocked up or you’d meet a girl, right? And then how is it you then met her again? Does that make sense? It was amazing.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
And there was so much independence back then. I think now there isn’t that independence. It’s very much more prescriptive and controlled. Do you know what I mean?

Andy & Chris:
It’s funny, we were talking to Tiff Koreshi and Tiff was saying about how mobile phones are making people more lonely because you think you’ve got this tech and you’ve got access to everything, but the thing it doesn’t give you access to really are people and friends and connections, but you think you’re connected through the mobile phone. But I think you’re right. I think sitting down with people physically, you know, your, your face lit up about your school reunion. You’re sitting in a pub with a bunch of people you went to school with. They were real connections. And.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Those things aren’t as so just present today as they were. Everyone wants to be individual, but they don’t really. Yeah.

amit patel:
But they’re not

Andy & Chris:
Because what they

amit patel:
exactly.

Andy & Chris:
do is they all group together. It’s really interesting, yeah.

amit patel:
It is, and it is, come on, sorry, it is fascinating. Because I mean, I was in Sainsbury’s buying cat food or something like that the other night. And I was just, and I like looking at people. I’ve always done that. And you just watch this, you know, because they have a little food area where you sit in Sainsbury’s. And I just watched this dad, the son, the daughter, and the mother, they were just, they weren’t talking to them, they were on their phones. And I thought, God, it’s…

Andy & Chris:
So sad isn’t it?

amit patel:
It is and I’m telling you now, you know, I’m not saying that I don’t do that as well, but you know, you just realize we have become much more lonely because we’re attached to this, you know, this, this device, which isn’t unhealthy. I mean, there have been days when I left my phone at home and it’s the best day at work, you know, you’re not having.

Andy & Chris:
liberating experience. The freedom.

amit patel:
Yeah, yeah. And it

Andy & Chris:
The

amit patel:
is

Andy & Chris:
freedom.

amit patel:
it’s it’s, um, I really hope going forwards for a lot of, I mean, the youth of today. it’s probably too late, but essentially, you know, maybe the, you know, younger kids, they find a way of, you know, getting true, true freedom and true control of themselves

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
instead of dictated by a social media or whatever it is.

Andy & Chris:
Listening to you talk about your school days and your uni experience, I wonder whether the learning experience for you is very heavily linked to the environment. Because you say that school

amit patel:
Right.

Andy & Chris:
wasn’t great and you struggled, you went to another school you did really well, you went to uni, you got through dental school, but then you then went on to do a four year programme at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s and ends up with a Masters in periodontology and clinical dentistry. So you’re not a guy who struggles academically. But is it more to do with the environment you’re in? Does the environment have to be right for

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
you to thrive?

amit patel:
so I think you’ve hit the nail on the head and so I did not, so you’ve missed one little thing, the dental school. I hated dental school, right? It was shit, right? I did something called operative technology in the first year and in the first term, I thought, this is bull, I can’t do this. You know, drilling and filling. I just thought this is gonna kill me. But once I started, I was gonna finish it. But I never hung out at the dental school. So my year, I really enjoyed them. They were a great group of people, but I was never with them all the time. I would leg it every lunchtime and go down

Andy & Chris:
That’s

amit patel:
to the

Andy & Chris:
interesting.

amit patel:
outside. Yeah, I’d go and hang out

Andy & Chris:
So

amit patel:
with people.

Andy & Chris:
socially

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
then Amit, so socially Amit, do you hang out with other people like your vet mate rather than the

amit patel:
Yeah, the

Andy & Chris:
other

amit patel:
medics

Andy & Chris:
dental students?

amit patel:
and yeah, and then, yeah, exactly. Yeah. And then when, so, so for the first three years, obviously all my mates were non, you know, non three non five year degree individuals. So, and you know, it was a very different environment and we had good time, but then the last two years it was, you know, obviously a little bit more different. I had to, you know, I had to interact with more dentists and, but I lived with medics by then. Um, But I just didn’t enjoy dental school. I mean, I just, it was boring. So true.

Andy & Chris:
Mmm.

amit patel:
And it wasn’t fun, do you know what I mean? But the

Andy & Chris:
Did

amit patel:
university

Andy & Chris:
it become

amit patel:
was.

Andy & Chris:
more fun as a postgraduate? Was it being an undergraduate that didn’t work for you? Did the postgraduate

amit patel:
None

Andy & Chris:
stuff

amit patel:
of

Andy & Chris:
become

amit patel:
it,

Andy & Chris:
more

amit patel:
all

Andy & Chris:
interesting?

amit patel:
of it was not fun. I’m really sorry.

Andy & Chris:
You’re

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
shaking

amit patel:
I’m telling

Andy & Chris:
your head.

amit patel:
you. Yeah, I’m telling you I’m just telling you the truth, right? So so It’s not it’s obviously not gonna go in the direction you wanted to but so so, you know, I got

Andy & Chris:
No, no, honestly. We don’t care what direction it goes in. As long as it’s entertaining and

amit patel:
as

Andy & Chris:
informative,

amit patel:
long as you’ve been saying

Andy & Chris:
we’re loving it. The truth is much better.

amit patel:
it. Yeah, it is much better. I mean, you know, so when it came, you know, every, you know, first year I always had to res, no, I didn’t resit first year. Second year I had to reset my, you know, my exams because I just couldn’t be arsed ever studying. Third year I had to reset as well. Fourth year we never had any exams. And finals came, I was like, I ain’t gonna reset, so I’m gonna pass, I’m gonna sit down and prepare and pass my exams. And I did really well in all my exams apart from pediatrics and orthodontics. And I missed that by like, I got 48%. The others I got like 65, 70%. And the thing is I’m the kind of person who usually, even when I was younger, it was more evident, less so now, I hope, I don’t know, maybe not. If I thought you were talking shit, I would just… just switch off, you know? And I

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
think some of these lecturers sensed that I did not believe in their bullshit, you know? So that had a repercussion with one of my exams. So essentially when this orthodontic consultant said to me, I had to go and speak to him, and he said to me, you fail because of your attitude. If you don’t change your attitude, I’ll fail you again. So this is back there in those days when they could do that. So, and so back then, he knocked my confidence out and went and reset. that one exam, I was the only one that ever failed that exam in the history of Liverpool, so that’s fine.

Andy & Chris:
Is there a plaque somewhere?

amit patel:
Yeah, some way, I’m sure there is, yeah. So I

Andy & Chris:
Or

amit patel:
went

Andy & Chris:
should

amit patel:
and

Andy & Chris:
we

amit patel:
got

Andy & Chris:
say

amit patel:
a

Andy & Chris:
a blue plaque?

amit patel:
blue plaque, exactly.

Andy & Chris:
See what I did there?

amit patel:
So then I got my, I passed it, I became a house officer and all that sort of stuff and I, and, and early on actually in fourth year, was it? it was fourth year, we were at a hospital called Walton and we turned up for a week and it was like, we were in a theatre and they were cutting someone’s head and neck open and all this sort of stuff, I go, what the hell are you doing? And I said, are you just dentists? No, we’re dentists and medics. And that was really cool and they sensed that I had some enthusiasm about that and they kept dragging me up at lunchtime to fix fractured jaws and I would be… you know, doing zygomas and all this sort of stuff. It was really cool. So then I thought, you know what? I might go and do medicine because I really enjoyed being around these individuals who had tons of energy. And then so I did my house job, got my MFDS and all that sort of stuff that I’ve got and an SHO job. And I got into medical school at Leeds. So I got into a three-year course. And at that point, I then got a job in London. in central London and I then met the most unhappiest consultants and I was thinking and registrars I’m thinking Oh my god, this could be me It’s got really insecure and I thought fuck this and at back then I did VT already a vocational training back then and

Andy & Chris:
Mmm.

amit patel:
We spent one day in a practice in Manchester with a guy called David Cohen He’s an endodontist and he was just so just so enthusiastic about doing root canal treatments. And I just really enjoyed it. I thought, right, okay, let me keep in touch with him. Went out for dinner with him and he brought a periodontist along with him that he worked with and he was saying, yeah, you could do endo as a specialty. Or, and then the other guy says, are you good with the scalpel? I said, yeah, I’m all right. He goes, well then do perio. And that was it. There was no other decision, right? That’s what happened. And so I gave up. I deferred medicine for one year. I applied to do perio at Guy’s in St. Thomas’s because that was a four year course and it was quite cheap back then. My interview, what do you think the interview went like? What do you think?

Andy & Chris:
Based on the previous one, was it quick? It probably

amit patel:
Well,

Andy & Chris:
didn’t last that long.

amit patel:
no, it was, it was, it was shit. It was the truth. Yeah. They were like, why do you want to be a very long test? I’m like, uh, I’m trying to make an informed decision.

Andy & Chris:
Because I had dinner with one last week. They said it was really good. I like cutting people with a scalpel. Ha ha ha.

amit patel:
Literally. I mean, it was so bad because they said you’re into your, your CV looks like you should be doing max facts. And I’m like, I couldn’t turn around and say, well, actually I’m one of the very few people in this country who’s got a fucking place at medical school and it’s potentially going to turn it down to do your thing, right?

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
But they were like, the interview was so bad and they said, well, we’re going to have to offer you a place because you’re the only British student. So I got

Andy & Chris:
Seriously?

amit patel:
on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Oh really? So you got in because you weren’t international. That

amit patel:
Yeah, yeah,

Andy & Chris:
was your passport.

amit patel:
yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Brilliant.

amit patel:
Yeah, yeah, so I was like, and I’ll tell you now, if I applied to do perio at any of these universities, I would never get in, because I’m not a high flying achievement, because nowadays the bar

Andy & Chris:
Well,

amit patel:
is set.

Andy & Chris:
you’ve got to say this three or four times, Amit, but you’re a guy who struggled through your GCSEs, you struggled through your A-levels, you struggled through dental school, you struggled through a four-year programme at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s, you’re a guy

amit patel:
Because

Andy & Chris:
who

amit patel:
I’m

Andy & Chris:
set

amit patel:
lazy.

Andy & Chris:
up a squat practice. You seem to struggle but achieve an awful lot.

amit patel:
Oh, I just I think I think I plot along that’s what I say, you know what you did I’m plotting along. Yeah

Andy & Chris:
I think you strike me as somebody, going back to that school thing. I think the environment matters to you. I think if you have people around you with energy and you get inspired, you do well. If it’s

amit patel:
And

Andy & Chris:
not, you switch off quickly.

amit patel:
completely, because I get bored. Cause I, cause the thing is you can, you can see they’re just not into it. And

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
it’s

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
all shit, you know? And it’s like when I was 16, I would have left school and joined the army or become a builder or

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
a plumber, I would have been quite content doing those, you know? But, um, but yeah, so, and, and I suppose people might turn around and say, well, you know, he might not have been a good periodontist, but actually what I have learned over time is that I love. talking to patients, having

Andy & Chris:
Hmm

amit patel:
fun with them, you know, just taking the mickey. And it’s like a much easier environment, you know, and also because of the way I work, the patient and dentists who refer to me, it’s really interesting. Some dentists will say, I don’t think I’ll refer you to him because you won’t like him. So that’s really good,

Andy & Chris:
Mm-hmm.

amit patel:
you know?

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, yeah.

amit patel:
And they’ll refer that patient to another dentist who might be much

Andy & Chris:
Yes.

amit patel:
more professional or whatever the word

Andy & Chris:
But

amit patel:
is.

Andy & Chris:
you now, you know, yeah. It’s a better relationship though, isn’t it? Oh yeah. Yeah. But you now control your environment because you set up Birmingham Dental Specialists. So you’ve got your specialist referral practice in Birmingham.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
What was the, what was the period in between coming out of dental school, doing your post-grad stuff and getting to opening a practice? Did you end up in Birmingham? Yeah. Did you bounce around as an associate? How did, what did that look like?

amit patel:
So that’s a really, really good question because essentially a lot of specialists, so, you know, one of the reasons why you think you become a specialist is because there’s a pyramid and you think you’re at the top, right? But you’re not. As soon as I became a specialist, I realized I was at the bottom because I need the GDP who’s at the top of that pyramid to refer to me, right? And I think a lot of

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
specialists forget that until they’ve gone into, you know, wants to run their own business and sort of stuff. And And I learned that and I used to work all over the country and in London. And you end up just schlepping around from clinic to clinic and you can’t focus and you can’t

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
enjoy it as much. You know what I mean? I mean, I’ve got friends, really good friends who are happy to do that because they like that different environment, different exposure all

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
the time. But I like control. You know? So yeah, I was… all over the shop and then I moved to Birmingham because my girlfriend is an intensive care consultant here and essentially she said why don’t you move up here and I moved up here in 2007. Had no work and obviously, not obviously, Birmingham is like the second biggest city in the country and it’s got like two million

Andy & Chris:
Mm-hmm.

amit patel:
population or something like that but there’s very few periodontists here, maybe two back then, so I rocked up and it’s a very heavily

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
and the university is very good. It takes a lot of referrals and does a lot of treatment. So it was more of a challenge to start a squat here. But luckily, Prof. Chappell, Ian Chappell, who’s a mentor of mine, offered

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
a job in Birmingham because he found out I was here. So that was good, you know, just working one day a week there as an associate specialist.

Andy & Chris:
Did you feel there was a need that you had to set up your own squad if you wanted to do what you did? Because there wasn’t the environment in

amit patel:
So that’s

Andy & Chris:
Birmingham.

amit patel:
a good question. So what happened was I was working, when I moved to Birmingham, so I was working with Prof. Chappell

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
one day a week. I worked for a guy called Jason Buglass and he had a practice up in Shropshire, which is a really beautiful part of the world, in Shrewsbury and then Stafford and then one in Birmingham City Centre. So I was now traveling between these three areas.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
you know, to beat the motorway traffic to get to Shrewsbury and to Stafford, I used to leave the house at seven and just to get there for nine, you know what I mean? And I just, after

Andy & Chris:
Mmm.

amit patel:
a certain time, I thought, you know what, I can’t do that. So 10 years ago, I just thought, you know what, let’s start this little squat. It was just, if you look where I am now, I’m in the city center at the back, hidden away. It was a dental practice and it never has any walk-in trade, right?

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
So it’s never been a successful. business ever here. But as a referral practice, it’s worked quite well because you have to come to see.

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
So I’m not, we don’t, we rarely get patients coming off the street. Um, and you know, people might Google us or whatever it is, but it’s always a referral base, you know? So we’ve got about 180 referring dentists in total.

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
Yeah. So it’s not bad. I mean, not, not saying every single one refers, you know, maybe

Andy & Chris:
No, no, no. Yeah.

amit patel:
consistently,

Andy & Chris:
It’s a

amit patel:
maybe.

Andy & Chris:
good old pool to fish in though, isn’t it?

amit patel:
Yeah. And you know, and we’re not even touched it. I mean, I might get less than 60 continuously referred to me, which is lovely. You know, they come all the way from Ludlow, Hereford, from

Andy & Chris:
I

amit patel:
Schwab.

Andy & Chris:
was going to say being in Birmingham you’ve got a huge catchment area.

amit patel:
Massive.

Andy & Chris:
It’s very central isn’t it? That’s accessible isn’t it? Yeah. It’s

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
probably quite good as well because those casual ones that wander in probably aren’t interested in Perio but they want a General so therefore you can almost refer back aren’t you as well?

amit patel:
Yeah, exactly. And that’s been really helpful now, especially, you know, with the way the NHS has gone, you know, because we get loads of dentists ringing up saying, I can’t get to see my dentist. So now I would like to say, you know what, how’s about you go and see my colleague in this

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
part of the world. And it works. Appreciate that, you know, because I think, you know, it’s so kind that they refer to me, which is, you know, which is lovely. And they want me to try to treat their patients. I think that’s really generous and kind, really.

Andy & Chris:
You’re such a, I mean, how long have we, we’ve known you not very long for, you know, but you’re, what comes across is you’re a real people person.

amit patel:
All right, that’s very

Andy & Chris:
You’re

amit patel:
kind of you.

Andy & Chris:
a relationship person, communication person. And that’s, that’s what’s important to you. And whether it be patients or whether it be the gentists that you, you respect in the role that they have in what you do.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
And obviously I think your cheekiness to a certain degree in some of those situations with your exams. But I think it’s that personal bit that’s coming through to me big time. But I think as a specialist that really matters because quite understandably you get some general practitioners who are concerned about referring their patients away from their practice. Definitely. And how they’re gonna be treated, what’s that relationship gonna look like outside of their practice and their control. So… having a trusted third party that they can refer to, but the way you approach relationships means that the referring dentists will feel very comfortable with them sending them to you. And it’s interesting, you also have dentists who say, I just don’t think this patient’s gonna work for you. Just

amit patel:
And

Andy & Chris:
because

amit patel:
I love

Andy & Chris:
they…

amit patel:
that, because they obviously know me, right?

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
And

Andy & Chris:
yeah.

amit patel:
then they

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
are choosing who they want to refer, because they’re, you know, one thing that I have learned is, you know, because when you’re younger, you’re stupid, and you think, you know, you’re the best thing since sliced bread and shit like that, but. You know, I’ve had patients who’ve come in and you think, yeah, you can do better than the other dentist. And it’s like, well, that’s such fucking arrogance, you know? And then you make a mistake and it goes worse than what someone’s done before you. Nowadays, more and more, I say to my patients, I’m not good enough to treat you. If someone irritates me in the slightest, and I know it’s gonna not go in the right

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
direction, and they have unreasonable expectations, I will turn around and say, I ain’t good enough for you. And then that just flummoxes them, do you know what I mean?

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s a very powerful thing.

amit patel:
You

Andy & Chris:
Yes,

amit patel:
tell her it

Andy & Chris:
yes.

amit patel:
is, yeah, I know.

Andy & Chris:
And for someone that has repeatedly said, I’ve skimmed it and I just sneaked in and I got in on this. I was the only UK student and they were all international. You have raised yourself to the dizzy heights of you created a squat, you got your hand into practice and you also lecture internationally on your subject, which is

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
an amazing thing to do. Specifically on the lecturing side of things, what are the differences that you’ve observed being international to? dentistry outside the UK to inside the UK. Are we quite standard in how we approach dentistry? Are we ahead of the pack? Where would you say we sit based on your international experience?

amit patel:
Um, okay, honestly, I think the UK

Andy & Chris:
Yes.

amit patel:
is really, really behind in dentistry. It’s shocking. Right. So before I became the president of the ADI, you would never catch me go to any dental meeting in the UK, right? where I, because as soon as I qualified guys, I realized I wasn’t good enough to be known as a specialist because I didn’t learn some of the cool stuff I’ve read in journals and stuff. And it’s like, well, why is, why are we not doing this? And I think the reason for that is the NHS limits what can be achieved, you know, within that setting. Cause they might turn around and say, well, where’s the evidence for this? But actually when you look at the, you know, they want to look at meta analysis and all this sort of stuff. But when you look at the stuff that’s coming out from Italy and all these other places in the world and Switzerland, you’re thinking, why are we not doing this for our patients? So as soon as I got my degree. I went to a lecture for an organization called Osteology and I met a guy called Giulio Rassarini. He’s a professor from Milan. He’s amazing, you know, just infectiously enthusiastic and you know, he just became, he’s become a really good friend. So I spent like a spent a month in Milan with him at his university, learned loads of cool stuff, singers. I was trying to get him over here to lecture and whenever I tried to organize something people going who is he? But it’s like because you only

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
know what was here. right? But

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
I was looking at the rest of the world, you know what I mean? And maybe, maybe now that I know what F, you know, FOMO means, yeah, fear of missing out, maybe it was that, you know, maybe,

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
but I also knew that I could be better, do you know what I mean? Because I’ve seen it. So why can’t I do it? You know what I mean? Why can’t

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
I be talking? And I spent time at Harvard with, another professor called Myron Evans and a man of mine called David Kim. And I just realized there’s so much more to be done, you know?

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
So I definitely think. we are far behind, but it’s slowly. I mean, there’s a mate of mine called Andoni Jones. He’s young, from Spain, and he lives in Dublin. He’s one talented implant dentist. He’s doing some cool stuff that you would never have done. You would never be taught at university. Another mate

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
of mine called Viraj, he spent two years at NYU doing implant training, and the work he’s doing is excellent. So they’re bringing that stuff back to the UK, and people are now wanting to do their courses, which is good, you know? So.

Andy & Chris:
And I assume as you’re the president of the ADI, so I assume it now puts you in a position of influence to bring perhaps some of these dentists to the UK, perhaps just to raise the game, raise expectation

amit patel:
So,

Andy & Chris:
level.

amit patel:
yeah, so again, I was, yeah, you’re right. I am in a very fortunate position and I could do that. So we had a conference in May at ICC in Birmingham and. And fortunately, because I’ve been lucky enough to lecture abroad and learn some cool stuff from some of the best people in the world, I just rang my mates up and I said, Oh, listen, do you want to come and lecture at this conference? They were like, yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
So I was really, really lucky. And these speakers, you know, you have to pay them a lot of money. And because they’re, and I said, well, we don’t have that money. And they were like, it’s you, Amit, we’ll do it for you. It’s not a problem. So I was really felt lucky that over the last 15 years, I’ve built these relationships with these people and they were willing to give their time to come to the

Andy & Chris:
But it’s funny

amit patel:
conference.

Andy & Chris:
because I very much sense that dentistry is a very caring, collaborative profession. You know, we’re not clinical at all, but from the business side of things, there’s always a lot of support, collective support. And on the clinical side, you definitely see dentists looking to help others, lift others up, spend time with younger dentists. It does seem a very caring and collaborative profession. It’s nice to feel. and see that isn’t just a UK thing, that’s a global thing.

amit patel:
Yeah, and definitely, yeah, very much a global thing. I mean, and you know, when I have cases that go wrong, and obviously, you know, I have them, you know, because I’m not the best, right? And then I’m at a loss thinking, who should I ask for advice? I mean, I only go abroad. I speak to my mates abroad and say, listen, what would you do with this case? And they’d always come back

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
to me, swear to the way, say, listen, and these are the most influential people, you know, well published and stuff, and they’re like, no problems, this is the way to deal with this situation and that. you know, has been really good for me. And then, you know, when I get people asking me for advice here in the UK, I hopefully can, you know, I hopefully pass on the same sort of information to them

Andy & Chris:
Pass

amit patel:
really.

Andy & Chris:
it on.

amit patel:
Yeah, and it’s

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
really, it’s…

Andy & Chris:
At that ADI Congress this year, lots of people would recognise you for your locks, your long hair, which you’d obviously been growing for many years, over two decades.

amit patel:
Wait, no, no.

Andy & Chris:
And at the ADI

amit patel:
Too

Andy & Chris:
Congress,

amit patel:
much,

Andy & Chris:
you

amit patel:
no.

Andy & Chris:
decided to have your…

amit patel:
I’ve only grown that hair from lockdown. Jesus, it was like, it was so long. Yeah, I only grew it from lockdown, but you know what, let’s grow it. So, so let me show you. So, because it was

Andy & Chris:
There was a lot

amit patel:
here,

Andy & Chris:
of it.

amit patel:
yeah, I did have a lot. It was down to, it was down to here. It was down to there. It was just so impractical.

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
And so it’s really funny, because the conference. You know, because the thing is, obviously I am a very different individual. I am not, you know, the straight-laced professional dentist that you would think, you know, is what we’re supposed to be. You know what I mean? I mean, if I was not scared of needles, I’d have tattoos. I’d love to have tattoos, but I’m too scared of needles, right? But, so yeah, so the event was on the 4th of May. And Obviously, May the 4th, be with you if you’re a Star Wars fan, right? Essentially. So it was

Andy & Chris:
Yep.

amit patel:
like,

Andy & Chris:
Star

amit patel:
right, okay.

Andy & Chris:
Wars,

amit patel:
Do

Andy & Chris:
Andy, science fiction. Yep, not a big fan.

amit patel:
you remember that? No one’s a big fan? Jesus.

Andy & Chris:
No, I am here. Chris likes it. Andy doesn’t really do science fiction. Not a big science fiction fan.

amit patel:
Oh man, if I knew, I would have invited you both. I didn’t know that. So, so, it just accidentally fell on that day, right? So it was like, right, okay, you know what? Let’s have it as a Star Wars theme park. And some people thought, fucking knob, right? Who’s gonna turn up at this thing in the Star Wars theme park? Right?

Andy & Chris:
Anyone turn up as Princess Leia.

amit patel:
Yeah, yeah, that was me. Did you not know? So I turned up. So

Andy & Chris:
Did

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
you

amit patel:
had

Andy & Chris:
wear

amit patel:
this.

Andy & Chris:
the outfit from Jabba the Hutt?

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
Sorry

amit patel:
yeah,

Andy & Chris:
Andy, this is a Star Wars

amit patel:
the slave

Andy & Chris:
moment.

amit patel:
outfit, yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
there we go.

amit patel:
don’t have the abs for it. I’m a bit on the,

Andy & Chris:
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

amit patel:
I got a couple of spare ties down there so that didn’t work, but essentially, so there were these two reps from Geischlicht, Nicola, Leithem and Fiona, and they both were desperate to do my hair like in Princess Leibund, so

Andy & Chris:
Uh.

amit patel:
I got it done as, let me find you a photo of what I look like.

Andy & Chris:
How brilliant.

amit patel:
I look like a fucking twat. But you know what? I am quite a shy person. But

Andy & Chris:
You hide it very well. Yeah, but not

amit patel:
yeah,

Andy & Chris:
that night. Ha ha

amit patel:
but

Andy & Chris:
ha!

amit patel:
I was like, I was committed. And it took them like 20 minutes to do this hair. It was so tight. And it was like, how the hell do girls walk around with all these pins and shit in their hair? I was just like, hmm. So, where’s the photo? Where’s the photo? I’ve got to find the photo. It’s… on

Andy & Chris:
Thanks

amit patel:
my

Andy & Chris:
for watching!

amit patel:
many…

Andy & Chris:
So when you had your hair put in this princess layer styled

amit patel:
buttons.

Andy & Chris:
buns,

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
had you already decided at this point that you would be having your head shaved? Was that something that was pre-planned or…?

amit patel:
Right. So, okay, good point. So what happened was I set up a next gen committee because the main aim, really the biggest problem with the ATI is that it’s, you know, we’re all quite old and it’s coming people to retire.

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
We need to be able to attract more younger people.

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
So I chose a group of people, you know, so that… they could run their own mini conference that day. So we’ve got a next gen ADI committee and they are amazing, just enthusiastic. And you know what, what’s lovely about them is they’re not competitive. You know, the thing with implant industry, we’re all very competitive.

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
Oh, you know, my dad’s bigger than your dad. You know, I could have used other words than that,

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
but you know what I’m trying to say, right?

Andy & Chris:
we get the gist.

amit patel:
So yeah, you got the gist. So essentially, and they get on so well, which is so lovely. And we’ve got… we managed to get 90 people to turn up to their mini event, talk about how their journey was into implant dentistry. So that was really quite successful. I was really pleased with it. And then we have a DCP section run by Lindsay Baker, dentists, sorry. So we had the most number of people attend that event. And then we had the lab technician, Danny Cleary, who’s the lab technician rep with ADI. And he did the best ever. We’ve had the most number of people attend that event. So we had 1,100 people attend the ADI, which is the most ever. So it was really good. I mean, I didn’t realize how,

Andy & Chris:
Wow, that’s really good.

amit patel:
and cause I was under a lot of pressure. I was super stressed by it all. So there’s my head. Do I look like a numpty?

Andy & Chris:
Oh, excellent. Excellent. Well, that’s a… So for people that aren’t watching this on YouTube, there’s a beautiful picture of Amit with his Princess Leia bun in his… It’s worth tuning on YouTube. Just like a dodgy set of headphones.

amit patel:
I look like a right fucking prick, yeah. And I mean, it was really funny because, and check this one out. People were saying he looks like Shrek.

Andy & Chris:
Oh nice, nice. That’s very harsh.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
Very, very harsh. But no. Ha ha ha.

amit patel:
But no, actually, it was really lovely because one of my patients makes, he makes suits. He’s a bespoke tailor. He’s got a, I don’t know how it’s happened, but he has a shop in Dubai and New York and London. And he said, oh, you know what? I’ll make you a suit. So he made me this beautiful suit. I’ve never had a suit made for me. And it was just like the coolest thing. And inside it has space

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
lining and stuff like that. Lining of like, oh. space and some shuttles and stuff like that so it was really cool. I never paid for it, he gave it to me as a gift, it was really cool. So I wore that.

Andy & Chris:
That’s right.

amit patel:
It was really sweet, yeah, and it was like, I mean, I don’t know if you had a bespoke suit because you could just stand there, can you feel it kind of kissing every part of your body? I’m like, I can, yes I can, you know, it was

Andy & Chris:
That’s what proper tailoring is about.

amit patel:
hilarious. But yeah, so… So it was on the 4th of May and we had a Star Wars theme party and then I got Tim Peake, the astronaut, to lecture. Right. Now Tim Peake, if you can ever hear him lecture, he was pretty cool. You know, I mean, he was just so inspiring talking about, you know, his time on the space station and stuff. He was amazing.

Andy & Chris:
I bet that was an incredible talk.

amit patel:
Oh, he was just so cool, you know, and we had like 900 people in the audience and they were going… This is, and he was a keynote speaker like you, non-dental and people loved him, you know, didn’t talk about teeth or anything like that. So it was really good.

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
And I think that helped make it a very different event. And then we got on with the normal dental part of it. And then, like you said, so the whole aim was that the next gen committee said, you know what? You should cut your hair at the conference and try to raise money. And then I spoke to a guy called Dev Patel at the BDIA actually. And his wife, his lovely wife, she goes, you know what, you should say how much you wanna raise because then people know what you wanna raise. I didn’t know you had to do that. And so we did that. And then she

Andy & Chris:
Mm-hmm.

amit patel:
said, you know, and also said a GoFundMe page, which I didn’t really know how to do. So that was really lovely. So we then raised money. The hair went to a wig charity, the Little Princess Trust, we made two wigs from that. And…

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
And then the money we raised went to Shaz Memon’s Wells and Wheels charity, which is

Andy & Chris:
Well,

amit patel:
just

Andy & Chris:
somewhere

amit patel:
obviously

Andy & Chris:
else. Yeah.

amit patel:
an amazing charity. And it was amazing

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
what he

Andy & Chris:
and

amit patel:
was.

Andy & Chris:
you’re being very modest, but you were saying that you’ve already raised over £21,000 for

amit patel:
Yeah, so we were

Andy & Chris:
the

amit patel:
on

Andy & Chris:
charity

amit patel:
trying to raise 10,

Andy & Chris:
with that.

amit patel:
we raised 21, but check out this. So the three highest bidders, so we had one guy put two and a half thousand pounds in, another one put in two, and actually we had a few dentists put in two, and the rest were like 500. It was really generous, you know, it was so kind that people were putting money in.

Andy & Chris:
Mmm.

amit patel:
I know they were drunk, but it was nice, you know. It’s wonderful. So,

Andy & Chris:
Ha ha ha!

amit patel:
look.

Andy & Chris:
It helps. It’s all about timing.

amit patel:
And the three guys that got to cut my hair were these guys. And so I bought the scissors. And then that

Andy & Chris:
Haha.

amit patel:
wig went off to Kicharote. Then I gave them a pair of clippers and they took the guard off, right? And they made me look like that.

Andy & Chris:
Oh nice. Oh

amit patel:
Now that’s

Andy & Chris:
wow.

amit patel:
a mullet,

Andy & Chris:
Nice, that

amit patel:
isn’t

Andy & Chris:
is

amit patel:
it?

Andy & Chris:
classy.

amit patel:
I know,

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
and that dude

Andy & Chris:
that

amit patel:
at

Andy & Chris:
is

amit patel:
the back,

Andy & Chris:
slick.

amit patel:
that dude at the back, his name is Phil McCauley. He’s lovely. He’s got practice in Bournemouth, and his wife is Kayleigh. And he got up and says, I can’t let Amit walk around like that. So he came and started tidying me up.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
Because

Andy & Chris:
that

amit patel:
obviously.

Andy & Chris:
looks like some weird old haircut that was

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
there

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
for

amit patel:
know,

Andy & Chris:
sure.

amit patel:
I was bald.

Andy & Chris:
Brilliant.

amit patel:
Literally, nine weeks ago today, I had no hair. And it was like early May, normally you think it’s hot, but it was. And I was like, this is, is that what people feel like? So, and

Andy & Chris:
What

amit patel:
then

Andy & Chris:
a

amit patel:
it

Andy & Chris:
remarkable

amit patel:
was only a

Andy & Chris:
thing

amit patel:
few weeks

Andy & Chris:
to

amit patel:
then

Andy & Chris:
do.

amit patel:
they got off.

Andy & Chris:
It also, going back to that kind of the spirit of dentistry in terms of the generosity of people. You put people in the room for a good cause and something incredible happens. Comes out, yeah.

amit patel:
Yeah. And you know,

Andy & Chris:
And reigns really hard when it hits your head. That’s okay.

amit patel:
it was…

Andy & Chris:
It

amit patel:
Yeah, well,

Andy & Chris:
reigns really

amit patel:
the

Andy & Chris:
hard.

amit patel:
heat, the heat, I tell you, when I was walking one Saturday, I was like, Oh, my head’s burning. What is wrong with this? Because, you know, when you got

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
hair, not an issue. And it was like, right.

Andy & Chris:
You don’t

amit patel:
But it

Andy & Chris:
think

amit patel:
was,

Andy & Chris:
about it.

amit patel:
yeah, and it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was good in the sense that, you know, because even one of us, one of my mates from Brazil, he, he rocked up on the stage after, you know, Tim Peake. left and he says, Amit, do you mind if I put on my Jedi outfit and just lecturing it? And I’m like, do what you want, Ricardo. You’re my mate. It’s not an issue. So he took his kit off, got his kit off in the back and he puts on the Jedi outfit with a lightsaber and people went ballistic. And it was like, it just set the tone of the event because it was like, you know what,

Andy & Chris:
Brilliant.

amit patel:
we are serious. We have high powered clinicians here, but I don’t need to be,

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
I don’t need to pretend to be super professional because I know what I’m comfortable with and

Andy & Chris:
It

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
can

amit patel:
understand.

Andy & Chris:
be fun as well. They truly let their hair down. Yeah.

amit patel:
Exactly.

Andy & Chris:
Oh.

amit patel:
They let their hair down. And it was, you know,

Andy & Chris:
But

amit patel:
and I think,

Andy & Chris:
but

amit patel:
go on, sorry.

Andy & Chris:
I think post-COVID, there is a renewed desire to have fun whilst working. I think if you go into a dental event or a conference, it doesn’t have to be staid and formal and clinical. You can also put the word fun and wrap it around it, and the two can coexist together. And that sounds like what you’ve achieved there.

amit patel:
And you know, if you think about it, back when you’re a student, you know, you telling me we didn’t go out and fucking get pissed and wreak havoc in a hotel or whatever and get kicked out. Right. And suddenly it’s like, well, okay, that is a lot of fun, but maybe we’re not allowed to do that now as an adult. Right. But you know,

Andy & Chris:
you

amit patel:
there

Andy & Chris:
can

amit patel:
has

Andy & Chris:
do

amit patel:
to be.

Andy & Chris:
different fun.

amit patel:
Exactly. Yeah. And it’s like suddenly, you know, we had, we had stormtroopers. I came with the Mandalorian.

Andy & Chris:
Oh excellent, excellent.

amit patel:
Yeah, it was good.

Andy & Chris:
Andy’s no idea what we’re talking about now. No, no,

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
no.

amit patel:
know he’s a bit sad.

Andy & Chris:
I thought a Mandalorian was a thing you use in the kitchen to cut your vegetables up.

amit patel:
It could be, but that’s

Andy & Chris:
Or

amit patel:
me

Andy & Chris:
you

amit patel:
in my

Andy & Chris:
played.

amit patel:
Mandalorian helmet. And there’s my little baby Yoda, Grogu, and that’s Lando Calrissian. People really turned up, it was so good. Check out this guy. This is Dan Story from BioHorizon. He’s got a BioHorizon implant kit on his thing. He’s wearing a builder’s outfit and he looks really cool.

Andy & Chris:
He does, he looks like a star fighter,

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
whatever

amit patel:
exactly. And this is

Andy & Chris:
they

amit patel:
my big

Andy & Chris:
are.

amit patel:
pearl shader.

Andy & Chris:
I think this is almost guaranteed. This feels like it’s going to guarantee record attendance at the ADI Congress next year.

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, I was saying, I want to go now.

amit patel:
yeah, I know.

Andy & Chris:
Can’t

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
do

amit patel:
mean,

Andy & Chris:
it again though, that’s probably have to wait.

amit patel:
it was, it was, it was, it was, it was a laugh. I mean, check this out, then the next day, there was three baldies lecturing. There’s me in the middle.

Andy & Chris:
Brilliant.

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
That

amit patel:
mean, obviously,

Andy & Chris:
is brilliant.

amit patel:
I’m the one with real hair, but one time, but and then the best

Andy & Chris:
I love

amit patel:
bit was

Andy & Chris:
the sense

amit patel:
this.

Andy & Chris:
of fun that you bring to it.

amit patel:
Check this out. So anybody who had no hair, I would do. Oops, sorry, wrong way. I would do that to them.

Andy & Chris:
To help them out. Yeah, just aid them.

amit patel:
It was so sweet. Yeah, it was just, I mean, and they didn’t care, which was so nice. And a lot of the speakers did turn around and say they’ve never had so much fun at an event because it wasn’t so serious, but it was, you know what I mean? But, and everybody had,

Andy & Chris:
That’s brilliant, really

amit patel:
I mean,

Andy & Chris:
brilliant.

amit patel:
I was under a lot of pressure because I can’t remember the event at all. I’ve had to look at photos and then ended on the Saturday and then a Wednesday night at two in the morning, I woke up and I said, I think it might have been all right. Because I wasn’t

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
sure.

Andy & Chris:
but the thing is this feeds back to the thing we’ve said a couple of times already, you know, when you’re in an environment that’s simulating, you do really well.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
So it almost feels like you’ve now kind of injected some of that into the ADI that says, if

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
we

amit patel:
hope

Andy & Chris:
make

amit patel:
so.

Andy & Chris:
it fun and simulating, people are going to learn and enjoy it. They’re going to retain the information and they’re going to want to come back. And that

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
almost kind of captures what happened at the ADI this year.

amit patel:
Yeah, I mean, they all sort of said, Oh, it went ballistic on Instagram. I had no idea. But, you know, we’ve been now learning how to use social media and stuff. And, and I really hope that, you know, people want to join the ADI and think, you know what, we can

Andy & Chris:
Hmm

amit patel:
be part of this family and we can learn and we’re happy to share with each

Andy & Chris:
Kickstart

amit patel:
other and not want to decide

Andy & Chris:
it maybe,

amit patel:
to, yeah,

Andy & Chris:
yeah.

amit patel:
I really hope that is the future and actually it’s really cool because a good friend of mine called Panartha George, which everyone knows him as George. He’s like one of the most. He’s one of the most exceptional implant dentists in the UK. Super knowledgeable, just educating tons of people on cool stuff. And also graduated from Liverpool. He’s gonna be the president in two years time. So he’s with his, you know, with him as well. I, you know, he’s got more energy than I have. So hopefully it’ll

Andy & Chris:
No

amit patel:
be

Andy & Chris:
problem.

amit patel:
even better, really.

Andy & Chris:
It’s been a great chat. What I find

amit patel:
Bye!

Andy & Chris:
quite interesting is you say, you said previously that your interview skills are appalling and they’re still rubbish today. I think for anyone listening to this, that’s a lie. You make a great guest, you tell great stories,

amit patel:
That’s okay.

Andy & Chris:
you bring colour and you’re not conventional, but in the best sense of the word, the way you go about things isn’t conformist in any way but it shows that you can still be really successful and be who you are.

amit patel:
I really appreciate that. That’s

Andy & Chris:
come

amit patel:
very

Andy & Chris:
alive.

amit patel:
comforting to say. Thank you.

Andy & Chris:
No,

amit patel:
I don’t

Andy & Chris:
no, it’s

amit patel:
take

Andy & Chris:
finished.

amit patel:
comments very well. I’m very, I’m very like, oh, OK, I’m gone now. You

Andy & Chris:
Well, let’s

amit patel:
know.

Andy & Chris:
move on from

amit patel:
Yeah, but

Andy & Chris:
that

amit patel:
it’s

Andy & Chris:
quickly.

amit patel:
only 20%.

Andy & Chris:
Let’s move on from that quickly because we always finish by asking. Let’s hide your embarrassment. Well, yeah, while you blush, we’ll continue with another question. We always ask our guests the same two questions at the end. And the first question for you is that if you could be a fly on a wall in a situation, when would that be and who would be there?

amit patel:
So what did Joe Lovett say? Did he say he wanted to be when the Colonel was making the very famous KX…

Andy & Chris:
I think it

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
was the KFC. I think he wanted to know the spices that went into KFC. 18 special

amit patel:
that was,

Andy & Chris:
spices

amit patel:
I just

Andy & Chris:
or

amit patel:
came

Andy & Chris:
whatever.

amit patel:
to my mind then, I’m like, you know what, that’d be really cool.

Andy & Chris:
The Coca Cola man. But

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
what I find remarkable about that is you can go back to the beginning of the universe and you could see how the planet started. There’s all these incredible events through history and Joe wants to know what spices are in his KFC. I love that. I love that. That

amit patel:
I

Andy & Chris:
was

amit patel:
know.

Andy & Chris:
a thing. It just shows the importance of KFC in Joe’s life. In that moment, that’s what Joe wanted.

amit patel:
Um, it’s a good question. I mean, I mean, there’s loads of things I’d love to listen to, you know, professionally, what’s going on, you know, because find out what people think about me really. But it’s a really good question. I went to Hiroshima once, right? And I’ve always thought that because there was a, you know, obviously they dropped the bomb there in World War II. And…

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
It’s really interesting. So there’s a museum there and you can see there’s a letter written by the president of the USA. It was Winston and Stalin, right? And they’ve all signed it. They’re saying, oh, you know what? We can’t bomb Kyoto. We can’t bomb these cities, but these are the ones that we’re gonna look at bombing. And so I would probably like to be a fly on the wall in that room when they’re both, and all three of them thinking, you know what? We know what this is gonna do. we’ll choose this city to bomb. You know, I’m just, I know it’s a bit morbid, but

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
I would love to see their faces and the way they

Andy & Chris:
That’s

amit patel:
look.

Andy & Chris:
an interesting one though, isn’t it? Yeah. So it’s a very big decision because you’re right, there would have had to have been a positive decision taken. What would it be? To choose that city. What were the factors involved? Yeah,

amit patel:
and knowing

Andy & Chris:
and that

amit patel:
the

Andy & Chris:
city

amit patel:
consequences.

Andy & Chris:
will be forever known.

amit patel:
Yeah, and they knew what the consequences are gonna be. Because I remember vividly again, looking at, reading this letter, going, you know, these guys knew what was gonna happen. So they said, you know, Kyoto has a historic,

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
you know, whatever the word is, it has some sort of history for humanity, but we can’t destroy that.

Andy & Chris:
Mm.

amit patel:
will destroy the shit

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
out

Andy & Chris:
yeah.

amit patel:
of this. I mean, it’s a bit morbid, but I would love to see the look on these. I mean, it was interesting. Even when you saw that film, that Winston film, where he was begging for the Americans to send planes, and they were like, we can send them via Canada, but you have to take them by a horse. And I would love to, like, the shot in that scene is like, he was heartbroken, but I’d like to know what happened that the three of them

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, they’re

amit patel:
saw.

Andy & Chris:
heavyweight decisions, aren’t they? That they may. Yeah, yeah, definitely. So we will see if we can lighten the mood somewhat now.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
And

amit patel:
You can go back

Andy & Chris:
the

amit patel:
to KFC

Andy & Chris:
follow-up

amit patel:
if you

Andy & Chris:
question,

amit patel:
want.

Andy & Chris:
yeah, well, the Colonel might feature. So the follow-up question is, if you could meet somebody, if you were given the opportunity to sit down and have a glass of wine, a beer, a coffee with somebody, who would you like to meet? Who would you say is an off-hitter? Yes.

amit patel:
Yeah, that’s a good question. question. It’s a really good question. Do you know who

Andy & Chris:
For

amit patel:
I would

Andy & Chris:
lots

amit patel:
really

Andy & Chris:
of people.

amit patel:
like to meet? I mean, it’s really sad. I’m going to go back to this. I mean, I could say Elon Musk and stuff, but I think he’s probably nuts, you know, and you wouldn’t have a good conversation. But it would have to be Mark Hamill from, you know, Luke Skywalker. Just listen to all of his stories because he’s such a, you know, when you listen to him talk, he’s hilarious, isn’t he?

Andy & Chris:
Wow, yeah,

amit patel:
And, you know,

Andy & Chris:
wow

amit patel:
he

Andy & Chris:
cool

amit patel:
was like…

Andy & Chris:
you really are you really are Star Wars geek aren’t you?

amit patel:
Yeah, yeah. And then he’s, you know, he’s the voice of Batman cartoons as a Joker. Do you know what I mean? And it’s like, no

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
way, you know? So, yeah, I would love and sit with him and listen to him ramble on and see what he’s been up to. Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
I think it would always be fascinating for someone like that or Indiana Jones or whatever

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
when they first had that sort of read through the script thinking, wow, this is going to spawn so many things

amit patel:
I know.

Andy & Chris:
because at that time, I remember watching an interview with, I think it was Alec Guinness was interviewed by Parkinson or something.

amit patel:
Yes.

Andy & Chris:
and they said to him, you know, what about your pay? Because I think he was the first one, wasn’t he, to want a take of the percentage. And I remember him saying, oh, they wanted me to do it, and I said, oh, I’ll do it for 2%. And then when they came to negotiate, they said that one and a half, and he went, no, it was 2%. of all the takings. And I would think, even then he probably didn’t know. He just, I think he said, wasn’t it, it was some silly science fiction film, but I just thought it would be interesting to do.

amit patel:
You

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
know,

Andy & Chris:
That’s a, that was a

amit patel:
it’s

Andy & Chris:
big

amit patel:
interesting

Andy & Chris:
2%.

amit patel:
you say this, because a good friend of mine from school, he went a long winding path like me and then became a product designer, makes props designers for films. So he was working on Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow. Do you remember that one where there’s

Andy & Chris:
Uh-huh. Yep.

amit patel:
the repeating of the same day sort

Andy & Chris:
Yeah.

amit patel:
of thing? Really cool film. And he made the… the mech suit for that. And essentially in his lunchtime, he would make the Millennium Falcon and then sell it to whoever on the, on eBay or whatever. And somebody saw this, this Millennium Falcon and they rang him up and they said, look Ellis, they said, Neil, you know, you’ve got the Millennium Falcon. Can we just buy it off you? And he goes, yeah, of course you can. He goes, what do you need it for? He goes, oh, we need it for the next Star Wars film. So, and he goes,

Andy & Chris:
Oh

amit patel:
well.

Andy & Chris:
really?

amit patel:
Yeah, so he says, you know what, why don’t you just hire me, right? And I’m like, actually, you know, that’s a better idea. So he was the one who made all of the ships and the robots.

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
It’s really cool because he makes these huge kind of scale models that maybe about this big. And then they have the scene and they put it in, like, do you remember when the TIE fighter crashed in the desert and they put it there and they check what it looks like before they make the big thing. So he’s worked on solo, he’s made all of them. And…

Andy & Chris:
Wow.

amit patel:
And he’s a massive Star Wars geek, you know what I mean?

Andy & Chris:
Oh, that was a job from heaven for him. What a great one though. You know we talk about some moments that change your life. That was one where he said,

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
well, why not just employ me?

amit patel:
exactly.

Andy & Chris:
He could have so easily gone and just sold him the Manelian Vulcan, couldn’t he? What a

amit patel:
Literally,

Andy & Chris:
brilliant one about.

amit patel:
yeah. And they would have paid him 70K for it or whatever, and they would have given

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
him a ride.

Andy & Chris:
yeah.

amit patel:
You know what, let’s pay him. And he made all the Star Wars films. He’s now, he’s been working on Acolyte and all this sort of stuff. He’s loved his TV shows and he’s just, it’s interesting when you sit down and think about that one. Because essentially he was gonna go on and make this. this film about some ring, I don’t know, what was that Englishman who was married? He’s gotten, he’s married, I don’t know, can’t remember. Anyway, yeah, he

Andy & Chris:
Sounds

amit patel:
made this

Andy & Chris:
like

amit patel:
other

Andy & Chris:
great

amit patel:
film when

Andy & Chris:
opportunities

amit patel:
he talked

Andy & Chris:
for

amit patel:
about

Andy & Chris:
him though.

amit patel:
the Star Wars thing, which is great, you know, has been really good

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
for him.

Andy & Chris:
I tell you what it fits so well doesn’t it when we do those things we say to people just ask a question So worth someone’s gonna say is no. Yeah.

amit patel:
Yes, but

Andy & Chris:
Yeah

amit patel:
it’s the truth, isn’t it? I mean, you know, when you’re a kid, you’re like, I don’t want to ask her out, because she might say no, right? And it is that, it’s still that in the back

Andy & Chris:
It’s

amit patel:
of

Andy & Chris:
just

amit patel:
your mind.

Andy & Chris:
no.

amit patel:
Yeah,

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
and it’s just

Andy & Chris:
but

amit patel:
no

Andy & Chris:
it’s just, it’s just,

amit patel:
race.

Andy & Chris:
it’s just no.

amit patel:
It

Andy & Chris:
But

amit patel:
still

Andy & Chris:
I guess

amit patel:
rips the

Andy & Chris:
we

amit patel:
bit

Andy & Chris:
all

amit patel:
of your

Andy & Chris:
learn

amit patel:
heart,

Andy & Chris:
over time

amit patel:
doesn’t

Andy & Chris:
that

amit patel:
it?

Andy & Chris:
yeah, if you don’t, if you don’t ask the question, it’s a guaranteed no.

amit patel:
Yeah.

Andy & Chris:
If you do ask the question, there’s a chance it could be a yes. So it might lead on to something else.

amit patel:
But you

Andy & Chris:
That’s brilliant. Really good.

amit patel:
know, and it also applies to dentistry, you know, when you, when you,

Andy & Chris:
Yeah?

amit patel:
when you make the judgment based on the patient saying, oh, they can’t afford it. But it’s like, well, why are we making that judgment based on what we think when you should just

Andy & Chris:
Hmm.

amit patel:
ask them, you know? And

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
again,

Andy & Chris:
definitely.

amit patel:
I learned that from Ashley Latta, because I had to do a selling course because I’m shit at selling. So.

Andy & Chris:
That’s true. Look at that, there’s something else at your terrible app that have gone on to be very successful. I’ve done all right

amit patel:
Well, I don’t know.

Andy & Chris:
at

amit patel:
Who

Andy & Chris:
that. Yeah. Amit,

amit patel:
knows?

Andy & Chris:
we appreciate your time today. It’s been really fabulous. It’s been great.

amit patel:
It’s

Andy & Chris:
Thank

amit patel:
fun,

Andy & Chris:
you.

amit patel:
it’s

Andy & Chris:
Your

amit patel:
really

Andy & Chris:
stories

amit patel:
good, I really

Andy & Chris:
are great.

amit patel:
enjoyed it.

Andy & Chris:
I think the way you’ve weaved it through is lovely. Lots of people find it like therapy. They kind of jump on our couch for an hour and they sort of run through their stories of their life. It’s good for us. I think you’ve got a lovely story. Yeah, it’s brilliant. It’s

amit patel:
No,

Andy & Chris:
been

amit patel:
thank

Andy & Chris:
a very

amit patel:
you.

Andy & Chris:
enjoyable time. Very enjoyable time.

amit patel:
Well, it was a real

Andy & Chris:
Thank you very

amit patel:
pleasure

Andy & Chris:
much.

amit patel:
to meet you at the BDIA earlier this year. It was nice to, and I’m

Andy & Chris:
Yes, and

amit patel:
pleased.

Andy & Chris:
we’ll definitely try and get up to the ADI, the next ADI as well. It’ll be lovely to see what you curate as an event.

amit patel:
Well, let’s see.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah,

amit patel:
But

Andy & Chris:
fabulous.

amit patel:
I wish I’d invited you. I completely forgot. My brain wasn’t working.

Andy & Chris:
No, not at all. No, no, not at all. There’s lots to come. There’s lots to come, yeah. Exactly. Thanks very much. Keep well.

amit patel:
Thank

Andy & Chris:
Take

amit patel:
you again.

Andy & Chris:
care.

amit patel:
Appreciate

Andy & Chris:
Cheers.

amit patel:
it. If I don’t see you, have a lovely summer. Take care. Bye bye.

Andy & Chris:
Yeah, you too. Cheers, man. Keep well.