Jeet Parekh explains how he built on family-owned Kai Dental’s legacy to create an award-winning multidisciplinary practice that exemplifies modern dentistry while honouring his father.
Taking over a thriving private dental practice requires strategic thinking and the ability to blend time-tested methods with innovative ideas to create an inspiring new brand. However, when the business is family-owned, the emotional significance adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging task.
Kai Dental, a private practice in the cosmopolitan Queensway area of Bayswater, London, has been a proud part of the Parekh family legacy since 1999. It began when implant surgeon and cosmetic dentist Kirit Parekh acquired Queensway Dental Care – a small, three-surgery practice opposite the busy Queensway Underground Station. The clinic remained a cornerstone of the local community for some 25 years, with Kirit at the forefront, transforming it into a hub for modern implant dentistry.
Inspired by his father’s vision, Jeet Parekh followed his father to study dentistry at the University of Manchester. A specialist orthodontist, Jeet took over the practice in 2019, rebranding it Kai Dental in memory of his late father.
The challenges of taking over a family-owned business
At first glance, taking over a dental business with such a strong legacy – and owned by a parent – appears the perfect introduction to practice ownership. But for Jeet, it came with its own unique challenges.
‘The biggest challenge was that my father was not only a fantastic clinician but an amazing character. Fifteen years on, I still get people coming up to me telling me what a great person he was. So, stepping into that and being my own person was the biggest challenge. Dentistry – and the world – has changed so much since he left us, but we’ve held onto some of his philosophy. He was a very forward-thinking dentist, which continues to drive the practice. I also must mention my mother, who took over soon after my father died. Without her tenacity, I would not be where I am today.’
Specialising in orthodontics has allowed him to put a very different stamp on the practice. ‘In many ways, having focused on a completely different field has made things easier as I have faced fewer clinical comparisons,’ Jeet adds.
But what he does share with his late father is a great pride in the quality of the practice’s clinical work – and this is thanks to a great team as well as the investments he has made to propel the business to new heights. In October 2023, Kai Dental returned to its original location within the Park Modern complex opposite Queensway Station. Kai Dental blends Kirit’s pioneering ideals with Jeet’s modern vision, offering exceptional multidisciplinary dentistry and patient care.
He says: ‘There are few orthodontic practices with such a strong multi-disciplinary background, and I feel that is a really strong point for us.’
Embracing technology
Jeet is a keen advocate of innovation. He says Kai Dental has experienced some significant game-changers that have shaped workflows and improved the patient experience. Last year, this dedication earned the practice the prestigious title of London’s Most Improved Practice at the Private Dentistry Awards – a significant milestone. So, how did he achieve this recognition?
‘It’s been a balancing act – making massive changes whilst honouring my father’s legacy. Although we have reinvented the brand, we have incorporated the family history because “Kai” is a nod to my father’s name.
‘An AI-powered dental monitoring system has opened up so many avenues for us I didn’t expect. It’s allowed us to remotely monitor aligners and fixed appliances. It also gives me the confidence to carry out complex extraction or temporary anchorage device-based treatment with aligners whilst being able to keep a very close eye on progress.
‘But I didn’t expect how well patients responded – and it’s a genuine USP. From now on, we will onboard all patients to the platform.’
A firm believer in efficiency, Jeet says clinical record-keeping tools have massively helped reduce time spent writing notes and reports. The practice will also be restarting with a CRM shortly, making it easy for any staff member to pick up on new and old leads.
He adds: ‘Embracing technology where we can – we have a dedicated scan room, and all new patients are scanned before seeing the dentist – has also been instrumental.’
Design and build
He thanks the design-and-build team for helping bring his vision to life. It’s a tranquil, aesthetically pleasing and ergonomic environment with a neat, rounded reception desk and splashes of gold to add a high-end feel. Sleek cabinetry and a minimalist design in the treatment rooms align with the simplicity of the waiting area. Belmont treatment centres are at the heart of each surgery to allow effortless movement around the patient.
‘We have used them for so many years that I cannot imagine switching to anything else,’ Jeet says. ‘We bought some new Cleo II treatment centres when we moved to our current location, and we have had our Compass for around eight years. Before that, we had a couple of older Belmont chairs, too. They have been highly reliable for us and fit in well with the aesthetics of the practice.’
As someone who bridges the profession’s past and future and is a self-confessed tech geek, Jeet believes technology may have gifted the profession ‘some exciting opportunities’ but cannot see the fundamentals of dentistry changing.
‘Clinically, excellent diagnosis and treatment planning will always form the most essential part of what we do, and technology merely helps. Using AI to diagnose radiographs, for example, is an interesting use of tech, but in my experience, it always requires a clinician to check. Dental monitoring is fantastic, but an experienced clinician and a well-trained team must programme everything.
‘In essence, developing excellent relationships with our patients remains crucial. Technology helps rather than supplants. For example, supplementing a consultation with a brief video discussing treatment options with the patient’s scan in the background can aid in patient education and is something I have incorporated to some success over the last year.’
The future
His father’s passion and legacy have both inspired his career path and informed his practice ownership ethos. Like his father before him, Jeet also understands the importance of nurturing good relationships across the spectrum.
‘People are at the heart of what we do – staff, patients and referring dentists. I’ve now been here long enough to treat two generations of families, and building that long-term relationship isn’t necessarily something achieved quickly in a fully orthodontic practice. But I still get to see a lot of my patients every six to 12 months when they pop in to see their general dentist.
‘Our relationship with our referring dentists is also robust. I’m fortunate to be on close terms with many of our referring dentists, and most weeks, I am in touch with one of them either about a shared case or mentoring them in their aligner cases.’
So, what does Kai Dental’s future look like, and what is Jeet’s vision for growth? ‘We have put a lot of work into outreach to new referring dentists and mentoring them; our referral packs and follow-up processes all support this. Our relationship with them is a strong point for us. In the long term, building strong relationships is going to be what fuels our success.’
Follow Dentistry on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
