Riaz Sharif shares his incredible journey from growing up in the foster care system to becoming a successful dental professional. He opens up about the challenges of his childhood as an orphan, his determination to pursue dentistry despite numerous setbacks, and his experiences studying abroad in Hungary and Slovakia.
In This Episode
00:01:55 – Backstory
00:08:35 – Boxing
00:13:45 – Study
00:19:00 – Personal challenges
00:24:25 – Return to the UK
00:29:10 -Social media presence and marketing
00:47:45 – Blackbox thinking
00:56:30 – Aspirations
01.03.40 – Fantasy dinner party
01:09:15 – Last days and legacy
About Riaz Sharif
Riaz Sharif is a UK-based dentist and finalist for multiple industry awards, including the Private Dentistry Awards. Riaz brings a unique perspective to dentistry shaped by his background in boxing and personal training, along with his commitment to mentoring the next generation of dental professionals.
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[VOICE]: This [00:00:45] is Dental Leaders. The [00:00:50] podcast where you get to go one on one with emerging leaders in dentistry. [00:00:55] Your hosts Payman [00:01:00] Langroudi and Prav Solanki.
Payman Langroudi: It [00:01:05] gives me great pleasure to welcome Riaz Sharif to the pod. Rios [00:01:10] I’m a mini small maker. Um, but as [00:01:15] a turbulent journey to become a dentist and is now making the best of both that [00:01:20] and his teaching and sports. Um. [00:01:25] And mindset. Lovely to have you, buddy.
Riaz Sharif: Thanks for having for having me. Appreciate it. [00:01:30] Yeah. It’s, um, it’s been a journey so far. To be honest, I didn’t really expect to get where [00:01:35] I am today based on what, you know, where I started off. But yeah, it’s been [00:01:40] a good few years and eventually getting to where I want to be, to be honest. But, yeah, appreciate [00:01:45] you having me on on the show.
Payman Langroudi: It’s a massive pleasure. It’s a massive pleasure. Thank you. But tell me about your [00:01:50] background. So, um, as a child.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. So as a child, I was raised in, actually in London. Um, [00:01:55] so it’s nice to actually be back in, back in north west London, in London and Camden. But I was born in Hackney. [00:02:00] I was raised as a. I was an orphan, actually. So I was came out of hospital [00:02:05] and entered the system. So, yeah, I didn’t really know, [00:02:10] you know, it was dysfunctional. You know, as a child, you don’t know where you’re going. You’re taken from one [00:02:15] place to another place. You’re entering family homes with with children that you don’t know. You’re [00:02:20] you know, you’re accepted, you’re made to bond with them. And then about 2 or 3 [00:02:25] years later, or even less than that, you’re, you’re you’re up on your, on your feet and you’re gone again. So obviously that [00:02:30] does have a negative impact on your on your development as a child. And, and actually what you want [00:02:35] to achieve as a, as a person to growing up. So yeah, that that was a challenge. Obviously being young [00:02:40] and obviously picking your sort of path in life and knowing what’s good and bad. [00:02:45] But no, it’s been it’s been challenging.
Payman Langroudi: What happened to your parents?
Riaz Sharif: So [00:02:50] my mum and dad well, I never knew my mum and dad. So yeah, what I’ve heard [00:02:55] is that she was a was a very young woman. Um, I don’t the stories. I don’t think she could have [00:03:00] looked after me. So obviously she’d done her best and gave me up to Post-adoption services [00:03:05] in Hackney. And the rest is history. So, um, whatever she hoped [00:03:10] for me, it sort of, um. That was just destiny, I guess, wasn’t it? But, [00:03:15] um. Yeah, she. I have been in search for her, and that’s obviously, I think, as any orphan, you [00:03:20] know, it’s the biggest question in your life. You want to find out who who you are. You know, you look in the mirror, you wonder, [00:03:25] you know, who your mum and dad were. And especially as a man or a woman or a young woman. [00:03:30] You want to think, am I? Would they be proud of me? You know, do I represent them? And [00:03:35] who are they? So I did try and look for them, and it’s been a big search. But I, you know, I haven’t really it’s hit [00:03:40] dead end so far, so but it’s been one of my things that I do want to accomplish [00:03:45] one day and I will not give up on it. But meantime I’ll sort of, you know, press forward and [00:03:50] wanted to make something of myself. And I think as, as orphans, you can either go either go left or right. You [00:03:55] can either go down a dark path, which I did go down growing up. And obviously [00:04:00] you sort of steer away and go hope for the light and keep aiming high and hope [00:04:05] hopefully there’s a lot of good, positive influences around you that can help you. And I did have that fortunately [00:04:10] like a few people.
Payman Langroudi: So foster care.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. There you know there was a yeah I was [00:04:15] I was in a few good foster carer homes. So a lot of them were South African people and Caribbean families. [00:04:20] So you know, and you, you form friendships with the children. So but [00:04:25] you know as a young child you got glimpses of it. But then obviously there’s a few key people that did stand [00:04:30] out. And there was one.
Payman Langroudi: There was one important point, right, that in [00:04:35] adverse conditions, the worst of humanity seems to, [00:04:40] you know, come out sometimes, but also the best.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: You know. Yeah, it’s a very [00:04:45] important point. You know, you’ve got your adverse conditions. It could be war. It could be anything. [00:04:50] Tell me, tell me about. I’d like to like to hear a couple of examples of both, really, if I’m honest with [00:04:55] you. If you want to talk about the worst parts. I definitely want to hear about the best part.
Riaz Sharif: The worst parts are the attachments, [00:05:00] so you know, the bonds that you form with the family and the emotional connection that you can gain. And then obviously [00:05:05] it’s taken away from you. And as a young man, you sort of you, you, you lack these [00:05:10] certain emotional boundaries and attachments that you form as an adult. And it does it does affect [00:05:15] your relationships growing up. It affects your you know, your you know who you are and [00:05:20] what you resemble and what you you know who you are as a person, really, but that’s for you [00:05:25] to sort of mould and then redesign yourself as a as a young man and not let that trauma of the past [00:05:30] affect you. And, you know, it does take a lot of a lot of work, I [00:05:35] believe. And I’m getting there.
Payman Langroudi: But how does it leave you? Is it is it that you’ve got a debt [00:05:40] of safety and now you crave safety?
Riaz Sharif: I used to.
Payman Langroudi: I used to.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. [00:05:45] I think it’s the.
Payman Langroudi: You love being in love.
Riaz Sharif: I think it’s the the the idea of being [00:05:50] acknowledged and appreciated and loved, like you said, you know. And, [00:05:55] you know, reciprocating that love into your into your either your partner, your sibling, your your [00:06:00] your siblings, if you have any or your, your children or even your career, you know, and [00:06:05] your lifestyle. And I think, um, it’s a big thing to, to sort of I think anyone [00:06:10] has to learn how to do it, you know, and we all have our ways. But those traumas of the past, [00:06:15] they only make I thought they were traumas. But as you get older, they.
Payman Langroudi: Make you stronger.
Riaz Sharif: I [00:06:20] appreciate them, I’ve learned. I’ve learned to be grateful for what I went through. And it’s [00:06:25] been, you know, it’s been lonely growing up. But I got here.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah I bet. And what do you see as the sort [00:06:30] of the inflection point between someone who’s going down the dark path [00:06:35] and then at one point, when are.
Riaz Sharif: You going to.
Payman Langroudi: Look for the positive? What is it that [00:06:40] why does one guy go that way and one go or at one time someone goes that way?
Riaz Sharif: I think when [00:06:45] you’re when you’re you’re young and you don’t have a lot of, um, good, positive attitude around [00:06:50] you or influence you. You know, one person’s telling you to do something bad. One person is [00:06:55] whispering to do something good. You don’t know who to listen to. Yeah. And normally, and obviously one path seems easier. [00:07:00] You’ll take that. And you know, the more challenging pathways don’t you don’t want to do that. It doesn’t make sense [00:07:05] to you unless, you know, it’s different to being raised in a house that is your natural family. [00:07:10] I believe. You know, you’re raising your kids and you’re guiding them from and especially from a family who are professionals, [00:07:15] for example, dentists or doctors or lawyers or whatever they are, and they’re guiding their children [00:07:20] and they’re influencing them daily. Like, listen, you could they got role models around you. I never had any role [00:07:25] models. My role models were people who I don’t even remember right now, and [00:07:30] they meant nothing to me. But I did have one role model, and he was a lovely [00:07:35] man, and he was one of my foster fathers. And I believe the way he stayed my [00:07:40] career as a dentist, like to become a dentist or make something of my life and and because [00:07:45] because of his interest in it at the time and his is a reflection on me. He was like, listen, you can sit down and [00:07:50] you know, this is going on in, you know, you could be a dentist and maybe you can, you know, it was it was I didn’t [00:07:55] really give a crap about it. I didn’t, I didn’t, wasn’t interested.
Payman Langroudi: But somehow I.
Riaz Sharif: Had this small, like I said to you, [00:08:00] this small influence that was there. But, you know, you only later on appreciate [00:08:05] it and think, well, that was important. And so you.
Payman Langroudi: Think he had an interest in medicine and he [00:08:10] was trying to live it out.
Riaz Sharif: You know, or something. Yeah. He was he was actually seeing a dentist for his, [00:08:15] for his own cosmetic work in Harley Street. Yeah. Yeah. And obviously he, you know, I was a young teenager, a bit [00:08:20] disruptive, didn’t really have an educational background. Yeah. And he, he’d still, um, [00:08:25] checking on me. Actually, I was quite fortunate. We were good friends, even after he, you know, he had his own life. [00:08:30] And, um, he was always saying, listen, there’s this is a good career [00:08:35] stable. You know, boxing was my main scope of of of income.
Payman Langroudi: And also [00:08:40] at that point.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, keeping me busy. So I was boxing in London at the time in Bethnal Green for dancing [00:08:45] and boxing club is a big, big club. Great coach. A lot of good. Those people in that club. Those. [00:08:50] Those clubs were my family. They. They helped me. They guided me. They made me feel [00:08:55] like I belong somewhere. And so, you know, it’s [00:09:00] that was that that helped me for a lot of things, boxing and fitness. And even today, [00:09:05] I believe as a as a dentist now finally, and making my own, [00:09:10] my own life. It’s a, it’s a it’s important for me to keep focussed with a fitness [00:09:15] background to tell me about boxing.
Payman Langroudi: I mean, fitness, I get [00:09:20] boxing. Tell me about boxing. Boxing.
Riaz Sharif: For me, growing up, it like it’s like you just mentioned. [00:09:25] You know what? What stopped me going down that dark path? It was the discipline in boxing. Yeah, yeah. [00:09:30] And even when we watch TV. Like what? You don’t realise how much those, those trainers, those [00:09:35] boxers go for in terms of discipline and commitment and and even sacrifice. [00:09:40] Yeah. But even as a, as an amateur boxer, you’re only young, but you know, you have to have to turn up. You have to [00:09:45] do the drills. You have to, you know, sweat, tears, blood. You have to face your fear in front [00:09:50] of huge guys when you spar. But those guys become your brothers. And I was lucky [00:09:55] and fortunate to have that in London. You know, when I was, when I was little, because once they all left, I didn’t have anything. I’d [00:10:00] go back to social services and stay there and, you know, but then I looked forward to having [00:10:05] that family, which I called my family and, um, yeah, it’s it’s [00:10:10] just it’s memories now, but it’s all, you know, it makes you emotional because I can tap into it and feel how I felt [00:10:15] back then and, um. Yeah, grateful for that. It was discipline that that helped me get through [00:10:20] those, those times too. But yeah.
Payman Langroudi: When you go into a ring and you’ve been working [00:10:25] your butt off for something. Yeah, for a long time. And like you said, blood, sweat and tears. [00:10:30] Yeah. And then it goes wrong. Or one wrong move might. Might cost you your health. [00:10:35] Like, is it fear? Is fear in the moment driving you? Absolutely.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. It’s it’s [00:10:40] you. Do you battle with yourself and you can’t, you know, you’re fighting your your mind is [00:10:45] fighting against you whether you succeed or not. But then obviously it’s a make or break situation, isn’t it, when you step into [00:10:50] the ring. Yeah, it’s different seeing it on TV. And obviously people watch these huge fights on TV every now and again, [00:10:55] you know, and these big names. But but being that person even in like a small amateur fight but I did [00:11:00] I boxed like in um like actually junior ABA championships. So it was quite successful there. [00:11:05] But even in those fights it was daunting. People cheering around you, your friends, you know, and [00:11:10] but you want to you want to do it for yourself, you know. And even if you do lose, you know, [00:11:15] for me, it was it was never it was always about going back to the drawing board and and starting again. And even [00:11:20] with my steps into dentistry, you know, I failed several times. And I always went back to the drawing [00:11:25] board and I started again. I never gave up, you know, and that’s that’s what’s in [00:11:30] it’s embedded in me as a person, as a young man now. And whatever I do, I’ll do it with 1,000%. And [00:11:35] I think, you know, and I think with, you know, as an orphan, it’s [00:11:40] I still we were we were all that small person inside us, aren’t we? I believe we’re all that small, young little [00:11:45] girl. That young little man. That young little boy. And when we’re in an adult body. But we’re still [00:11:50] trying to figure out life. Trying to learn from our mistakes. Right? And. But, [00:11:55] you know, it’s, um.
Payman Langroudi: I feel like, you know, life is sometimes. Sometimes it’s scary. [00:12:00] It’s, of course scary. Unpredictable. Look at look at it as, like a wave length, you know, like of, like, [00:12:05] amplitude and frequency, you know, and frequency is like, you know, how many times a day [00:12:10] do you go to the gym or how many times a day do you call your mom, you know, or whatever [00:12:15] it is? Yeah, yeah. But amplitude is like sort of the depth of the [00:12:20] of the experiences, you know, like the highs and the lows of [00:12:25] it. Yeah. And, you know, the way you’re describing it that you’ve had a bunch of high [00:12:30] amplitude.
Riaz Sharif: It’s, it’s been, it’s been it’s been chaos. Chaos at moments. But then, but then [00:12:35] in those chaotic moments, you, you, you hope to see the light. Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: Does it make you make you? Does it also make [00:12:40] you like an adrenaline junkie as well?
Riaz Sharif: It makes me, you know, keep on my feet. I always [00:12:45] want to be doing something. I always hope for the best.
Payman Langroudi: You want to jump out of planes and ride motorbikes.
Riaz Sharif: I want to experience [00:12:50] life to the fullest. I want, I want, I think that I can’t I can’t live a routine life now because, [00:12:55] you know, I can’t even go to those locations. I can’t. I want to be, I want to be on the ball. I want to be [00:13:00] on the go. You know? I want to try different things. And I think, you know, it’s good. [00:13:05] I think being stuck in the same position is boring.
Payman Langroudi: Listen, there’s good and bad, like everything else is good and [00:13:10] bad.
Riaz Sharif: There’s pros and cons in it. Exactly.
Payman Langroudi: That, you know, like, contentment is a nice thing we were talking about.
Riaz Sharif: It’s nice to [00:13:15] have your own little safe haven.
Payman Langroudi: In the countryside now. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. I live [00:13:20] with my partner in countryside right now, but yeah, we’ve got our own little place there. It’s nice and peaceful, but obviously, um. [00:13:25] Yeah, it’s like you said, I like to be on my toes. I like to try different things, [00:13:30] and it keeps me happy and busy.
Payman Langroudi: So you turned around. Does this get to the [00:13:35] applying for dentistry suddenly, you know, Studying. And so you managed to turn that around very quickly. [00:13:40]
Riaz Sharif: I never actually got into dentistry initially in the UK. So, you know, my educational background [00:13:45] was very disruptive. Didn’t really you know, I was in different schools, didn’t really go to school really. And [00:13:50] somehow I managed to get into a biomedical science route in Birmingham. [00:13:55] And that was that was about a three year degree. Bachelor’s degree. Mhm. Um, [00:14:00] didn’t really do well. And it got, got, you know, got the basics of what I needed to pass the degree. [00:14:05] But again, I didn’t get into the postgrad course. So again like I said to you it goes back to what you’re saying about determination. [00:14:10] I don’t want to give up on it. I thought either that or I become a gym trainer or, you know, I’ve had a lot of [00:14:15] jobs in my past, you know, and so I’m quite multi-skilled. I could have gone back to doing, um, you [00:14:20] know, I worked in Pizza Hut, I worked in I worked as a fishmonger. I worked in a car showroom. [00:14:25] I’ve done every job under the. Yeah. So those skills. Life skills. So I wasn’t scared of going [00:14:30] back to a normal, like a job that I could adapt to.
Payman Langroudi: It, that life skills are amazing.
Riaz Sharif: Oh, yeah. [00:14:35] But it’s nice because all those skills back then seemed tiring. And, you know, you used [00:14:40] they. It’s good. I appreciate having those jobs because, you know, I.
Payman Langroudi: Only realise keeps you humble. [00:14:45] I only realised about, I don’t know, 5 or 6 years ago the number of people [00:14:50] whose jobs is standing up. Mhm.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. Yeah definitely. Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: It’s a load of [00:14:55] people.
Riaz Sharif: It’s a, it’s a tiring thing standing up all day isn’t it.
Payman Langroudi: A lot of humans a lot of humans are standing up.
Riaz Sharif: Manual [00:15:00] labour.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah. Standing up for manual labour is yet another level.
Riaz Sharif: We’re sitting down. Yeah. We’re [00:15:05] sitting in a nice warm room sometimes. Or, you know, a cold room if it’s something. I [00:15:10] know we’re quite fortunate in terms of that.
Payman Langroudi: So tell me about. So dentistry abroad.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. So that was, [00:15:15] that came out of um, that wasn’t expecting to go abroad. Um, I had a friend [00:15:20] who had graduated in the previous year and he was off in Budapest. Yeah. So he I reached out [00:15:25] to him saying, listen, I didn’t get into the UK system. What are my options? Where are you right now? And [00:15:30] how’s it going? Um, he was in Romania, actually. So then [00:15:35] I went to Romania. I met him. He showed me the ropes and was like, listen, this is the application process. See [00:15:40] how you get on. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the communistic town. It seemed very right. I just didn’t, you [00:15:45] know, you go to an environment and you. It was in Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania. Yeah. So I went there [00:15:50] for a little visit, trying to see how it all was. It just seemed very dark and gloomy. Yeah. And I was [00:15:55] like, I can’t spend seven years here. Yeah, this is not for me. Um, I’ve done my own research. I end [00:16:00] up in Budapest, in Hungary. So that was, um. That was different. I didn’t even know. [00:16:05]
Payman Langroudi: The wicked city.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what it was about then until I actually went [00:16:10] there. So, you know, um, those, those six years over there were were [00:16:15] amazing. Actually, the first few years were horrible. Yeah. But, um. Yeah. Went over there, done the entrance exam, [00:16:20] got into it, and then the rest was very intense.
Payman Langroudi: The language barrier was was dentistry [00:16:25] in English. The teaching.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. Fortunately it was in English. But the you know, to even enter clinical [00:16:30] years, you had to learn Hungarian. So.
Payman Langroudi: They treat.
Riaz Sharif: Patients. So yeah. So they wouldn’t let the dental students [00:16:35] enter the hospitals unless you knew, you know, partially through the Hungarian. Yeah. So that was a big hurdle initially. And [00:16:40] obviously standing in front of examiners. Every exam was was a was a speaking exam. [00:16:45] So I’d walk into a room like this with like 6 or 7 clinical examiners in front of me, [00:16:50] and they’ll be demanding answers like, what is the answer to this question? What is this? What is this one wrong [00:16:55] answer? You’re out. You’re finished. That was another 20,000 USD the next year.
Payman Langroudi: That wasn’t Hungarian [00:17:00] though, was it? No, no, that was English.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, and I was. Yeah. So they wouldn’t be fearful of failing students. It [00:17:05] was a business operation, you know. Yeah, yeah. You’re the warrior who’s got to fight to the end. So again, it’s [00:17:10] so they.
Payman Langroudi: Push you back a year now you’ve got to pay for.
Riaz Sharif: Another year. Yeah. Yeah. So I had a few I had a couple of those chucked [00:17:15] in there. So that was, that was um that was unexpected. How were you.
Payman Langroudi: Paying for it all?
Riaz Sharif: By training. Yeah. [00:17:20] So I was actually, um, personal training people out there. So I went there, printed off some flyers, [00:17:25] chucked them around the university’s, the vet schools and economic schools of Budapest, dental schools, medical schools. [00:17:30] And I managed to managed to get a lot of clientele.
Payman Langroudi: Had you done that before? Over here? Yeah.
Riaz Sharif: So I’d done my level [00:17:35] three, um, or level four and.
Payman Langroudi: Got yourself customers that way.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, yeah. So I was, [00:17:40] I was advertising on social media, so that got me a lot of people. Um, so that was good. It [00:17:45] helped me finance and get you paid.
Payman Langroudi: The whole.
Riaz Sharif: Course.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah, yeah. Which was how much? Like ten, 20 [00:17:50] grand.
Riaz Sharif: It was expensive. Yeah. It was. You’re going into into a lot of money every year. You’re looking around [00:17:55] 10,000, 15,000 a year. So that was all private fees to [00:18:00] you. Wasn’t like taking loans out and stuff. So it was stressful.
Payman Langroudi: Massive achievement. It was stressful. Just a massive achievement. [00:18:05]
Riaz Sharif: Just adapting to the Hungarian culture. You know, speaking to local people, you know, you [00:18:10] know, getting used to the culture. It’s starting.
Payman Langroudi: Starting.
Riaz Sharif: Business.
Payman Langroudi: And doing dental school [00:18:15] in another country.
Riaz Sharif: And running between clinics and a gym, trying to train people and then go back to clinicals, [00:18:20] you know, trying to get my work in there and then run back to the gym again. So I’ll be, [00:18:25] I’ll be. My days were long compared to other students there. You know, who their families would come over and look [00:18:30] after them. And I was on my own, you know. No one knew anything about my background, who I was. I just did my thing. [00:18:35] But after 1 or 2 years, you settle down, you get used to a system. [00:18:40] So, um. Yeah, I was actually married at the time then. So married? Yeah. So my. Yeah. So [00:18:45] I met the person, um, in my previous university that sort [00:18:50] of led to other things. Got married and.
Payman Langroudi: Then your previous university in the.
Riaz Sharif: Uk. Yeah, yeah. In Birmingham. Yeah. So I [00:18:55] sort of tried to sustain that throughout that school. Um, that ended up in my fifth year being a [00:19:00] bit of a fail. So we got divorced. And also that person, David, who was my foster father, died. So [00:19:05] I went through a lot in that last year of, of dentistry. It was [00:19:10] actually the summer before I was supposed to graduate. Um, he died, I got divorced, you know, a lot of things were going [00:19:15] catastrophically wrong, to be honest. Um, and I ended up failing [00:19:20] my last exam before I graduated. Oh, yeah.
Payman Langroudi: All in the same.
Riaz Sharif: In the same. Yeah, [00:19:25] yeah. And, you know, he died of cancer. You know, he’s a he’s a lovely man. Two years, two weeks out from, you know, [00:19:30] his diagnosis. He was very late. And yeah, I couldn’t deal with his with what [00:19:35] happened. And it was very emotional for me because obviously he was the person who was my, [00:19:40] my figure who sort of guided me in what I needed him. So losing [00:19:45] him was hard. So obviously at this time you feel alone and you feel very alone. You know, you’re in this [00:19:50] huge country, you’ve failed. You know there’s no money in the bank. Everything’s going wrong. You know, you [00:19:55] hit dark moments and this is what you know, this is going back to what you’re saying again. How do you get out those dark moments [00:20:00] and everything I learned from my childhood was there’s always a plan. [00:20:05] You know, there’s always a way to to get out of those dark places, which is just finding [00:20:10] a solution, just, you know, keep don’t give up on it and just just collect your thoughts and [00:20:15] start again. And there’s always a way. You know, you just don’t give up on the [00:20:20] plan.
Payman Langroudi: Do you believe in God?
Riaz Sharif: Um, no, I mean, I do. It’s [00:20:25] a bit of a tricky one. No, I don’t know. I [00:20:30] believe in I believe in good energy. I believe in, you know, if you’re a good person, [00:20:35] that energy reciprocates around you and you’re reflective of people. But I don’t believe in in [00:20:40] in a higher being. To be honest, no I don’t. I mean, people say, you know, when when in [00:20:45] those dark moments, you, you you look up for a higher faith, don’t you?
Payman Langroudi: Well, it’s easier to believe in God. [00:20:50] Yeah, sure. But if you. If you just don’t, you don’t. I mean, that’s that’s the problem. Yeah. [00:20:55] You know what I mean? Yeah. There’s no there’s no point pretending to if it isn’t there.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. [00:21:00] It’s not been my my thing, to be honest, I never really I never led on that. Leant back on [00:21:05] that as a as an option to. But yeah. So obviously I failed. They wouldn’t let me back in. So what [00:21:10] did you do then. I had to collect my credits. They dismissed me from university in Budapest. So all those years, all that, all [00:21:15] that money went to, you know, had nothing to amount for it and got my credits [00:21:20] from my European credit system and then transferred it looked frantically for Frantically for options to salvage [00:21:25] what I lost. I managed to find a place in Slovakia, a small city [00:21:30] outside Bratislava. There was a medical school. They were taking transfer. Students went [00:21:35] there, sat the exam, passed it. They were listening. You can salvage this for four more years. Four [00:21:40] more? Yeah, four more years. Four. You know. Each year is going to cost you about 7,000 [00:21:45] USD again. And I was like, wow, this is this really worth my time [00:21:50] and effort right now? You know, I’m hitting my late 20s now, you know. What have I done? You [00:21:55] know, people around me are settling down, making a life. And I’m still [00:22:00] trying to make a professional career in dentistry. What for? You [00:22:05] know, just what is the reason you got to go back to the drawing board and realise. What am I doing this for [00:22:10] yourself? Your better future. Your betterment of your future. What is it all for? And I went there and [00:22:15] I started it. So it took me multiple years to complete the credits in different years. [00:22:20] Eventually I did do it in my fourth year. I spent four more years in Slovakia doing that. [00:22:25] So my Dental degree total.
Payman Langroudi: I had to learn Slovakia.
Riaz Sharif: I had to learn Slovakian this time. [00:22:30] So, you know, I’m custom in all these, uh, in all these Eastern European languages now. [00:22:35] So, um, but yeah.
Payman Langroudi: It’s been good.
Riaz Sharif: And eventually I graduated [00:22:40] in 2000, 2021.
Payman Langroudi: So how did you feel that day?
Riaz Sharif: Oh, yeah. Well, it was, uh, it [00:22:45] was it was during Covid, actually. So it wasn’t the best of moments, so. Oh, really? [00:22:50] But, um, yeah, I managed to go there, pick up my degree and, uh, yeah, it was it was a good moment. [00:22:55] I felt good, but obviously the next hurdle was coming back home. And that’s when, you know, I realised I. [00:23:00]
Payman Langroudi: Couldn’t go with, you.
Riaz Sharif: Know, no, no one went with me, I did it, I did it on my own, [00:23:05] you see what I mean? So I got the courage to get up and find these places, you know, travel on trains.
Payman Langroudi: No, I mean to graduation [00:23:10] day.
Riaz Sharif: No, no, it was again, it was on your on your own again, [00:23:15] which was, it wasn’t like this nice big ceremonies which, you know, I’d expect after all those years, but [00:23:20] Later on, you know, you sort of get the benefits, don’t you?
Payman Langroudi: What a [00:23:25] story, man.
Riaz Sharif: And I came back to the UK. Um, it’s actually hard for an overseas graduate to [00:23:30] get a placement in UK. Dft is not really easily accessible. So I couldn’t walk into my my [00:23:35] vocational training session with anyone or any place like that and finish it and continue. [00:23:40] But I was fortunate I found a mentorship at my dentist in Poole. Yeah. [00:23:45] Um, highly a great company. Recommend them highly. Um, so a good mentor there. [00:23:50] He he guided me a lot in my first year, and so did the company. But, um, [00:23:55] not doing the promo for them right now. But they’re great anyway. They’re amazing.
Payman Langroudi: Why not? If you if you had [00:24:00] a great experience, why? It was.
Riaz Sharif: Good. Yeah. For overseas graduates or anyone, even from the UK who [00:24:05] did, who qualified over abroad, I’d highly recommend them. But yeah, I’d done. I just hit the floor running. To [00:24:10] be honest, when I came back I was like, I’m not messing around. Um, I’d done my postgraduate [00:24:15] degree diploma with Doctor in Aesthetic and Restorative restore dentistry started [00:24:20] to find my niche. What I liked doing in dentistry. Obviously started with NHS. Now predominantly private [00:24:25] now. So I know what I like to do. Obviously and obviously you realise what [00:24:30] what works for you in dentistry, what you’re passionate about and what you know, where you want to stay, your career. [00:24:35] So obviously.
Payman Langroudi: Um. And what is that?
Riaz Sharif: What is that. Yeah, that’s that was the next sort [00:24:40] of thing I thought. You have to realise yourself where you want to be in dentistry, isn’t it? I guess it’s. Yeah. [00:24:45] Um, branding yourself, you know, I didn’t know how to. I didn’t know where to even start with this. You know, you’re looking at all these social [00:24:50] media accounts of young dentists and all their before and after photos, and you’re thinking, wow, like, this is phenomenal work. How do I get how do I [00:24:55] get that following or that that you know what they’ve got. Yeah. But not in this [00:25:00] like copycat way. Yeah. But obviously I looked at I followed a [00:25:05] lot of dentists over the years growing up in dentistry. So I had my few idols out there who I liked, and [00:25:10] I learned from them, I guess. But, um, yeah, I started this year brand myself quite [00:25:15] a lot in hope to open my own my own practice in the next two years or so. Next year or two. So, [00:25:20] um, yeah, it’s a cliche, I think, that I’d like to break down for dentists. [00:25:25] I think it’s quite a fearful thing representing, you know, showcasing your work.
Payman Langroudi: Definitely.
Riaz Sharif: I think it’s, [00:25:30] you know, you’ve done an amazing composite bonding work. You know, you’ve done the whole thing aligning it, you know, whitening, [00:25:35] whitening and a bit of composite bonding to touch up and also anything else, you know, you’re thinking, wow, this is [00:25:40] this is amazing. But is it worth my time to post it online and see who agrees [00:25:45] with what I’ve done or not? Yeah. And it’s it’s I think again, it’s a fear of being recognised [00:25:50] as a bad dentist or a good dentist or someone who does bad work or good work, but then at [00:25:55] the same time, I feel just do it for yourself. Just if you feel like, just be yourself with it and post [00:26:00] it and see what happens, you know?
Payman Langroudi: And yeah. Do you remember on Mini Smile Maker? We asked the question. [00:26:05] We asked the question, who’s got a dental account? Yeah. And out of the 30 delegates, sometimes like [00:26:10] 4 or 5 of them got a dental notice.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: And I think, you know what I think? I think [00:26:15] what’s going to going to happen is in ten years time, we’re going to look back at this period of like [00:26:20] a golden period for, for, for social, that [00:26:25] it might not be the same. You know, I remember I remember when AdWords came out, Google, [00:26:30] you know, it was so cheap. It was, but I just didn’t know how to use them. Yeah. You know, I tried [00:26:35] I did a few things and I remember going to a really cheap one, and then I just forgot about that and moved on to [00:26:40] my next thing. I think it’d be a bit like that. People will. People will regret.
Riaz Sharif: It, isn’t it? And it’s it [00:26:45] is social media driven. Now I feel like this world of dentistry.
Payman Langroudi: But if you’re not in it, if you’re not doing [00:26:50] it, you’ll regret it.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, absolutely.
Payman Langroudi: It’s what I’m saying.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. I think the older generation of dentists who [00:26:55] are who are fixed in their ways, but they’re comfortable doing what they’re doing. But I feel like the younger generation [00:27:00] are jumping on this whole bandwagon of, of doing this sort of showcasing [00:27:05] before and after work and, and, you know, and that’s the that’s the point of sale, isn’t it? That [00:27:10] is it. And hopefully drawing new patients.
Payman Langroudi: And, you know, I always think about like, why would someone [00:27:15] go to a dentist based on a social media profile? Yeah, sometimes you think, why would [00:27:20] you do that? Why won’t you just ask someone or something? Yeah, I think. But then. But then I touched down in Athens. [00:27:25] Yeah. Where do I find restaurants I want to go to? I go to TikTok.
Riaz Sharif: You want to know who the guy [00:27:30] or the or the woman is doing the best work in town, right? Like, you want to know who that person is. And obviously, [00:27:35] all you need to do is type in a username on social media, and then you find that good dentist locally, [00:27:40] or that person who’s good at what they’re doing, and it’s a CV. It’s an online CV, you know, available [00:27:45] to everyone, isn’t it? Especially patients who who are new to it. And they want to put their trust in someone. [00:27:50] And if they see that you’ve got an amazing amount of Google reviews that you’ve got showcased [00:27:55] on your social media platform or people, you know, people who are great with a bigger following, for example, [00:28:00] it all, it all says a lot of things for that person, doesn’t it? That dentist.
Payman Langroudi: What [00:28:05] would you say to people who say, I had someone here who was saying, listen, making a really good social [00:28:10] media profile? Yeah. And let’s face it, we’re talking about 4 or 5 different [00:28:15] platforms now. Yeah, now it could be.
Riaz Sharif: People using TikTok now making these silly videos. But actually [00:28:20] that’s that’s those TikToks.
Payman Langroudi: The platform, the platform right now where you’re going to get reach [00:28:25] into Tik Tik Tok all the way to X, [00:28:30] all the way to LinkedIn. Yeah, it’s a lot of work to get that right.
Riaz Sharif: It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot [00:28:35] of.
Payman Langroudi: Work to get that right. I’ve got a team of people here. It’s still a lot of work. Yeah, it’s a lot.
Riaz Sharif: Of time as well.
Payman Langroudi: To do it. [00:28:40] What do you think about the dentist who says you should spend that time learning? Yeah. [00:28:45] Spear. Uh, Endo. Yeah, yeah. You know, like, you know, because there’s a lot of time. [00:28:50] Yeah.
Riaz Sharif: It’s a lot of time investing. It’s a lot of time investing in doing that. Yeah. I think you need to learn, [00:28:55] do the courses, upskill and then, you know, implement or [00:29:00] implement the work. If it look if it works, it works. And you know patient’s happy and you’re happy, then represent [00:29:05] your work online. Don’t just post things without confidence, you know. But again it takes time to be confident. I [00:29:10] think as a young a young dentist, especially a few years out. But I don’t think don’t waste time on it, just do it. [00:29:15]
Payman Langroudi: How do you get over the fear of another dentist judging your work, or don’t you? You’re [00:29:20] not interested in what dentists think of your work.
Riaz Sharif: I think for me, in my mind, I’m still that that young guy in London, you [00:29:25] know, who’s who? I was never in my mind supposed to be a dentist or a dental professor. Yeah, and I’ve got this persona, [00:29:30] but I’m very confident now as a, as a as a young professional. Yeah, but I’ve still got that element of me that is still [00:29:35] not, not it’s not to say I’m not confident, but I’m, I’m very it’s kept it’s kept me very [00:29:40] humble in thinking, you know what? I’m not the best. I don’t, you know, I’m a very mediocre dentist in my mind. But [00:29:45] I know that I’m good and capable of doing good work. And if my patients leave the room happy with a smile, then [00:29:50] you know what? Why not showcase what I’ve done? Because they’ve left happy, and I’m gonna leave happy that day. [00:29:55] And I want to, I want to, I want to tell the people about this. I want to tell the people who follow my my platform. [00:30:00]
Payman Langroudi: Aren’t you scared that you say something wrong for the sake of the argument?
Riaz Sharif: Like to my patients [00:30:05] or.
Payman Langroudi: To on your.
Riaz Sharif: Social? No, I mean, I mean, yeah, there’s always, like you said, these, these big words in [00:30:10] dentistry. You mentioned the right word or, you know, the term, the dental terminologies that a lot of you know, [00:30:15] senior dentists will pick on. I worry about it even or even the stages that you’ve done or you missed that stage. [00:30:20]
Payman Langroudi: I worry about it in this board. I worry about it in this board. Just before you sat on that chair, there was a consultant [00:30:25] orthodontist sitting there. I don’t know what to say to her.
Riaz Sharif: I don’t get in Anchorage. [00:30:30] You know, I like to learn from people. Payman. So if I’m sitting opposite someone who is [00:30:35] advanced and somewhere I would like to be, it’s not that I want to be them. I would like to learn what who [00:30:40] they are and what they’ve done and what they’ve accomplished and take their steps and, you know, or their or their path, [00:30:45] because I believe that I can become like that one day. So it’s not I don’t feel intimidated [00:30:50] by someone like that. I like to learn.
Payman Langroudi: From the boxing helps. Right.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, yeah. Go [00:30:55] back to that. Exactly. Watching your. Watching a huge opponent opposite you.
Payman Langroudi: It’s a lot scarier.
Riaz Sharif: About to knock [00:31:00] you out cold. But maybe. But then again, you don’t. You don’t. If you program yourself not to be [00:31:05] scared or intimidated, then you’re not going to be. It’s all a false pretence of fear, isn’t it? Yeah. You know, it’s fear. [00:31:10] It doesn’t exist for me. It’s more just go forward and drive forward and that’s it and learn. [00:31:15] And this is where mentoring comes in. You know that young dentists should be mentored. Yeah. You know, either, you know, [00:31:20] instead of wasting your first year’s income or first few year’s income on materialistic things, [00:31:25] just invest it into your career, your skills, you know, pay for a lovely course that is two [00:31:30] days or even a year long diploma. Do it, you know? And like you said, I think the.
Payman Langroudi: First 4 or 5 years, you’ve got to look [00:31:35] at all of that as education.
Riaz Sharif: It’s just recycled back into your career, isn’t it? But they don’t teach you these things in dental school especially. [00:31:40] Overseas dental school. And it all comes down to communication to like, communicate with your patients. For me, [00:31:45] like I was Hungarian lecturers and teachers, they don’t know how to communicate. Yeah, [00:31:50] yeah. How? You know the dialogue. It’s a script, isn’t it? And you only learn that when you’re actually in practice, [00:31:55] you know, and.
Payman Langroudi: I think all the jobs that you did. Yeah. Massively helped [00:32:00] massively.
Riaz Sharif: You know, being in retail, being, you know, facing these high profile people who want to buy [00:32:05] Mercedes Benz. And I was just sitting there polishing the car, you know, and speaking to them. And, you know, [00:32:10] I believe also having doing examinations abroad and being intimidated, not intimidated, [00:32:15] but being feeling threatened by these highly advanced professors, you know, [00:32:20] of prosthodontics or endodontics and all throwing, you know, maxillofacial and throwing questions [00:32:25] at me just so I can pass my exams and go on to the next exam. That made me confident as a person, too, [00:32:30] I bet. So I can now sit in front of patients and and and be myself and be calm [00:32:35] and guide them through what I think is best for them, and hopefully they’ll leave happy with the options I give [00:32:40] them and the work that I provide to. So yeah, these are things that the skills that you learn along the way, aren’t they? [00:32:45] Yeah. But again, there’s no there’s no module for that in in schools or or out there. [00:32:50]
Payman Langroudi: So how many days are you working. Are you working only [00:32:55] in that one practice.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah at the moment I was working there for now. So I’m working about four days [00:33:00] a week there. Yeah. Um, yeah, it’s going good. I’ve sort of picked. I’m trying [00:33:05] to pick my patient case as well. You know, I do love these small makeover cases to say [00:33:10] so. Um, yeah. Stepping into I want to focus more on orthodontics. [00:33:15] And obviously occlusion is the main, the main thing, isn’t it? Why [00:33:20] do these fancy cases when things will fail?
Payman Langroudi: Um, what are you planning to do for your author from [00:33:25] study wise? What are you going to do?
Riaz Sharif: Well, in terms of the what to. [00:33:30]
Payman Langroudi: How to learn.
Riaz Sharif: Ortho, I’m still looking for I’ve done my research, but that’s my next sort [00:33:35] of thing. We touched lightly on it, on my next course, on his diploma.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah.
Riaz Sharif: So, [00:33:40] you know, I know the the functional basis of orthodontics. And obviously this is important [00:33:45] for young dentists to know as well. You know, there’s no point in fitting crowns and doing these composite bond [00:33:50] cases or veneers. And it’s going to be chipped off or worn away in about two, three, [00:33:55] four years, isn’t it? And you know, if you don’t know, you know, correcting the alignment and buy it and it [00:34:00] all comes down to functional.
Payman Langroudi: So the thing is the thing is here that back in my day, when I was your age, if you [00:34:05] if your stated goal was to be a cosmetic dentist, you [00:34:10] had to learn veneer preps. Yeah. That was that was the most important thing [00:34:15] to learn. Back in my day, no one used to go for ortho because it was train tracks and [00:34:20] a line. Bleach bond didn’t exist until Tiff came along. And [00:34:25] he was.
Riaz Sharif: He pioneered it, didn’t he?
Payman Langroudi: Yeah, he was one of my peers, so we used to talk about it. He used to say, [00:34:30] oh, these veneer cases you do. Actually, I remember having this conversation with Tiffany. He said, oh, well, you [00:34:35] can veneer the top teeth, but veneering the bottom teeth is much harder, so why not? Why not align those ones? [00:34:40]
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah. Um, but but now you can’t be a cosmetic dentist [00:34:45] and not understand quite a lot about aligning.
Riaz Sharif: It’s like pre ortho work [00:34:50] before you do the restorative work. Yeah. And I think.
Payman Langroudi: You gotta understand alignment to some extent. [00:34:55]
Riaz Sharif: Like you said before jumping into those fancy cases, you need to learn, like you said, before you start showcasing your [00:35:00] work you need to you need to know the functional bases of dentistry in terms of that.
Payman Langroudi: So this is my question on the aligning [00:35:05] front. Yeah, I would, I would, I would learn if it was me [00:35:10] I would try and learn more.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, definitely.
Payman Langroudi: Did a ortho MSC [00:35:15] that they didn’t particularly like very much. Yeah. Um, or he didn’t think it helped him very [00:35:20] much, you know. But but then the next person will do one of those year long courses. Yeah. [00:35:25] Yeah, IAS courses maybe.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, yeah.
Payman Langroudi: Or there’s, there’s mentoring Millie [00:35:30] Millie’s doing a mentoring thing and Millie Morrison, do you know, um, or there’s a brilliant [00:35:35] Invisalign case by the two, um, brothers. Uh.
Riaz Sharif: There’s [00:35:40] a lot out there, isn’t it? Yeah, there’s a lot of options out there in terms of ortho courses, but yeah, it’s important [00:35:45] to grip the the idea of it. Yeah. But, um, but yeah, before you advance [00:35:50] on these big, complex cases and full mouth rehabilitation stuff and all this, you know, more advanced stuff. [00:35:55] But, yeah, it’s it’s a slow development, isn’t it? As a young dentist, you’ve got You got to take it slowly. [00:36:00] Yeah, yeah. And and see where it leads to. Really?
Payman Langroudi: Why do you like. Why [00:36:05] do you like aesthetic dentistry? What’s the thing about it?
Riaz Sharif: I think it’s the reward of seeing [00:36:10] the patient’s reaction and the feel that it gives you as a dentist, I think. I think that goes [00:36:15] you only feel that once you produce a good case and that patient, you know, you give the patient a mirror. You [00:36:20] all that time you’ve invested into that treatment planning and you know, all those months of work and [00:36:25] the final outcome that moment is for me is why I love dentistry. It’s for [00:36:30] me. It makes me feel, after all of the hard work and years of working as studying as dentist, it makes me feel [00:36:35] fulfilled and happy. And actually it puts all the financial incentive behind me and think, you know what? That person [00:36:40] that that reaction you get is, is unmatched for me. [00:36:45] And I’ve always been a person who loves to help people, you know, and it’s always I’ve always I still do. I’m a [00:36:50] very generous man. I like to help and provide for people and give the best advice I [00:36:55] can. You know what? It’s weird because that person could have been a very selfish little boy growing [00:37:00] up, you know, not that that little person in London. But then I’ve I’ve [00:37:05] done a whole U-turn and actually I want to get back and dentistry for me is my, my area right now for that. [00:37:10] And hopefully in the future I’ll have other options and, and areas I can help people [00:37:15] too, for sure. You know, and you know, I’ve a motivating and lifting people up myself [00:37:20] when they were younger. And yeah, hopefully I’ll get those platforms soon. But [00:37:25] yeah, hopefully the new year. We’ll see where it goes. You know it’d be nice.
Payman Langroudi: So have [00:37:30] you done anything to reach out to kids in foster care yet? Have you got round to that yet? [00:37:35]
Riaz Sharif: No, it’s more, to be honest, what it was Payman telling my story initially for me [00:37:40] was, um, was tough. It’s a very personal story. And I think, like I said to you, even stepping [00:37:45] onto, you know, stepping out and highlighting your story to people you don’t know [00:37:50] who actually turn around and say, well, that was that’s a very interesting story. Well done, mate. And, you [00:37:55] know, you you feel. You feel vulnerable.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah.
Riaz Sharif: You know, it’s not easy [00:38:00] to tell your own personal story, but I think your story. My story, actually, I’ve learned it. It [00:38:05] can. It can help a lot of people. And I didn’t realise that back in when you’re living it, you feel like [00:38:10] it’s horrible. It’s fearful, it’s traumatic, it’s tiring, and it’s it’s a very hard life [00:38:15] at the time and it’s emotionally sad. But I feel those if you collect it [00:38:20] all and you can, you know, it can actually help people. And again, it goes back to what I’m saying as well. I [00:38:25] can use it to help people somehow, but I will find a way to do it. Yeah. So [00:38:30] for me doing that lately has been a big thing, you know, um, and also, you know, even [00:38:35] the success I’ve had this year, I’ve won. Well, I was a finalist for like, the private dentistry awards and [00:38:40] the dental awards. So both of them was quite that was a big surprise for me. So two and [00:38:45] a half years out getting that award.
Payman Langroudi: What did you did you like see it and think [00:38:50] I’m going to apply for that.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, I saw it. I mean I’ve seen these awards going on for years in years in dentistry. It’s one of those [00:38:55] things that, you know, you think, wow, I wish I could do that. I wish I could turn up to event one day. I wish I could be part of that [00:39:00] crowd. And then again, you feel you don’t feel like you’re you don’t feel like you belong there. You [00:39:05] know, putting on a suit and actually just turning up there and being like, well, I’m part of this situation and I’ve [00:39:10] worked hard to get here. And if you don’t win, at least you’re recognised as something you know. And [00:39:15] it was nice to be recognised this year and I did. It was it was good. I felt like it lifted me. [00:39:20] My self esteem as a young dentist too. I think, you know, applying for awards is [00:39:25] important. You know, obviously you have to work hard to get those, don’t you? [00:39:30]
Payman Langroudi: Yeah. Well, you know, there’s there’s a lot of people who don’t like awards as well.
Riaz Sharif: It’s not for everyone, [00:39:35] but it’s it’s, um, it was a surprise for me.
Payman Langroudi: But it’s lovely for you to be, like. To be getting [00:39:40] it because we hear the negative side of awards a lot. Yeah. People bang on about them. [00:39:45] Yeah. And then. And then you saying that it’s actually something that’s really helped you. It’s like a wonderful thing.
Riaz Sharif: Like you said, it can be a negative, [00:39:50] but people there are there is probably a cons about it, but I think the pros are, you [00:39:55] know, it does give someone confidence, confidence in thinking that, you know what, at least [00:40:00] you know you’re doing something good. At least, you know, take me through it.
Payman Langroudi: You saw the [00:40:05] award. You thought, I’m going to go for this. What did you do then? Read what? Yeah, read the category.
Riaz Sharif: The criteria.
Payman Langroudi: Read which [00:40:10] category?
Riaz Sharif: It was young. The best. Yeah. Young. The best young dentist award. Okay, so I thought, [00:40:15] you know what? Why not?
Payman Langroudi: So it said, tell us about your charity. Your this your that all [00:40:20] these different things go on. I don’t know what.
Riaz Sharif: It was more about. You know, what charity work you’ve done, your clinical cases. [00:40:25] Um, your story as well. Oh. You know, and I didn’t think I even hit the criteria [00:40:30] in half of them. You know, you think it’s nothing. It’s something you just. You just put it together and [00:40:35] send it out and see how it goes. Why not? You got nothing to lose. And that [00:40:40] was that was one surprise I had this year. So that was cool.
Payman Langroudi: But how long did you work on it?
Riaz Sharif: Uh, [00:40:45] it was a collection.
Payman Langroudi: Like a day or a week.
Riaz Sharif: It’s not like you worked on it for a long time. [00:40:50] You You’ve collected these things for a long time. They’re just buried anyway. Yeah. So, you know, your story [00:40:55] is going years back. You know, you collected this. You know, you got that that evidence from ten years ago. [00:41:00] Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It’s a collection of different things that amount to that, that recognition. But yeah, [00:41:05] it’s the point is.
Payman Langroudi: But you know, there are some people who actually hire PR companies to do their awards. Do [00:41:10] they? Yeah. Um, not not young dentists, I don’t think, but, you know, practices.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. [00:41:15] Yeah, yeah.
Payman Langroudi: It’s a whole industry of its own. Yeah, yeah. Which is fine, by the way. By the way, there’s [00:41:20] nothing in the rules that says you can’t do that. Yeah, but did you go to the party in the Grosvenor House? Yeah I [00:41:25] did.
Riaz Sharif: What a party it was. It was, it was nice. It was, it was good.
Payman Langroudi: I take my if Tim and Craig [00:41:30] are listening, I take my hat off. That that really did feel like the Oscars [00:41:35] of dentistry.
Riaz Sharif: Definitely something special, wasn’t it?
Payman Langroudi: I used to laugh about that. They used to call it Oscars of Dentistry [00:41:40] years ago. And I think this is not the Oscars, right? This is not what the Oscars are like.
Riaz Sharif: Put on an outfit, [00:41:45] put the tuxedo.
Payman Langroudi: Feels like it. It’s like.
Riaz Sharif: How many people were there? Oh, God. It good. It was amazing, wasn’t it?
Payman Langroudi: It was [00:41:50] like a thousand people. I mean.
Riaz Sharif: I’ve never been to something like that before. So for me to turn up and be part of that, it was great. You know, it’s, [00:41:55] um, it was nice to be there, but. Yeah, but yeah, it’s again, it’s like a [00:42:00] marketing thing though, isn’t it? You know, and for young dentists, it is a cool little thing to add to your, your marketing [00:42:05] strategy to say.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah, but listen, I’m all I’m all for this. Yeah. And you [00:42:10] were saying before about it’s not just.
Riaz Sharif: About the awards, it’s about your own yourself.
Payman Langroudi: But you were saying before something I really like [00:42:15] to hear, um, some of our colleagues are interested in in words like marketing, but [00:42:20] but I like the idea of, uh, an associate [00:42:25] thinking of themselves as a mini business within the big business. [00:42:30] It’s something you told me and. And I really like that. I think it’s [00:42:35] the best training to become a principal is to act like you own the business and like. [00:42:40]
Riaz Sharif: You own it. I mean, there’s no reason. There’s no way to say that you can’t operate using your own branding [00:42:45] system within the corporate. Yeah. And and actually people come into my room now and they, they feel every person [00:42:50] who walks into my room, I’ve sort of made it very bespoke. So people come in, they can sit down, they can talk to me about [00:42:55] what they want, their problems. You know, what they’re concerned about, what they would like improving. And actually it’s a nice, comfortable setting. [00:43:00] You know, I’ve got my own logo, I’ve got my own sort of brand that I like to hopefully open as a practice in the [00:43:05] future. But you’ve got to start now, right? There’s no point. You’ve got to pave the way for it to happen. And [00:43:10] rather than, you know, just visualising it and things never falling, but like, like you said, [00:43:15] yeah, you you need to operate as a business within the business. And I think you’ve got to start with baby steps [00:43:20] and give the patient experience and practice with it. You know this from the moment they enter the room [00:43:25] to when they leave with that smile that they wanted. And that’s what I love doing.
Payman Langroudi: You find it frustrating, [00:43:30] though, that, you know, like especially in a corporate where you might want, I don’t [00:43:35] know, whatever picture on the wall or whatever. Yeah. Music playing and it’s [00:43:40] a corporate and you can’t do that. Does that frustrate.
Riaz Sharif: The hell out of my room is a bit different. So I’ve sort.
Payman Langroudi: Of.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, [00:43:45] I mean, I mean, yeah, hands down to my dentist. It’s been running into my room. It’s very sort [00:43:50] of just. You wouldn’t think that you’re in the, you know, the my dentist corp, you know, not not not I’m trying [00:43:55] to overtake it, but but it’s but it’s it’s people come in all my patients [00:44:00] every day. Just compliment it. They’re like this feels very relaxed and it’s a nice setting and. Yeah. Go [00:44:05] on. What do you do? What do you.
Payman Langroudi: Do? What do you do? Spill the beans.
Riaz Sharif: Well, you know, I put my mirrors up. I put my little you know, [00:44:10] I’ve done this and I put the lovely comfortable leather chairs out, and it’s really. Yeah. It’s nice. You [00:44:15] know, I put it’s very nice. It’s comfortable, you know, it’s people. Yeah. It’s [00:44:20] good.
Payman Langroudi: The brand police are going to be on you soon. Yeah.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah I know right. No. Yeah. No. [00:44:25] So as long as you generate money for them right. It’s all good. They’ll be happy till the end. So it’s all right [00:44:30] now. Eventually I do want to make, you know, move out next year and get my own sort of either a Scott practice [00:44:35] or buy something and then go.
Payman Langroudi: There’s no hurry, though. But, you know, you like.
Riaz Sharif: Like like I said, I’m [00:44:40] not I’m not in a rush. So I’m trying to still upskill.
Payman Langroudi: Have to be next year. I [00:44:45] would say don’t forget things like working capital. Yeah, the amount of money you need to just [00:44:50] keep alive in a squat practice a whole year of money. And that’s money, you know, that [00:44:55] costs. Um, so don’t don’t. I wouldn’t rush in. Yeah, yeah. And this, you know, you might [00:45:00] think you spent a bit longer getting to become a dentist than than than how many years was it in total? [00:45:05] So seven.
Riaz Sharif: Seven plus it was like ten. Yeah, it was a lot of years. It was probably.
Payman Langroudi: But. But you’re [00:45:10] still. You’re young man.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, yeah.
Payman Langroudi: How old are you? 34 now. But you can sit on your hands. [00:45:15] Sit on your hands for another three years. Do nothing. Yeah. And you’ll still be 37. It’s nothing.
Riaz Sharif: Like I said, it’s it’s [00:45:20] it’s this constant wanting to.
Payman Langroudi: Go for it, man. Go for it. But I’m just saying don’t feel that [00:45:25] because you spent a bit longer becoming a dentist, you’re now behind. Which is like ridiculous, [00:45:30] ridiculous notions of childhood. When you’re young, you think, oh, I want to be the first whatever [00:45:35] to do whatever. There’s no there’s no prize for being first in this situation. Yeah. [00:45:40]
Riaz Sharif: How long was it until you open your own company. Was it a while because you were.
Payman Langroudi: You were 28. [00:45:45] I was 28. Were you when you started enlightened?
Riaz Sharif: Was that soon after you were a dentist or five years after? [00:45:50] Five years after? Yeah. Good. That’s a big jump, wasn’t it, I guess.
Payman Langroudi: Huge. Huge and terrible. Terrible. [00:45:55] First 5 or 6 years.
Riaz Sharif: So was it a struggle to sort of get your feet on the ground?
Payman Langroudi: Losing [00:46:00] loads of money, begging and borrowing.
Riaz Sharif: A lot of market competitors. Was it I guess in was it.
Payman Langroudi: It’s [00:46:05] expensive. It’s expensive. Trying to do what we did was expensive. Um, [00:46:10] we didn’t know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Riaz Sharif: You can only do it, you know, once you’re in it, right? I don’t know what you’re.
Payman Langroudi: Doing [00:46:15] at all. Yeah. Um, but, you know, businesses do business. Real businesses take four [00:46:20] years to to not all, but, you know, generally take 3 or 4 years to go into profit. [00:46:25] Yeah. Dental businesses tend to go quicker. Yeah. But I’m still saying there is still a year of pain, [00:46:30] massive pain that you have to put up with if you’re going to do a squat practice. Yeah. And that pain can be [00:46:35] listen, either your squat practice ain’t going to be as beautiful as you thought it would be, or [00:46:40] because you because you haven’t got the money to make it that, or you make it as beautiful as you thought it was going to be. And [00:46:45] now you can only you’ve only got runway for three months before you’re going to go bust. Which does not make sense. [00:46:50] Right. You know, like.
Riaz Sharif: Don’t, don’t, don’t run before you can walk.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah [00:46:55] yeah yeah. But listen man.
Riaz Sharif: You got to.
Payman Langroudi: Take it slowly. I’ve got a friend. He [00:47:00] qualified and opened his practice. There’s a guy coming on this podcast soon who’s in [00:47:05] the fourth year of dental school, and he owns a practice that’s amazing. [00:47:10] Um, and, you know, he had his own business before going to dental school and all of this. That would be an interesting [00:47:15] one. But but it’s not a competition. It’s not.
Riaz Sharif: It’s you got to go at your own pace, haven’t you? You know, like you said, you’re [00:47:20] only competing against yourself and you know, it’s your own. It’s your own way, isn’t it? Yeah. It’s [00:47:25] your own. It’s your own route. Just take it as slow as possible.
Payman Langroudi: Let’s get to the [00:47:30] darker part. I think you’ve had some dark parts.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, we’ve we’ve touched on a few places.
Payman Langroudi: The mistakes. [00:47:35] We like to talk about mistakes. Yeah. On this pod. Okay. So we can learn from each from each other’s mistakes. Yeah, [00:47:40] absolutely. What comes to mind when I say clinical mistakes? What have you gotten up to?
Riaz Sharif: I think we’ve [00:47:45] all we’re all, um, you know, we’re all prone to make mistakes. When we first entered the dental scene, [00:47:50] especially when we come to dental school. We’re sitting there with our first few patients the first few weeks or months. Um, [00:47:55] mine. I’ve had a few. You know, one of them that comes to mind would be, for [00:48:00] example, you know, restoring a back teeth molar. You know, I think I had one situation [00:48:05] where, you know, I remember I was very worried about what it all happened. You know, you’re polishing [00:48:10] the back tooth with a flexi disc. You know who does that now? You know, it’s not something that, you know when [00:48:15] you’re rushing and you’re panicking as a.
Payman Langroudi: Distal of the seventh. Yeah, yeah. You start.
Riaz Sharif: You [00:48:20] cut something. Yeah. I cut the buckle cheek and obviously, you know, I think, wow, what [00:48:25] a silly mistake. You got that cold chill run down your back and you start to freeze up. Yeah, well, [00:48:30] it’s 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and there’s no other clinicians. One clinician around somewhere. [00:48:35] Was there a lot of blood? Yeah, there was blood. The buccal fat was was cheek fat was [00:48:40] coming out and my nurse was staring at me like, what? She doesn’t know what to do. And I’m like, well, this is not [00:48:45] what they taught me in dental school to figure out, you know? What did you do? The patients, you know, [00:48:50] you need to obviously, this is where you learn, isn’t it? How to communicate and how to keep yourself and the patient [00:48:55] relaxed. So obviously, luckily, I had a dentist on site. He came in [00:49:00] and he managed to help me calm and suture it, sutured the cheek up and obviously [00:49:05] notify the patient what’s happened. You know, I’m I’m startled and alarmed and I’m thinking, well, I’m going [00:49:10] to get into huge complaint situation in the next few days. And, you know, the way I handled it and [00:49:15] the way he taught me to handle it in that moment was essential. You know, we we calmed the patient down. [00:49:20] There was all that post advice about what to do in case that happens. And actually that defused [00:49:25] the whole situation in the end. But I learned a lot. Is this silly stuff like that? You know, it’s not silly. [00:49:30]
Payman Langroudi: It’s, you know, do you know, you know, she’s she’s Basil Mizrahi’s [00:49:35] associate, said that’s the top practice in London, right? Yeah. And she [00:49:40] made the exact same mistake. Really? So she was polishing.
Riaz Sharif: The only one.
Payman Langroudi: Polishing the back of a buckle [00:49:45] of a seven.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. You think you think it’s the best option at the time? You think you grab it quickly.
Payman Langroudi: Imagine. [00:49:50] Imagine how like you’re good. You’re being. Yeah. By trying to polish the [00:49:55] distal side of a do on a seven.
Riaz Sharif: Who does that though. I wouldn’t, [00:50:00] I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t think twice about doing that right now. You know, it’s the last thing I’m really grabbing in the surgery. [00:50:05] But you know, you look back.
Payman Langroudi: And I like that one. And it’s an important one. And everyone who does Polish tobacco a [00:50:10] seven should pay attention to that. We’ve all learned from that. Yeah, but it went well. Yeah. [00:50:15] As in the patient took it well.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: You got one where the patient took it badly. Uh, yeah. [00:50:20]
Riaz Sharif: I’ve dropped the wrong. I’ve grabbed a faucet and nearly taken out the wrong tooth because I read the clinical notes wrong. So that was [00:50:25] a that was that could say that again. I’ve read the clinical notes wrong. Yeah. And I’ve grabbed the forceps and I’m about to take [00:50:30] out the wrong tooth and didn’t. And you know, the patient noticed. No luck. Yeah. No. I luckily thought [00:50:35] twice about the situation and obviously you know, but then obviously now that’s what I do. It’s helped me in my modern day dentistry [00:50:40] too. So, you know, double or triple clarifying what I’m doing, you know, is it a right tooth? Is it a right, [00:50:45] you know, restoration? Is it the right material doing the right thing? And yeah, I [00:50:50] stopped at the moment and I did I did get worried.
Payman Langroudi: And obviously the whole left right thing, [00:50:55] the whole left right thing must happen hundreds of times a day in the world. You know, it depends. [00:51:00] Somewhere, somewhere in the world right now, 100 people have done the left. Right.
Riaz Sharif: I think it depends on your mind. As dentists, we [00:51:05] always expect to be like on the ball and sharp. But then we have our own issues going on in our life, right? [00:51:10] Our home life, our personal life, the way we feel. We might not feel optimal that day, and it does affect [00:51:15] the way we operate in clinic, you know, in that setting. So, you know, obviously we have to [00:51:20] be on the ball. We, you know, we’ve got someone’s health in our hands. So it’s hard [00:51:25] some days. But you need to be alert. And you also you learn from lessons don’t you. So yeah, [00:51:30] that was another one. But there’s been a few.
Payman Langroudi: Anything would go badly. That that won’t go badly. [00:51:35] Did the patient notice?
Riaz Sharif: And the patient did notice that I gave the anaesthesia in the wrong, in the wrong tooth for.
Payman Langroudi: The [00:51:40] wrong.
Riaz Sharif: Wrong. But they only stopped. They they actually stopped me after I, after I [00:51:45] stopped myself. And I was like, excuse me? Like, why did you give the anaesthesia over there? Like, so.
Payman Langroudi: What did you [00:51:50] say then.
Riaz Sharif: I said to him, you know what? I said, I’m sorry. Um, I read, I read the clinical notes incorrectly. Um, [00:51:55] I apologise for that. You will feel numb for a few hours on that side. Also, would you [00:52:00] like to continue or today? Or would you like to, um. Are you happy for me to, you know. Yeah, [00:52:05] exactly. And obviously putting it into that sort of speech and that calmness as well and that [00:52:10] the options are in place. You know, normally they’re going to be like, you know what, it’s okay. Just go ahead [00:52:15] and do what you had to do. Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: So is that how it went.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. And actually it was okay. [00:52:20] And I feel like that that’s also a good way of diffusing a lot of possible complaints. You know.
Payman Langroudi: Um, do I accept [00:52:25] that that went well as well.
Riaz Sharif: That went.
Payman Langroudi: Well. What about one that went badly.
Riaz Sharif: Went really badly. [00:52:30] Oh there was one really badly.
Payman Langroudi: It doesn’t have [00:52:35] to be like sometimes. It’s not the error. That’s the bad error. The worst. The reaction.
Riaz Sharif: That’s the the worst [00:52:40] one was probably a perforated root canal.
Payman Langroudi: I’ve done that.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. And you [00:52:45] know, I’ve, I it was a you know, it was a basic it was a molar upper left six. [00:52:50] Um, first few canals weren’t okay. I think one of them perforated straight into [00:52:55] the bone. Obviously you’re looking at the post-operative radiograph.
Payman Langroudi: Look good on the.
Riaz Sharif: X-ray, and you’re thinking, well, you know, you’re thinking [00:53:00] you’re feeling proud of yourself. You know. You know, everything went great. Until then, you’re looking at it and [00:53:05] thinking the nurse is downstairs generating the x ray. You think you’re right? Cool. You know, we’re gonna we’re gonna [00:53:10] complete this plan right now. The patient’s happy, you know, they’re they’re up in their chair. You’re [00:53:15] about to, you know, finish off with a crown or a or a final restoration and it comes [00:53:20] out that it’s gone straight into the bone.
Payman Langroudi: It’s tough.
Riaz Sharif: And I’m sitting there. My heart’s beating [00:53:25] ten times more than it should do, you know. And I’m. And I got to give the news to the patient [00:53:30] about this perforation.
Payman Langroudi: Probably lost his teeth.
Riaz Sharif: And exactly. And that’s actually the opposite [00:53:35] of what they actually came in for, you know. And you have to break the news and say, listen, this is a it’s an [00:53:40] inconvenience. But what has happened shouldn’t have happened. But it either. The options are this, this, [00:53:45] this.
Payman Langroudi: I mean, it’s really interesting because we just jump to blame all [00:53:50] the time here. Like it’s in our nature to jump to blame. So if you I’ve had a situation [00:53:55] where in that situation the it happened to me in dental [00:54:00] school that the teacher just came over and said to the patient, sorry, this tooth [00:54:05] wasn’t saveable. Yeah. Yeah. End of that was the end of the patient. And the patient went, yeah, [00:54:10] there it is. Yeah, yeah. But but you know, that tooth wasn’t saveable. Yeah. By me [00:54:15] kind of question. Yeah. And it was my fault. Is this whole different story to that tooth [00:54:20] wasn’t saveable. Yeah, but but that tooth wasn’t saveable. Yeah. In this room, I.
Riaz Sharif: Think I think [00:54:25] I think it’s also what you what you program in a programming a patient before you even do the procedure. So you’re saying, [00:54:30] like you said to them, that that tooth is it could be saved and it could be saved with a root canal. And also [00:54:35] there’s an option that, you know, is extraction. And obviously with the perforated canal now, [00:54:40] you know, it looks like.
Payman Langroudi: It’s the thing is though, the most important thing [00:54:45] they do drum it into us, but it’s worth repeating. The most important thing is to be honest [00:54:50] in that situation, not only from that’s what the patient deserves, but but also [00:54:55] if it goes tits up. Yeah, dishonesty in that situation is the one that really kills. [00:55:00]
Riaz Sharif: They can turn around and say to you, you didn’t say that. You lied.
Payman Langroudi: I mean that that would cause [00:55:05] a real situation.
Riaz Sharif: That will lead to an official complaint and obviously sleepless nights [00:55:10] and all the rest of it.
Payman Langroudi: But also the complaint being upheld. Yeah. Yeah, that’s that’s my point.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. It’s [00:55:15] about being honest with your faults as well and then taking responsibility isn’t it as well. You know you hope [00:55:20] that they don’t continue these faults. You know you hope to learn from them if you you know if you can. But mostly [00:55:25] you know, if you’re if you’re on the ball, you do.
Payman Langroudi: So what happened in this case?
Riaz Sharif: Um, I referred him to a specialist. We [00:55:30] got a root canal specialist at work in our. In our practice, fortunately. So I said to him, you know, we’ll [00:55:35] get you booked in for a consultation with him to review the fault. Yeah. Um, and see what [00:55:40] he recommends. And obviously, you briefed them that it could obviously lead to an extraction, the worst case scenario. Or [00:55:45] it could be that he takes it out. And what happened? He actually corrected it. So. Yeah. Who [00:55:50] paid? Uh, I paid.
Payman Langroudi: You paid? Yeah.
Riaz Sharif: I’ll compensate the paid, but but that’s my responsibility, [00:55:55] you know, like, you know, if I, if I see my my faults, you take, you step up and [00:56:00] you take responsibility, don’t you? Well done, man. But, um, I’m not going to put the blame on anyone else, even [00:56:05] even outside of dentistry. If I make a problem outside of my in my life, I’ll step up and take the blame and fix it. [00:56:10] And that’s that’s part of being responsible person, isn’t it? I love that. Yeah. [00:56:15]
Payman Langroudi: What if we fast forwarded five years from [00:56:20] today? Yeah. Where do you see yourself? Both. Both professionally and, [00:56:25] you know, domestically. What are you looking for five years from today?
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. [00:56:30] It’s. Yeah. Um, I see myself in a more professional, [00:56:35] you know, my skills will be a lot more higher. So I [00:56:40] like to upskill more. And obviously, basically, I don’t know, [00:56:45] narrowing on what I like to do more. So pick, you know, pick the niche of dentistry that I like to do, but [00:56:50] obviously really become an expert in it and deliver with 1,000% confidence [00:56:55] that sort of work. But, you know, like you said, in dentistry, you want to you want to be an all rounder. You need to [00:57:00] be a good GDP, don’t you? You need to know your basics. And obviously, you [00:57:05] know, you want to be a better dentist year by year, don’t you? You know, you don’t want to be stagnant and just [00:57:10] sitting around. You want to be better and better even in, you know, in your in your career, life and and everything [00:57:15] else. But yeah, business wise, I like to have my own practice. Or if it was to do that or even, [00:57:20] like I said to you, this platform where I can not teach, but probably [00:57:25] create a course to say that can [00:57:30] encourage or even teach people how to communicate initially in their first few [00:57:35] years and basically take take my own sort of experiences [00:57:40] and then, you know, teach it on a day, day course or something like that and [00:57:45] see where that leads to see, you know, a little steps. I’m not going to sit there and create a huge ten day [00:57:50] plan, you know, in terms of teaching. But I like to do that. I believe that I got I believe I’m [00:57:55] good at speaking and I got a lot to give to people. So I like to have that platform soon open up to me [00:58:00] if I don’t create myself. So yeah, from a motivational aspect, I [00:58:05] like that. Yeah. And I think, you know, vulnerable young dentists are vulnerable. You [00:58:10] know, they’re worried because we all were I was a few years ago, I didn’t know what to do. But having [00:58:15] someone who can, you know, who can relate to who’s been through it, [00:58:20] Um, I believe it’s good.
Payman Langroudi: I think the anxiety level in young dentists is higher than it [00:58:25] was in our day. Yeah it is. They’ve drummed it into you guys that you’re going to get sued.
Riaz Sharif: It’s [00:58:30] worrying. And I think, you know, you need to learn mechanisms to to speak to people [00:58:35] calmly to to talk to yourself calmly to, to relax your mind, you know, to also encourage [00:58:40] yourself to if you do a fault, don’t worry about it. There’s always options to get better and not take [00:58:45] it to heart. And all this comes down to motivational speaking and I would love [00:58:50] to get into that. Obviously I’d like to develop it as well in the next five years too, so I’m not that’s [00:58:55] what I that’s what I aim to do. Um, you know, as well as continuing dentistry too. [00:59:00]
Payman Langroudi: So yeah. And you’re sort of you’ve been involved in [00:59:05] gyms and all sorts of. Yeah. From your sort of dream practice. [00:59:10] What would that look like?
Riaz Sharif: It would be, yeah. It’s like, yeah, fancy, you [00:59:15] know, nice, beautiful environment. People come in and they feel it’s a luxury place, you know, [00:59:20] and they feel at home in it. They don’t feel intimidated by these big white walls. And this smell, the smell of the [00:59:25] practice. I want it to be, you know, welcoming, calm, peaceful and homely and [00:59:30] also enjoyable. So I think dentistry should be enjoyable. Not for the dentist also, but for the [00:59:35] patient. You know, they need to come in and have that fun talk with.
Payman Langroudi: I get you, I get you. Yeah. But what was [00:59:40] the last time you had any dental treatment?
Riaz Sharif: Uh, not not long ago. Probably a few years ago. [00:59:45]
Payman Langroudi: Enjoyable is a big word.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, because I didn’t enjoy it. I remember not enjoyable. I don’t remember ever walking [00:59:50] into a practice or. Or I was actually in hospital last week, and I was feared, I feared, I feared every moment of it. You [00:59:55] know, I had a burst appendix last week. I’m sorry. So yeah, I remember sitting in that hospital fearing for my [01:00:00] life, you know, in a dark room when it all goes dark and you think, wow, this is nothing [01:00:05] really else matters other than me sitting in this cold ward right now with my, you know, burst appendix. And he got sepsis. [01:00:10] I’m sorry. So, you know, it’s it’s it’s different, isn’t it? In a dental [01:00:15] practice, it can be enjoyable. And I believe that believe that, you know, more.
Payman Langroudi: Enjoyable is a big word [01:00:20] that I get you because it’s not enjoyable. So make as enjoyable as possible.
Riaz Sharif: What I think [01:00:25] is what also, when you introduce someone to the idea of what their teeth could be improved by. I think that’s what’s [01:00:30] enjoyable to patients.
Payman Langroudi: Lovely.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, that’s that’s enjoyable.
Payman Langroudi: That’s what you meant.
Riaz Sharif: That’s what I like to see when [01:00:35] a patient. The enthusiasm of the patient, because they reflected from my charisma and my enthusiasm. [01:00:40] Like if I can, you know, I believe I like to give patients high expectations because I think [01:00:45] you’ve got to believe in yourself, haven’t you? As a young dentist, also as a as a professional [01:00:50] senior dentist, you need to believe in your ability.
Payman Langroudi: Confidence is important.
Riaz Sharif: You can’t sit there and think, oh, this might this is [01:00:55] what I think I can do, or this is what I believe I can achieve by by doing this for your smile. But I will do that. [01:01:00] And this is what I want you to feel when you have that smile. Yeah. You know, and I think.
Payman Langroudi: The only, the only thing to, [01:01:05] to worry about is.
Riaz Sharif: It’s not, you know, it’s not arrogance.
Payman Langroudi: It’s no, no, no, you need you need to worry [01:01:10] about the bits that you don’t know. You don’t know. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. They [01:01:15] tend to creep up on you in throughout career.
Riaz Sharif: Learning curves?
Payman Langroudi: Yeah. And [01:01:20] I’d say even I mean, I’d say it takes a good ten years [01:01:25] before before those you realise those things. I wasn’t even a dentist for ten years. But [01:01:30] I think it does take ten years. Yeah. Even ten years is not a long time. You know, like a ten year [01:01:35] qualified dentist is 33.
Riaz Sharif: Normally it’s like seeing your cases like 4 or 5 years, ten [01:01:40] years.
Payman Langroudi: Later.
Riaz Sharif: And seeing if they’re working still see if they’re functional, still see if they haven’t broken to pieces, [01:01:45] you know, and actually that is.
Payman Langroudi: The.
Riaz Sharif: That’s the turning point of your, you know, where you would upskill [01:01:50] even further, where you need to, where do you need to work on. And I think some, you know, if you’re if you’re that character [01:01:55] who wants to learn more and is and is able to look at their mistakes. Yeah. Then you will look at that. [01:02:00] Hopefully, you know, successful or not successful case and be like, okay, cool. 510 years [01:02:05] later I need to improve on that. That’s what I need to do to become a better dentist. Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: And listen, I think what you’ve got [01:02:10] is a really lovely combination, right. Of like, you know, Confidence. Discipline. [01:02:15] Fearing. Facing your fears. Yeah. Yeah. Determination. [01:02:20] All of you packaged that into a course. Like a thing that people can learn from. Yeah. [01:02:25] Amazing, man. Amazing. I would, I would, I would link it to some aspect of dentistry. [01:02:30]
Riaz Sharif: Of course. I’ve been told is that it’s how to sort of plan and chapter the [01:02:35] story, you know, how to express it and how to talk about it. And, you know, for me to come out of my [01:02:40] shell in the last few months about it, it’s just been huge. You know, I told Dentistry Dentistry magazine UK [01:02:45] about it and they published the article. That was a big thing for me, because obviously that gets read by a lot of people. [01:02:50] And I don’t know, you know, I’ve done a podcast with Andy Acton, so that was the first time I actually spoke [01:02:55] about these sort of topics in a vulnerable state. I was like, okay, cool. That was big [01:03:00] for me too. One of my favourite is sitting in front of you. It’s a privilege, you know, you [01:03:05] know, and talking like this to you about it. It’s it’ll be watched by your viewers and I’m [01:03:10] in a vulnerable state still, but I’m getting confident talking about it and that’s good. And hopefully the future. Like [01:03:15] you said, I like to, you know, sort of plan it in a nice way and help it help people with [01:03:20] it because it’s it’s a story that I believe is is different. Yeah. [01:03:25] And it can go somewhere. Yeah.
Payman Langroudi: Well I hope the story keeps going forward. Thank you. [01:03:30] Really well. And I’d love to see you again in, you know, whenever, whenever you’re next up for coming.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. [01:03:35] Yeah. Hopefully five years time will pop in again even sooner.
Payman Langroudi: Even sooner than that.
Riaz Sharif: Have a little chat again. [01:03:40]
Payman Langroudi: Um, we we end it on the usual. Fantasy [01:03:45] dinner party. Okay. Three guests. Dead or alive.
Riaz Sharif: Dead or [01:03:50] alive? Three guests. Okay. Who’s going to be sitting on that table with me? Who? Who [01:03:55] will be at the table with me?
Payman Langroudi: Yeah. Who do you want?
Riaz Sharif: Three people, dead or alive. First of [01:04:00] all, I’d like to see, uh, probably Bob Marley. Um, you [01:04:05] know, for me, growing up, his music was a big thing for me. I lived, I lived with a [01:04:10] Jamaican lady. She was born in that house. All I heard was reggae music. And it’s been embedded [01:04:15] in me since a young man. Some young little boy. The food, the culture, the relaxing. [01:04:20] Sort of, you know, his persona as a man. You know, I read his stories, [01:04:25] um, and, yeah, he. If I ever sat down with him, I’d like to talk to him about his life and, [01:04:30] you know, learn from him, maybe from what he he went through. Because he went through a lot, didn’t he?
Payman Langroudi: How many houses [01:04:35] in total did you live in?
Riaz Sharif: Me and probably around. God, I don’t know, multiple. [01:04:40] Probably about 6 or 7. Easily. Even more.
Payman Langroudi: And what [01:04:45] are their things about different families? That. Are they each one totally different or are [01:04:50] there types of families?
Riaz Sharif: That’s a very good question. I think when you go to different houses, right. Most [01:04:55] of them are foster mothers. So they’ve got their own children. Yeah. So you’re in a house with their [01:05:00] own children, but also with other multiple foster kids? Yeah. And you’re and you’re you’re [01:05:05] you’re you’re expected to integrate into the house with the with the mother. The father, [01:05:10] what you call the mother and father, and also their children. But you know that there’s there’s there’s something in that house [01:05:15] that you don’t feel connected because of course, you know, but, you know, there’s and I [01:05:20] don’t remember ever forming a very, very, very strong bond with any of them. You know, sometimes I wanted [01:05:25] to leave and sometimes I would run away. And, you know, there’s been 1 or 2 families [01:05:30] that I’ve spent a long time with, unfortunately, that broke down. But, you know, it’s [01:05:35] it’s it’s different.
Payman Langroudi: Outside of you when you look at these families where you’re looking at the [01:05:40] mother’s relationship with the children, do you see loads of like, is every single one dysfunctional [01:05:45] in its own way, or are there groups like you say, are these are.
Riaz Sharif: I think, [01:05:50] I think, I think because they’re not there. The mother isn’t. You’re not there’s no biological connection [01:05:55] between you and the mother. You’re they’re not they’re lacking a connection with [01:06:00] you as a as a foster kid.
Payman Langroudi: But, I mean, with their own children.
Riaz Sharif: Oh, did you see a difference? Yeah, I remember [01:06:05] feeling even I don’t remember vividly what it what it was. But I remember I remember feeling that there’s a big difference here. They [01:06:10] care about them more. And this is where it goes back to right at the beginning of our podcast, where it’s about love and attachment and feeling [01:06:15] different and separated.
Payman Langroudi: Yeah. But yeah, but when you look at that mother with her children, [01:06:20] it’s very different. You look at the next mother with her children. Oh yeah. Yeah. Do you see differences?
Riaz Sharif: There’s a pattern. [01:06:25] There’s a pattern. Go on, go on. It’s it’s the it’s the mother mother connection to their [01:06:30] offspring. It’s very biological. It’s very connected. Yeah, but you feel like an outcast. Yeah. [01:06:35] You do? Yeah. And you feel like you don’t feel like you belong there, you know? And obviously. [01:06:40]
Payman Langroudi: Even where the guy was your mentor.
Riaz Sharif: This is. This is why. This is why I’m always curious about whenever [01:06:45] I see, like, a, you know, a mother and a daughter, a mother and a son. And obviously they’re like their role model. [01:06:50] They’re they’re driving and pushing their daughter or son to become someone their, their best friend, you know, in [01:06:55] some cases, you know, and but that they’ve got that setting, that family setting that I believe that I like to understand, [01:07:00] uh, or would have liked to have understood. Now, now I’m okay. Now I’ve grown up and [01:07:05] I’ve overcome that. But back then I missed it, I wanted it, I craved it, and are you. [01:07:10]
Payman Langroudi: Still looking for your own mother?
Riaz Sharif: Yeah, I am, yeah, I am. This is [01:07:15] this goes back to our question. Who else will be on that table? Yeah. My birth mother’s mother. Oh [01:07:20] of course. Yeah. And I know I don’t know where she is, but, [01:07:25] uh.
Payman Langroudi: How did you if you if if you were sitting in front of her now, [01:07:30] what would you say?
Riaz Sharif: I just want to ask her if she’s proud of me. Oh.
Payman Langroudi: Of course [01:07:35] she is.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. It’s complicated because, you know, it makes me emotional. But I [01:07:40] like to make her proud. Whoever she was, you know, she put me on this earth.
Payman Langroudi: That’s [01:07:45] beautiful.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. And it’s, you know, whether she’s proud or happy or she’s, you know, whatever she is, [01:07:50] how she feels looking at me on that table, I just like to look at her and be like, mum, you know, I hope [01:07:55] you’re well.
Payman Langroudi: I love that.
Riaz Sharif: I love you.
Payman Langroudi: Well, could have been anything right. But you’ve [01:08:00] come on. Come to that.
Riaz Sharif: Yeah. It’s weird because you can’t, you know, you, you know, get [01:08:05] emotional, but you form a connection with somebody you don’t even know. Yeah. And it’s unusual. And [01:08:10] that’s that’s the unusual part of being a human. You don’t know. You know, some emotions are weird, aren’t they? You don’t [01:08:15] know. You can’t express them or explain them. But, yeah, she was on that table. [01:08:20] I just want to be like, mum, I hope you’re well. Um. I’ve done good. Well, [01:08:25] yeah. Uh. Third person. Yeah. Uh, keep me on [01:08:30] my mind. Right again. Oh, it’s a mosque.
Payman Langroudi: Okay.
Riaz Sharif: Uh, CEO of SpaceX [01:08:35] and Tesla. Yeah. He’s, uh, people like him inspire me because they’re. They’re visionaries [01:08:40] that believe he’s extraordinary. Man. He’s a very.
Payman Langroudi: Whatever you want to say about him. He is extraordinary.
Riaz Sharif: He’s [01:08:45] a very ordinary man. I don’t yeah, he has a vision and he goes for it. And he makes he makes it. He comes to life. [01:08:50] Yeah. And this is, you know, I don’t believe all my ideas come to life, but I’m the sort of guy that if I have an idea [01:08:55] or I want to do something, I set my mind to it. I want it to come to life. I don’t want to sit there and put it to stone [01:09:00] and it will never happen. And so, like you said, in five years, I want my life to be very different. I want it to [01:09:05] be very stable, happy. I want to help people around me. I want to be on a platform where I can help people on [01:09:10] a bigger scale, you know? And it all starts from now. So I believe I’m in the right profession to start. [01:09:15] Start it with.
Payman Langroudi: Oh, nice. Yeah. And the final question [01:09:20] tends to be a deathbed question. Yeah. Three pieces of advice for your loved [01:09:25] ones. Um.
Riaz Sharif: Stay resilient. Never go. Never give up on your goals. [01:09:30] And don’t let someone’s opinion of you become your reality. Les [01:09:35] brown. You know that that quote. He said that Les Brown. But it’s the best quote that I could ever [01:09:40] stand by. Because we live in this life where people tell us what they think we are, and we [01:09:45] and most people live by that until they’re dead. Or they or they, you know, until they get older and they let someone. [01:09:50]
Payman Langroudi: Else define you.
Riaz Sharif: Absolutely. They miss out on opportunities because of someone’s expectation or [01:09:55] opinion of them. And I think like that shouldn’t be that shouldn’t be true because you need to believe in your own [01:10:00] ability, your own, you know, your own driving force and your own what you desire in your life and make [01:10:05] it come true. You’re the only person who you need to prove that point to. And that’s what I would tell people around me [01:10:10] on my deathbed. Yeah, just keep going. Don’t ever give up on it. And [01:10:15] just don’t ever have any regrets about what you missed, what you could have done in your life. Just do what you can [01:10:20] do. Yeah, true. That’s it. And set realistic [01:10:25] goals. You know, I think that’s the next thing. And when when we set goals higher than what we think, you [01:10:30] know, we can’t accomplish. And we get let down by them, don’t we? So set realistic goals. And like [01:10:35] you said as well, you said, you mentioned a few times in the podcast just take steps. Don’t you don’t need to rush. Just [01:10:40] let the process unfold when it needs to unfold and hopefully it leads to beautiful places. So [01:10:45] that’s it.
Payman Langroudi: It’s been a massive inspiration, man. It really it really, [01:10:50] really has. You know, when you came on the course, you I thought you were a bit quiet. You were [01:10:55] a quiet guy. And I thought, what’s wrong with him, man? Yeah. Um, but it’s [01:11:00] been a massive honour.
Riaz Sharif: To listen to. So much was going on that, of course, we didn’t really get much time to [01:11:05] speak to you. But yeah, it was, um. Yeah, he’s amazing man.
Payman Langroudi: Thank you so much.
Riaz Sharif: I appreciate you so much. [01:11:10]
Payman Langroudi: Thank you so much for, you.
Riaz Sharif: Know, thanks for.
Payman Langroudi: Coming here.
Riaz Sharif: Thank you so much.
[TRANSITION]: Appreciate it. [01:11:15]
[VOICE]: This is Dental Leaders, the podcast where you get to [01:11:20] go one on one with emerging leaders in dentistry. Your [01:11:25] hosts Payman Langroudi and Prav Solanki. [01:11:30]
Prav Solanki: Thanks for listening, guys. If you got this far, you must have listened to the whole thing. [01:11:35] And just a huge thank you both from me and pay for actually sticking through and listening to [01:11:40] what we had to say and what our guests has had to say, because I’m assuming you got some value out of [01:11:45] it.
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