We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Conor Perrin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Conor below.

Conor, appreciate you joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

Deciding to go solo is one of the scariest things to do. I was an associate at an office in South Bay and wasn’t happy with the level of autonomy I was given, in addition to many of the protocols in place at the particular office. I thought about trying to find another place, but many of my friends who associated at other offices had similar concerns. All of this made me start to think about finding my own office. Due to my age and years out of school, many brokers that I spoke with didn’t take me seriously, and I didn’t have many connections to other dentists in the area I wanted to eventually live in, so I started to lean toward a scratch startup.

I was fortunate to find an amazing contractor and designer who made the construction process very easy. By far the biggest challenge so far has been getting patients to hear about us and marketing, as I should have heavily invested in it 3 months before opening, rather than two weeks before. It’s important to also have your vision narrowed down on prior to design, as the office design needs to highly reflect the type of office you want. FFS? Fewer ops, splashier design. PPO heavy? Cram as many operatories in as possible!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I created The Tooth Co., I wanted it to feel like you aren’t at a normal dental office, but rather something much more inviting and comfortable. We’re a premier modern dental studio located in Irvine, California. Our office provides innovative and concierge-level service to transform your next dental visit offering all general dentistry procedures, and also cosmetic dentistry services, such as veneers and bonding. Our dentist integrates digital workflows, conservative biomimetic techniques, and 3D printing + design to solve all dental needs.

I pride my practice on attentive and customized one-on-one approach on a testament to never rushing or double booking your session while providing honest and thorough treatment recommendations. To further elevate your visit to The Tooth Co., he has also devised a novel patient “comfort menu” with selections ranging from warm lavender-scented towelettes to anti-anxiety drops all in the solace of your very own private suite.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?

This is definitely one of the toughest things to do, as few banks will lend without a significant downpayment for the loan. During my schooling, I was fortunate to receive several academic scholarships which definitely helped reduce my school loans. I highly recommend everyone start here, do as absolute best you can and get involved in some EC’s. When you apply to these scholarships, this will help you out!

As for right after graduation, I moved into a much cheaper apartment, didn’t go out and buy a car, and saved as sbsolutely much as I could the first year and a half after school. These savings made it easy to qualify for a larger loan at several banks. I can’t stress this enough: live conservatively right after school!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“Build it and they will come.”

This isn’t a business model! Though I had a pretty office ready to go last year, it was a tough adjustment seeing people not flow in immediately. You have to have a very well thought out marketing strategy to help people know about your office! SEO, social media, etc: all of this should be in place to get the train moving! And every aspect of the experience that a patient touches must be EXCELLENT. This is the best way to ensure patients tell their friends and family about you.

Contact Info:

• Website: thetoothco.com
• Instagram: @the.tooth.co
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thetoothco.oc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheToothCo.