Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Ashkan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dr. Ashkan, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

Since the start of dental school, I really knew I wanted to own my own practice. The idea of being able to work for myself, to set my own schedule, and make my own decisions were some of the reasons I wanted to become a dentist in the first place. So, I always had it in mind to start my own office because you can really only do those things as the business owner. And I come from a family that has experience with real estate, so the goal was to find a space that we could purchase instead of lease.

There are two main steps in starting a dental office. One is finding a location. And the second is knowing how much you qualify for. And there’s two ways of going about it. You can find an already established dental office that is for sale, or you can build a practice from scratch, both with their own pros and cons. What I noticed in the LA and OC areas was that the good dental practices that were for sale were already so expensive and the dental practices that were cheaper needed a lot of financial investment into bringing them up to speed in terms of dental technology, functionality, and the esthetics of the office. For me personally, I really wanted to build a brand, so I wanted to do it from scratch so that I could really create a space that was what I had envisioned for so long.

Because I ended up owning the real estate in addition to the practice, there were quite a few steps and hoops to jump through to get to the finish line. We started with finding the space first. With the price of real estate, especially in California, it was hard to find a space that we could qualify for, but that was also zoned for medical/dental. Because if it’s not zoned for medical/dental, you must go through another process to just get that approved. Qualifying for a commercial loan is also different than a residential loan and so we learned that the down payment would be far more than the 20% typically necessary for residential real estate. And then you have to take into consideration the dental practice loan as well. So getting approved for the real estate loan and dental practice loan was a headache and a story in itself. We finally found a lender that could do both and thus began the process of opening. When building a dental office from scratch, you must find an architect and engineers that can design the space for you. They work within the space’s limitations and code while bringing your vision to life. Once their work is done, the plans head to the city for approval. That itself takes months and likely requires changes to the plans to suffice the city’s regulations. And once the city finally approves the plans, the construction begins. I think the biggest challenges I had, always involved construction. The headaches, surprises, and delays were mostly construction related and not something you can really prepare for no matter how many warnings the contractor or friends and family give you.

If I could have done it differently, I would have looked for a smaller space to start. A smaller space would have been cheaper to purchase, saving me a good amount of money to start. And construction costs would have been far less as well. A big office is great in the long run, but I think it is more affordable and less stressful when you start with a smaller space and think about going bigger for the second practice.

My best advice for a young dentist looking to open his or her own office is to start yesterday. The process to even find a practice or find a space takes longer than you would imagine. Qualifying for the bank loan takes longer than you would expect. And construction always takes longer than they first lead you on to believe. I think it’s a great idea to go for it, I think most of my colleagues tend to be happier as the business owner. Stressed in a different way, yes, but generally a better stress. But the sooner you start, the better.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I certainly wasn’t one of those people who always knew he was going to be a dentist. Persian parents are notorious for the stereotype of telling their kids you can only be “a doctor, lawyer, or engineer”. And I come from two parents who are both engineers. So growing up I tended to be much better at math and physics than biology and chemistry. But my parents encouraged me to become a dentist for a couple of reasons and so I went through undergrad pursuing a biology major. The summer leading up to my senior year I still wasn’t sure, but I did a dental volunteer trip to Costa Rica and fell in love with dentistry. Watching the local dentist at work, I loved the idea of being able to use my hands, but more so being able to give back and really make a difference for someone. And from that volunteer experience on I knew I wanted to be a dentist. And it’s still something I do to this day. I’ve done volunteer trips to Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, Fiji, Haiti, and Kenya and eventually would like to have my own non profit doing volunteer trips around the world.

At our office, which is a general dentistry office, we do the normal exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns type of work. But we also do more advanced procedures including root canals, clear aligners, extractions including wisdom teeth, implants, and cosmetic work as well. I did an extra year of advanced training after dental school and so I really like to do those types of procedures.

What sets me apart from other dentists and what I’m most proud of, overlap really. First and foremost, I really pride myself on quality dentistry. I’m so competitive and I am my own toughest critic, I really care about providing the best dental care for the patient. And secondly, I want to provide a fun atmosphere for the patient and staff. Some doctors put on a professional demeanor when they get to work, very normal and understandable, but I try to be the same person I would be outside of work too. I’ll joke around, I’ll have conversations with staff and patients the same I would with a friend. So the quality of work combined with the practice vibes and culture is what I try to push more than anything else.

It’s funny, I’ve been asked before about my passion for dentistry. I tell people I’m not passionate about dentistry, I honestly say I’m passionate about helping people. I think that first volunteer trip I took really opened my eyes to the rest of the world and I really understood, for the first time, the things in life we take for granted. Don’t get me wrong, I still really do love dentistry. But really, I just want to help people and put a smile on their face. It just turns out that I’m just really good at dentistry and that’s my way of doing it.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

It’s not so much a lesson I’ve had to unlearn as a personality trait I’ve had to rein in. I tend to be on the more competitive side, I think my friends would definitely attest to that. That being said, I sometimes struggle with comparing myself to my peers because of this. Before, I would always question “how does so and so already have a practice when I don’t” or “so and so is making so much money and I’m not”. Comparing yourself to others is the worst thing you could mentally. While it’s good to use others’s success as motivation, when you start doubting yourself because of that, that’s when it becomes an issue and a mental hurdle that’s completely self inflicted. Running your own race, staying true to yourself is so much healthier mentally, it’s just a constant battle. Having supportive friends and family is a gift I don’t take for granted. I wouldn’t be here without my brother and parents especially for their constant encouragement that my time would come.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than the dental training needed to perform the work, having a business mind is so important. You can make great money becoming a dentist and working for someone for the rest of your life. But at some point your income is capped and you’re still working for someone. But if you have any kind of business acumen, you can grow exponentially in dentistry. To be your own boss, to make more money, to have more freedom, that comes with becoming a businessman or businesswoman. You’ll need the personality, patience, and savvy to manage staff and patients while running the office profitably.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashdentalstudio.com
• Instagram: dr.ash.dds