Episode 153: Dr. Dimple Desai and Luminous Smiles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFBFU64O-TU Dr. Dimple Desai and Her Career in Cosmetic Dentistry The following podcast has been lightly edited for flow. To enjoy the audio conversation, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11pxopvZ9Fq2Tk2OrGS96Ttyo7XfndvHC/view?usp=sharing Carrie Webber: Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber, and we are back recording live episodes at the AACD annual meeting in Grapevine in Texas. I am so thrilled to have with us today our Jameson marketing client, Dr. Dimple Desai from Newport Beach, California. Dr. Desai, thank you so much for joining me. Dr. Dimple Desai: Thank you for having me. Carrie Webber: Now, I can't wait for this conversation because we have just met. You've been working with my team, but I haven't had the privilege of getting to know you, so this is going to be my opportunity to learn just as much about your story as everybody else. Dr. Desai’s Beginnings in Dentistry Dr. Desai practices extraordinary aesthetic dentistry in Newport Beach, California. When you're walking around the AACD meeting, she's on videos, she's in the magazines. Your work is incredible. I would love to know how this all started for you. Tell me a little bit about your story in dentistry. What led you to dentistry, and especially what led you to this specific focus in dentistry? Dr. Dimple Desai: So when I was, I believe 13 or 14, my mom's local dentist needed an assistant. So my mom said, “Hey, Dimple, do you want to go help out?” I said, “Sure.” So that was my first real exposure. Thereafter, I knew I wanted to do something in healthcare. At 17, I started school at USC, and I didn't know what to do. I was like a lost puppy. Mind you, I'm also the first female who ever went to college in my family. So I didn't really have any guidance or support. I just had to figure it out and take it from there. So I went to the counselor and I said, “I need help. What do I do? This is where I want to be, but I just don't know which avenue to take.” So she said, “Well, why don't you look into dentistry? The dental school is on campus. Go on over there.” So next thing you know, I was there every single week, and they would hear my footsteps and the admissions director's name was Mark Mitchell. He would hear me, “Is it Dimple? Is that you again? Oh my God, You're too much.” I said, “Mark, you know, I'm 17. I don't know what to do. I need help. I think I'm going to be a dentist.” He said, “Okay, so let's help you out here.” So they had a program where you can go through dental hygiene school and then move on to dental school so you can shave off a year from dental school. At that time, that's what sounded good. And he said the same. You can learn great chairside manners, practice dental hygiene, which is a great career in itself, and build your skills to that level. So I did everything he told me to and started dental hygiene school at USC my third and fourth year. I did all the prerequisites and so forth. Thereafter I finished, and I decided to work six days a week and make a little bit of money. So I practiced dental hygiene for two years and then went back to dental school and the rest is history. Then obviously I got married, I had my children, and so I was just an associate, but I would always go to continuing education courses. I never stopped and I'd come back Monday morning super hyped like everybody else from learning and ready to implement. However, it's different when you're an associate and you're not able to implement right away because you have an employer who's not always on board. Desai Opens Luminous Smiles and Focuses in on Cosmetic Dentistry So finally I decided that I need to practice dentistry the way I want to, and I opened Luminous Smiles. I call it my third child. It's five years old now,