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Top dentist offers investment opportunity

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An award-winning dentist plans to expand his network of practices through crowdfunding – a first for UK dentistry.

Dr Biju Krishnan runs dentistry clinics in London's Harley Street and Edinburgh, counting celebrities like Holly Willoughby among his patients.
 
Now the award-winning dentist plans to set up a network of VIP Smiles practices in hundreds of locations across Britain and is launching with 12 high profile dental cosmetic clinics.
And In the bid to expand his empire, Dr Krishnan is looking for financial support from hundreds of online backers.

He said: 'Dentistry in the UK has seen nothing like this until now. Crowdfunding is still in its infancy in Britain, but it is a superb way for ordinary people to invest modest sums of money in the most exciting start up businesses.
 
'With the banks struggling and stocks and shares flat, backing a new business is one of the few investments which can still deliver a handsome return.
 
'Normally it is only venture capitalists or other big money investors like the TV Dragons who can afford to take the risk, because untried businesses are looking for tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds at a time.

'Depending on the level of investment they make they could even receive these treatments for free and unlike other investments where it can often take a while to reap the rewards, with VIP Smiles you can experience benefits instantly.”

For VIP Smiles, every investor will be given an ‘A-List card' entitling them to an exclusive discounted cosmetic dental treatment price list at all VIP Smiles practices for life and a range of other benefits.

Dr Krishnan has around 12 established, independent cosmetic dental practices across the UK keen to work with the VIP Smiles programme.

Each will pay to be part of the network, with access to training, favourable deals with the biggest name dental suppliers and a pipeline of customers keen to undergo high-quality treatments endorsed by celebrities.

To take part in the VIP Smiles crowdfunding project, visit http://www.crowdcube.com/investment/vip-smiles-10506  and more information about Lubiju can be found at www.lubiju.co.uk

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I have grave reservations about this idea. What sort of high pressure selling techniques will be used to get the public to pay huge sums for work on their teeth, not necessarily needed?

Posted by toothgerm 30/1/12 at 16:36

Actually, there is standardisation of costs for all the treatments which will be openly published. So if anything there is far greater transparency than exists at present.

Posted by drbkrishnan@gmail.com 30/1/12 at 17:39

Barf...another 'award winning' 'top dentist' who treats 'celebrities'.
Don't forget, a similar 'top surgeon' did this http://www.global-report.com/vikijournal/images/en/152866.jpg The 'top' dentists are cast in the same mould IMHO.

--This post was last edited on 30/1/12 at 21:10--

Posted by DrTeeth666 30/1/12 at 21:02

drbkrishnan@gmail.com wrote:
Actually, there is standardisation of costs for all the treatments which will be openly published. So if anything there is far greater transparency than exists at present.

Bet not too many people get turned away eh ;-)?

Posted by DrTeeth666 30/1/12 at 21:10

Let the suckers invest the money and loose it all in a few years time.

Posted by Expat 30/1/12 at 21:36

My cheque's already in the post! I can easily afford it since that lovely Nigerian prince let me know that I had unexpectedly inherited £150,0000, and all I had to do was let him know my full bank account details and he would pay the money straight into my account. No wucking furries, as my Australian relatives might put it!

Posted by docholliday 30/1/12 at 22:02

Standardisation of costs was not the point of issue. My concern re high pressure salesmanship to 'brainwash' the client into having (expensive) treatment they might not need has not been adressed. Remember the so-called pop star Tulisa and her veneers? Once again the dentists concerned claimed to be the dentist of choice for celebs. Sorry, but this selling syndrome purely to make loads of money does not help the image of a profession already reckoned to be money grabbing vultures by the public. I was brought up on preventive dentistry, and that was my philosophy.

Posted by toothgerm 30/1/12 at 23:28

I'll be amazed if the authorities allow this. I thought I'd seen it all but this is trawling new depths.

Posted by gordie 31/1/12 at 07:36

I can't access the business plan for this.

Who are tye 3 clinical directors and how will they decide what the fee structure is to make a fit all for the UK given that the NHS has failed dismally in this aspect.

Your pitch doesn't make sense in terms of practice sign up £2,500 per quarter totalling £10,000 but you want £12,000 or pay £10,000 in advance.

Posted by upnorthgdp 31/1/12 at 08:39

There's undertstandable concern about high pressure sales tactics as this has been common of late. However with this model that is not the case as it is not VIP Smiies that will be selling the treatment. The practices that are involved are already well respected, established practices with dentists on board who are recognised among their peer group as some of the best in the country. Most of them lecture nationally and internationally and have demonstrated excellence in many ways. Nothing will change in terms of what they are doing on a day to day basis. All VIP Smiles will be doing is sendng patients to them, it will not be selling to patients directly. It will be up to those practices involved to assess each case and prescribe the most approprite treatment. Preventative dentistry is the cornerstone of all good dentistry however patients will seek cosmetic treatments. All VIP Smiles will be doing is sending them to a practice nearby that can deliver excellence at a standardised cost. Any practice or dentist who believes it can demonstrate this level of excellence can come on board.

Posted by drbkrishnan@gmail.com 31/1/12 at 17:41

I've heard this all before: top dentists, respected by their peers. So as you seem to be actively involved with VIP Smiles, drbkrishnan, spill the beans and give us some names so WE can be the judge as to the respect and esteem we hold them.

Posted by toothgerm 31/1/12 at 22:42

I concur with some of the previous remarks..top dentist blah blah blah..treats celebrities blah blah.No doubt ,as all ` top dentists ` seem to be will be on the editorial board of the quality dental press who rather strangely have a knack of self -promotion.
When is the GDC going to wake up to the needless destruction of healthy teeth for these so called smile make overs.. we do ourselves and the profession no favours in hiding behind the rather spurious arguement of of patient choice.If there is some sort of self validation in saying we have so called celebrities as patients then we are falling victim to the `celebrity` culture which has infected our society.

Posted by hatches 31/1/12 at 22:47

quite right toothgerm/hatches-too many flannel merchants in dentistry these days. We get phone calls every week-"would you like more private patients?"etc-just pay x.

Posted by gordie 1/2/12 at 07:22

The cynicism is understandable. And I can't agree more about the celebrity angle - it potentially cheapens what is in essence an extremely professional and clinically excellent standard of patient care backed by respected dentists.
Not sure why there are continuing remarks about hacking teeth to bits though? This is a somewhat outdated view of good cosmetic dentistry especially in the era of short-term ortho and no-prep/minimally invasive restorative techniques. Possibly some training issues and updating required...
The two clinical directors are firstly Dr David Bloom, former president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He has a special interest in short-term orthodontics and minimally invasive restorative techniques which he lectures on extensively nationally and internationally. Secondly Dr David Winkler who is the founding president of the Scandinavian Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, past-president of the European Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, and president-elect of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry and who is just about to take over the Presidency of the International Federation of Esthetic Dentistry, probably one of the most respected positions in the dental world and has under it's governance almost 30 Academies for aesthetic excellence including the the BACD, BAAD, AAC and over 25 others globally.
They will oversee clinical standards, ethical issues, training and suitability of practices to be part of the scheme. If you feel you can satisfy the demanding requirements of the clinical directors to be part of the scheme then feel feel to apply, it would only be to your benefit and that of your patients, otherwise I wouldn't be expecting a call any time soon...

--This post was last edited on 1/2/12 at 12:35--

Posted by drbkrishnan@gmail.com 1/2/12 at 10:07

I regard it as poor form to mention celebrity names. What "awards" has this dentist won? I have never heard of him. I have never heard of any of the other wonderful dentists mentioned, and I do try and keep up to date. Am I jealous, hell no. Am I sickened by all of this, hell yes. Am I out of touch with reality? I hope not!

Posted by dannypretorius 1/2/12 at 15:57

drbkrishnan@gmail.com wrote:
The cynicism is understandable. And I can't agree more about the celebrity angle - it potentially cheapens what is in essence an extremely professional and clinically excellent standard of patient care backed by respected dentists.
Not sure why there are continuing remarks about hacking teeth to bits though? This is a somewhat outdated view of good cosmetic dentistry especially in the era of short-term ortho and no-prep/minimally invasive restorative techniques. Possibly some training issues and updating required...
The two clinical directors are firstly Dr David Bloom, former president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He has a special interest in short-term orthodontics and minimally invasive restorative techniques which he lectures on extensively nationally and internationally. Secondly Dr David Winkler who is the founding president of the Scandinavian Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, past-president of the European Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, and president-elect of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry and who is just about to take over the Presidency of the International Federation of Esthetic Dentistry, probably one of the most respected positions in the dental world and has under it's governance almost 30 Academies for aesthetic excellence including the the BACD, BAAD, AAC and over 25 others globally.
They will oversee clinical standards, ethical issues, training and suitability of practices to be part of the scheme. If you feel you can satisfy the demanding requirements of the clinical directors to be part of the scheme then feel feel to apply, it would only be to your benefit and that of your patients, otherwise I wouldn't be expecting a call any time soon...

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Posted by fastgirl 2/2/12 at 18:01

How can this be taken seriously when it says that the clinical directors will oversee the clinical standards, ethical issues and training and suitability of practices when Dr. David Bloom is a bankrupt. I'm sure that practices won't be falling over themselves to get his approval when he is is this position of having failed and owing many many of us in the trade loads of money !! Do investors know this as I'm certain it would put them off knowing this. I thought you weren't
allowed to be a director of a company if this was the case.

Posted by fastgirl 2/2/12 at 18:07