Many years ago, there were two friends who met at college in London. These ambitious young men shared the same world view and, more importantly to our story, shared the same desire to make the world better. They took separate career paths – one, Ihsaan, qualified as a medical doctor, as well as a dentist and trained as a surgeon. The other, Arif, despite graduating as a geneticist, pursued a career in finance but eventually found his true calling as an entrepreneur. More than 20 years later, Ihsaan and Arif remained friends, successful in their professional lives but wanting more than ever to change the world – and that is where our story begins…
Chapter One: The Opportunity
Ihsaan, working as an oral surgeon in the UK, was growing disillusioned by the negative misconceptions most of his patients had about dentistry. Eight of out ten patients whom he treated told him they ‘hated’ going to the dentist – this was often based on past negative dental experiences, which had caused them anxiety. Ihsaan was frustrated with the lack of resources available to make the treatment experience better.
Moving into the private sector did not really help much either, as he wanted to focus on investing in improving the patient experience; many private practices offered the same dentistry but in fancier rooms. Arif had accompanied Ihsaan throughout his professional journey and felt a genuine empathy towards his struggle. He believed that his standard of care and clinical ability were exceptional and should not be wasted, but shared in abundance to benefit humanity.
One fine summer evening, the two friends met for dinner, which was later followed by a gentle stroll through a leafy London neighbourhood. The topic of Ihsaan's experience with the dental practices he worked in came up, when a spark ignited! Arif turned to Ihsaan and began painting a vision of what a visit to the dentist could look like. Ihsaan was excited by the idea of building a dental practice to the exacting standards he lives by and feels patients deserve, but Arif had bigger plans!
Chapter Two: The Dream
The friends knew that they could never completely remove discomfort from dentistry – no one would ever compare sitting in a dental chair to sitting on a beach – but they did feel strongly that they could drastically improve the patient journey – from beginning to end. They decided to build a new kind of dental experience – one that would espouse a holistic approach to dentistry as an integral part of caring for one’s entire wellbeing.
Ihsaan’s medical background came into play, as he had a unique perspective on how synonymous dental health is with general wellbeing – and, how a person’s mindset can directly affect their potential throughout their life. In order to offer a more comprehensive, holistic experience, the dream broadened to include facial aesthetics and medical treatments. In essence, Arif wanted to ensure that patients visiting any of their practices, wherever it may be, would feel as though they were visiting a peaceful sanctuary – relaxed, confident and even excited about undergoing treatment, with a view to a positive end result that would improve their overall wellbeing. Not satisfied with their evolutionary vision, the friends aspired to a higher purpose - they wanted to help people live healthier, happier and longer lives!
Chapter Three: The Birth
A short while later in their story, Arif was relaxing on a beach on holiday, lulled into a state of bliss by the sound of the waves, the sun on his skin and the blue sky above, when a name floated into his mind: Zental. It was the perfect blend of the calm philosophy he and Ihsaan shared and the patient care they hoped to provide. They took the name and ran with it, building a company around the convergence of calm relaxation and healthcare. Every aspect was thoughtfully designed to offer a calming experience where patients would come to achieve balance and, ultimately bliss. Offering the latest technology to help reduce treatment worries, improve results and the in-chair experience was essential, but for the two friends this was just a starting point.
They thought of every detail in an effort to sooth all the senses and override any anxiety patients might bring with them. Keen to induce the same sort of Zen state that Arif had experienced on vacation, they introduced calming aromatherapy, relaxing music and a beautiful as well as functional interior design into both the waiting area and the surgeries. Also central to their ethos, and represented throughout, were the four elements – earth, water, air and fire – which reflect the interdependence of the various aspects of human health and the need for them all to be in perfect balance.
It took just over a year to not only create the flagship dental practice in Barnet, but a holistic, healthcare brand encapsulating dental, facial aesthetic and medical treatments under one roof. The result is a disruptive and innovative new concept in healthcare that the two friends hope will soon become the new gold standard for patients who expect more, better, friendlier and gentler care. Trust in Calm and experience Zental for yourself.
To discover more about Zental, read Our Philosophy
