32nd Small Business Award Winner - Dr Ved Berani - Healthy Smiles Dental Group
Dr Ved Berani is the founder and principal dentist of Healthy Smiles Dental Group in Blackburn, Melbourne, Victoria – a unique dental practice that specialises in high quality services and sleep Dentistry for patients who are phobic and anxious about going to the dentist. They are a holistic practice that believes in their patients being the center of their world. Dr Ved’s unique and empathetic approach to dentistry as well as his inspirational story made him the deserving winner of the 32nd Annual Small Business Award.
Dr Ved Berani pictured with Joseph Assaf AO, Founder and Chairman of the EBA
Dr Ved was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in India and migrated to Australia in 2001. Born into a medical family, where both his parents are doctors, he completed his dental degree in Bombay where he graduated at the top of the university.
Q: What brought Dr Ved to Australia?
A: Wanting to explore something more challenging than just stepping straight into his father’s practice, he looked into migrating to Australia to further his studies. He arrived here an began his master’s degree at Monash University, however, his family were not in support of his decision to move to Australia, so he was left to his own devices financially.
Q: What struggles were faced upon his arrival in Australia?
A: He states that “I actually found a true meaning of life arriving in Melbourne on my own fending for myself. That's what made me a man. So, I said to myself I have to go find a job.” While studying full-time, he landed the graveyard shift at 7 Eleven for $11/hour, which was a far cry from the comfortable lifestyle he was used to back home – but juggling full time studies with work to make ends meet only strengthened Ved’s resolve to succeed.
Soon after graduating, Dr Ved married his wife Priyanka, who is also the co-founder of the business. They had their first child together within 12 months of marriage, so life for the Berani Family was “full on”.
Q: How was the business funded?
A: They opened their practice in 2004. Dr Ved took a large bank loan because as he was a recent graduate and experiencing financial hardship. He was initially turned away by 4 banks due to his lack of assets, until he went to a medical specialist company who agreed to back him. With the fast-growing success of the practice, he was able to pay the entire loan of within a couple of years. In 2020, The Healthy Smiles Dental Group have hit $7.2 million in revenue and today have around 11 practitioners and a support staff of 35.
Around 2008, Dr Ved realised that there was a gap in the market. Patients were coming in and refusing necessary treatment or delaying appointments for long periods of time. After interviewing his patients, he came to the realisation that the issue was deeper than just the financial element of dental treatments. Two factors were at play – fear of the dentist and lack of trust. To solve these two issues, he started the concept of sedation dentistry sleep dentistry.
Starting with oral sedation and laughing gas, this then evolved into conscious sedation where the patient is put to a light sleep. They then began thinking about the next step for the practice which developed Healthy Smiles into the purpose-built practice that it is today.
“Standing next to and with individuals who are super achievers and fighters in their own right will help us dream the impossible”
He states that “Australia is a wonderful country. If you give it 100%, it'll give you 300% back.” He recalls a visit from his father and father-in-law in 2019 for the opening of the new practice. His father had tears in his eyes and told him “Everything I wanted to achieve in my life, you’ve done it”.
In his heartfelt acceptance speech, Dr Ved recalls a time where he was standing outside of his university with 5 dollars in his pocket. He had the choice between putting fuel in his car or having dinner. He filled his car up and went home hungry that evening. His story of success against the odds is so inspirational, as a man who came to Australia with nothing, Dr Ved is now giving so much back to his community. He generously donated the 10 thousand dollar winner’s cheque to an organisation called Sikh Volunteers Australia, who provide free meals to the community without discrimination.
