Overcoming hurdles to realise a dream, couple opens dental clinic

Despite the obstacles they faced in building a new dental clinic, ‘Flawless Dental’, 27-year-old Danesh Persaud and 31-year-old Joanne Beejaimal remained dedicated to their vision of becoming entrepreneurs who could practise dentistry on their own terms.
“It was a long, tiring, exhausting and mentally challenging [process]. However, when we look back at it, and what we have accomplished, it was more than worth all the late nights we stayed up to communicate with suppliers and crying to each other about online orders that got misplaced. The driving force was that we love dentistry and we wanted to be able to provide our services at a high standard of care in an office that we created,” they have said.

These two persons, who have been in a relationship for four years and are now engaged for ten months, have always dreamed of practising dentistry independently. Speaking with this publication on Monday, they recalled some of the challenges they faced from the time of signing the rental contract with their landlord to the time of fully completing the building.
“From the moment we signed the contract with the landlady, the wheels started turning. At first we thought the entire infrastructural works would be done in about 1 month; it took 5 months. Joanne’s dad and mom came from Berbice on the weekends and helped, along with Danesh’s entire family. [On] Sunday evenings, we would take them back to Berbice and come back on Monday to start working again,” they shared.
Another major challenge faced by the couple was balancing their day jobs while setting up their office space, which saw a lot of sacrifices being made by Dr. Persaud, who wore many hats to ensure the job was done correctly. Another challenge was offsetting expenses and sourcing materials and equipment while the office was not yet functioning.

“There were so many responsibilities to take care of at once. We needed to be practising dentistry and treating patients and at the same time [source] the right materials and labour to prepare the new office. Getting a dental office set up is very specific, with [the] placement of equipment etc. It came to a point where Dr. Beejaimal alone was practising and Dr. Persaud was over at the new building helping with construction, plumbing, wiring, etc himself,” the couple told iNews.
Reflecting on the most defining moments of their careers as they both pursued a Bachelor of Dental Surgery Degree at the University of Guyana, the young couple shared that it was when they both graduated that they developed a love for dentistry and was sure it was what they wanted to do.
“When I graduated, I was given the opportunity to do a post-internship stint with one of Guyana’s best dentists, Dr Sengupta, where I was able to gather a vast amount of knowledge. This is when I knew for a fact I loved this profession. I then joined the Public Sector, and was limited with what I could have practised. I then started lecturing at [the] University of Guyana, and this once again piqued my interest. But when I decided to practise privately, it was the best decision I made. It definitely turned things around for me, and I love what I do now,” Dr. Beejaimal shared.
“After graduating and starting to practice at the very first office I worked at in Berbice, I knew I wanted to practise this level of dentistry and be able to deliver this kind of care to my patients. I was invested and intrigued beyond words. Working at the second office just reinforced how badly I loved this field. These were definitely when I knew I would want to excel in every aspect of dentistry,” Dr. Persaud added.

They shared that running a private office, treating patients, being able to provide dental care at the highest level and standard, and [at] the same moment being a receptionist and an accountant is sometimes challenging. It is the love for what they do and the support of their teammates that keep them inspired.
“This is only possible with an amazing partner and team. We find that (responsibility of running a dental clinic) possible (for) each other and the teammates that we have. Even though it’s challenging to keep everything running smoothly, our eagerness to practise and learn and provide excellent dental care is what makes us continue,” they shared.
‘Flawless Dental’ is fully registered with the Business Registry as well as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), and is owned and managed by dental surgeons licensed and registered with the Dental Council of Guyana.
The clinic, located at 161 Lusignan Public Road, East Coast Demerara, offers a wide range of dental services, including Preventive, Implant, Cosmetic, Restorative, Family, Pediatric, and General Dentistry, as well as prosthodontics and oral surgery.