<p>Nik Sethi returns to the podcast four years after his first appearance alongside brother Sanjay, and what&#39;s changed reads like a masterclass in professional evolution. </p><p>Now president of BAAD and founder of the Elevate education platform, Nik&#39;s story isn&#39;t about flashy techniques or groundbreaking discoveries—it&#39;s about something far more valuable. He&#39;s built his success on a simple premise that many overlook: getting the foundations right matters more than chasing the last 5%. </p><p>Through honest reflections on juggling multiple practices, raising young children, and navigating the occasional courier disaster, Nik reveals how surrounding yourself with the right people and mastering the basics can transform not just your dentistry, but your entire relationship with the profession. </p><p>His approach to breaking complex cases into manageable checkpoints, leveraging technology for better communication, and building genuine relationships through dental academies offers a blueprint for sustainable success that doesn&#39;t require sacrificing your evenings or your sanity.</p><p><br><strong>In This Episode</strong></p><p>00:02:10 - Return to the podcast</p><p>00:08:00 - BAAD presidency and academy culture</p><p>00:13:30 - Young BAAD initiative</p><p>00:16:05 - Post-COVID events and networking value</p><p>00:20:30 - Career transitions and taking the plunge</p><p>00:23:15 - Keys to staying happy in dentistry</p><p>00:26:10 - Elevate education platform origins</p><p>00:28:00 - Focusing on foundations over the last 5%</p><p>00:29:00 - Patient communication and relationship building</p><p>00:36:50 - Building the Elevate diploma</p><p>00:40:15 - Business ventures and collaboration</p><p>00:57:25 - Learning from Dev Patel and Dental Beauty</p><p>01:00:55 - Drew Shah and Dentinal Tubules influence</p><p>01:02:40 - Leadership and financial education</p><p>01:04:15 - Spinning multiple plates</p><p>01:07:15 - Hands-on course disasters and problem solving</p><p>01:18:05 - Lab relationships and communication</p><p>01:25:15 - Trust and long-term lab partnerships</p><p>01:31:20 - Physical impressions versus digital scanning</p><p>01:33:15 - Using digital technology for patient education</p><p>01:37:00 - Direct versus indirect treatment decisions</p><p>01:38:05 - Check scans and real-time lab communication</p><p>01:40:00 - Managing patient expectations and workflows</p><p>01:42:30 - Complex case treatment planning in stages</p><p>01:46:00 - Importance of mastering the basics</p><p>01:50:35 - Materials knowledge and reducing variables</p><p>01:54:00 - Continuous learning and accepting failures</p><p><br></p><p><strong>About Nikhil Sethi</strong></p><p>Nikhil Sethi is a restorative dentist and current president of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BAAD). He practises at Square Mile Dental Centre in London with his brother Sanjay and colleague Amit, and runs a second practice in Essex. During the COVID lockdown, Nik founded Elevate, an education platform focused on teaching foundational principles in restorative dentistry through webinars and hands-on courses.</p>