Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Delano Hankins Jr.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Dr. Delano Hankins Jr., DDS, also known as Dr. Hank. I knew I wanted to be a dentist from the tender age of nine years old. This firm decision was inspired and encouraged by my childhood dentist, later turned mentor during his adolescent years. After graduating high school, I left Los Angeles and moved to Washington D.C. where I attended Howard University and received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. Soon after graduation, I returned back to my home of Los Angeles and studied at UCLA School of Dentistry where I earned my Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree.
Following dental school, I was hired by my childhood dentist and mentor to serve as an Associate Dentist at the very office that first sparked my interest in dentistry. It was there that I quickly gained popularity due to my excellent work, bedside manner, and unique niche where I combined my love of dentistry and rap. Being coined the “rapping dentist.” I garnered a large following on social media and an outpour of patients who wanted to be under my care. Dr. Hank saw this as an opportunity to create a start-up dental office to constitute my own culture in the field of dentistry. I am now the CEO of HD Dental Studios located at 6101 W Centinela Avenue Suite 280 Culver City, California. I continue to hold the same love and passion for dentistry as I did when I was nine. I am constantly looking for ways to evolve in my craft by taking CE Dentistry Courses throughout the year to stay up-to-date with the current technology to give my patients the best care.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started the journey of finding my start-up dental office in December 2020 and did not open my doors until October 2022. My goal from the beginning was to build a dental start-up instead of purchasing an existing dental office. This is due to me wanting to constitute my own dental practice and create my own culture. The very first location that sparked my interest was located in Marina Del Rey back in April of 2021. I fell in love with the suite and had my realtor send the landlord of the building our letter of intent to lease the space. In June 2021, my realtor and I were informed that the space we initially were set to break ground in had backed out of our deal. This was a major drawback. The loan I was under required me to find a space to operate my practice in one year. If I did not fulfill my end of the bargain, I would be forced to repeat this process the following year. I only had six months to find a place to open my office. In July of 2021, my realtor took me to a modern building in Culver City that needed major work to the vacant suite. But I saw the vision and knew that Suite 280 was going to become my dream office, HD Dental Studios. Following submitting my letter of intent in July of 2021, I signed my lease in January 2022. Construction was only supposed to take six months but ended up taking ten. Permits were initially supposed to take four weeks but ended up taking five months due to COVID. I have had setbacks at every step of this process. I truly appreciate the journey God has put me through to get to this point. Nothing compares to controlling your own destiny.
As you know, we’re big fans of HD Dental Studios. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The name HD Dental Studios is derived from my first and last initials “DH” backward. I am a general dentist that offers a range of services at my practice such as but not limited to: implants, veneers, Invisalign, extractions, inlays/onlays, and sleep apnea. I attract a plethora of patients from the work I produce, beside manner, along with the way I combine my love for dentistry and rap music. One of my music videos “Dr. Hank- Ricky Bobby” currently has over 80,000 views on youtube. I am extremely proud of myself for continuously sticking with both hip hop and dentistry. Too often in my life people have tried to put me in a box and would tell me to just focus on dentistry. God has given me many talents and I embrace them. I know my clients love the fact that I am able to bring a unique brand of dentistry to the table.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The covid 19 crisis has taught me to value God’s timing. We are now in an age where proper planning and preparation when it comes to building an office does not necessarily equate to a fast turnaround in regard to results. I was twenty-seven years old when I first started looking for my dream office space. I did not open my doors until two years later at the age of twenty-nine. What frustrated me the most about the process was the fact that I could not control anything. Up to this point in my life, I was under the impression that the harder your work, the more benefits you would reap. This could potentially still be true, but the biggest lesson I have learned through this process is that God decides when you receive those blessings.
Contact Info:
- Website: hddentalstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatmanhank/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxfmK06mqhn4cPwByqZRZCA
