By Tony Raggatt, Townsville Bulletin, June 23rd, 2010.

TOWNSVILLE-based listed dental management group 1300 Smiles Ltd received a big wrap in the Business Review Weekly's recent report on Australia's wealthiest 200 people.

The firm headed by dentist Daryl Holmes was described as one of Melbourne property magnate John Gandel's "better investments".

Mr Gandel has built a fortune estimated at more than $3 billion in shopping centres and is said to have increased his wealth by around $300 million in the past year.

1300 Smiles shares are trading around $3.20, about four times their 2005 listing price.

Mr Holmes was chuffed to receive the endorsement.

He said having Mr Gandel on the share register gave them enormous credibility in southern markets.

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The morning dental session keeps his hand in and, besides, he says he likes doing it.

The rest of the time he runs the listed 1300Smiles, which operates 20 dental practices with about 100 chairs, almost all in Queensland.

1300 provides rooms, equipment, and back-office support to self-employed dentists, and Holmes, the company's founder, says the dentists usually earn more than if they run a solo practice. 1300 also employs dentists.

The company listed five years ago with no underwriter and no stockbroker's name attached to the prospectus. It was a no-frills effort and that's the way Holmes, 45, has kept it, with the annual reports containing his homespun letter to shareholders.

He owns 70 per cent of the company and reels off a string of maxims about how he runs the show.

''Don't rip people off, try to keep improving your company, don't overpay for businesses, don't over-leverage, be frugal and stick to your knitting,'' he says.

It seems to be working. The shares which 1300SMILES - its phone number is plastered on billboards in Queensland - issued at 80¢ five years ago are now fetching $3.06.

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Coming in 8TH on BRW's Australia's Wealthiest People list is John Gandel ($3.03 Billion).

Gandel lists 1300SMILES as one of his better share investments.

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1300SMILES is a stock that has the attention of Smart Investor writers.

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