IDP Advanced Placement Regenerative Endodontics

Regenerative Endodonticist to Advanced Placement International Dentist Program

I hope to be of excellent service throughout my professional life to both of my communities, my home country of India and the USA, where I hope to advance my dental skills to the cutting edge, first by being selected to complete an advanced placement DDS/DMD program and later a residency in my chosen specialty, Endodontics. I completed a 3-year residency experience in Endodontics in India, where I learned a great deal about Endodontics, all of which will help me to excel in an IDP program. I see a natural affinity between the practice of Endodontics and helping the underserved. This is especially true of India, with the largest population on the planet, scarce oral health resources, and limited

access to quality oral health care. My short and mid-term goals are to complete my education in the USA with both an IDP program and a residency in Endodontics after which I look forward to returning to India.

My parents decided to put me in a boarding school at the age of four, where I remained throughout my school years because of the superior quality of boarding schools in India. Like many Indian families, high-quality education has always been our top priority. My family is of humble means amd my boarding school was my parent’s most significant monthly expense, yet they never thought twice about making the sacrifice. I want to help as many people as possible to save their teeth, partly because I know what it is like to be poor.

I was initially exposed to dentistry at twelve because of my mother’s severe dental issues. I was interested in and curious about the prosthetic work I observed during her treatments. In high school, I chose a science track, and my ongoing passion for dentistry mushroomed still further, leading me to dental school, While assisting my professor with root canal treatments, I became engrossed with the anatomical variations I saw in teeth X-rays. I also noticed how our oral medicine and radiology department had many patients diagnosed with dental issues requiring a root canal treatment. Thus, I became passionate early on in Endodontics because I saw it as especially well-suited to India with its vast population and scarce resources.

After finishing dental school, I worked as an associate dentist at the clinic of one of my professors (2012 – 2015). I finished my residency in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics (2015- 2018), spending the next three years in private practice (2018 – 2021).

Endodontics will always stand at the center of my world because it is my community service. It brings me great joy that I have been extensively trained to provide this service to the community. I develop genuine and sincere affection for my patients very quickly. I love them because I love Endodontics, and my patient’s treatments are central to what makes me feel fulfilled as a human being.

Before leaving India in August of 2021, I served as an assistant professor at a dental school for the last two years in India, overlapping with my practice. My principal area of research interest is Regenerative Endodontics. I long to engage in research exploring stem cell applications in regenerative endodontics because I believe it is the most promising emerging technology in dentistry with excellent potential to bring dead teeth back to life or even developing a whole new one. Unfortunately, back in India during my residency, due to a lack of research funding and infrastructure, I did not have the opportunity to engage with or contribute to such research. I am most excited by the fact that US dental schools invest heavily in infrastructure for research, and I hope to have this opportunity soon, and continue to engage with research throughout my career.

I hope to be selected for an IDP because of my passion for innovation in Dentistry. I cultivate and apply my critical thinking skills and capacity for logical analysis with each patient. I have five years of clinical experience, mainly in a fast-paced environment with patients waiting in line. I have performed approximately 1400 endodontic procedures and helped many people to save their teeth.

I was born in Maharashtra State in India, where, like my mother, I learned to speak Marathi. My father comes from south India, and his language, Telugu, was dominant in my family. I am also a near-native speaker of Hindi, our national language. I want to put my Indian languages to work in America caring for Indians in America, the USA’s largest immigrant nationality.

After coming to the USA, I began studying at Durham Tech, where I will soon finish my AAS in Business Administration while completing my EFL courses. I decided on Business Administration and Management to learn the skills required to form a dental practice. I passed the INBDE exam and have shadowed and assisted at private dental clinics as well as helping several worthy non-profit organizations. I have also learned a great deal from dentists on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Thank you for considering my application to your IDP.

IDP Advanced Placement Regenerative Endodontics