Pune's most recommended dentist during COVID-19_Small

2020 / Vol. 10 / Issue-02
Dental Care
Impact of COVID 19
on Dental Practices
Oral Practices
Oral Hygiene in times
of the Covid-19
pandemic
Pune’s Most Recommended
DENTISTS
During C VID-19

From the
EDITOR
FACING
CHALLENGES
WITH A SMILE
hallenges are always around the corner. What
Cmatters is how prepared are we to tackle it.
However, at times, we find ourselves amidst
situations that only are a part of the fiction. The novel
Corona Virus pandemic has been one such situation which
threw everyone off balance.
The medical fraternity has been the worst hit, to say the
least. On one hand, they have proven to be the real saviours
of humankind. On the other, they have been the ones most
infected. As frontline warriors, most medical practitioners
have been fighting the pandemic in COVID Care centres.

However, there are a few that have been fighting the
pandemic in their own way, Dental Practitioners being one
of them.
Dental practitioners come in very close contact with human
saliva and nasal droplets. This proportionately increases
their chances of being infected by a COVID patient -
whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. In the initial
months of the pandemic, dental practitioners were advised
to stop their practice for the time being. However, health
emergencies seldom wait.
What the practitioner's community did during the partial
disruption was to prepare themselves for the times ahead.
Safety gears like PPE kits and gloves were ordered in bulk.
Thorough sanitization of tools, and clinic’s surfaces and
their routine were established and air filters were installed.
Sneha Sinha
sneha@insightssuccess.com
Technology played a huge part in this preparation. To avoid
crowding, online consultations were given and patients who
needed physical attention were called in clinics with prior
appointments.
In this special edition of Insights Success, we bring Pune's
Most Recommended Dentists During Covid-19. These
dentists were quick to respond to the sudden change in the
practice methodology and ensured that no patient that
needed attention was turned down due to the fear of the
pandemic.

14
Dental Care
Impact of COVID 19
on Dental Practices
Artic
iSmyle Dental Centre
Providing Best Functional
and Aesthetic Dental Care
Dr. Sneha’s Multispecialty
Dental Clinic
Specialized Services for
Complete Oral Care
18
08
Cont

30
les
Oral Practices
Oral Hygiene in times of the
Covid-19 pandemic
Soulful Dental Care
Quality Dental Care in a
Comfortable Environment
Sweet Smiles Dental Clinic
Spreading Smiles with
your Safety in Mind
22
ents
26

Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Quality Assurance Team
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Art & Design Head
Art & Picture Editor
Co-designer
Operations Head
Business Development Manager
Asst. Manager
Business Development Lead
Business Development Executive
Technical Head
Technical Specialist
Digital Marketing Manager
SME-SMO Executive
Circulation Manager
Sumita Sarkar
Sneha Sinha
Abhishaj Sajeev
Darshan Parmar
Asha Bange
Karan Gaikwad
Priyanka Rajage
Megha Mishra
Nandan Deshpande
Swapnali Vasaikar
Pawan Jadhav
Ashwini Thakare
Amar Sawant
Pratiksha patil
Amol Wadekar
Atul Dhoran
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October, 2020
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Company Name
Management
Brief
Dental Element Pune
Dr.Sushant Vijay Patil
Consulting
Prosthodontist
Providing complete dental care
Dr. Sneha’s
Multispeciality
Dental Clinic
Sneha Gupta
Practicing Dental
Surgeon
Clinic provides best-in-class and advanced dental services
and has earned great reviews and satisfaction from its
patients.
EmBrace Orthodontic
& Multispeciality
dental clinic
Divya Kharat
Orthodontist
A reputed clinic in Pune.
Facethetics PUNE
facetheticspune.in
Manisha SK
It specializes in providing quality services in Dentistry,
Facial Cosmetics, & Hair Transplant in Pune.
iSmile Dental Care
i-smiledental.com
Dr. Saif Sayed
Founder
At iSmile Dental, we have extensive experience in all aspects
of modern dentistry.
Raunak Dental Polyclinic
Dr Siddharth Jadhav
Providing dental services since 75 years.
Shaheen dental clinic
shaheendentalclinic.business.site
Shaheen Valsangkar
A specialized Dental Clinic.
Soulful Dental Care
soulfuldental.com
Swapnil Rachha
Founder
A modern dental clinic, specialised in Paediatric
Dentistry, advanced diagnostics and treatment of dental
and oral disorders.
Sweet Smile
sweetsmiledental.com
Shilpa Rao
Founder
A highly advanced multispeciality clinic
Teethz Tantras
teethztantra.com
Dr. Prasanna Dhumal
Senior Dentist
A 3-year young team of the dynamic dentist providing all
age dental solutions under one roof.

Dr. Sneha’s Multispecialty
Dental Clinic
Specialized Services for Complete Oral Care
he first step towards staying fit is following hygiene
Tpractices. While we follow most of the hygiene
practices like washing our hands, covering our
mouth while coughing etc., oral-hygiene tends to be the
most neglected factor.
Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential and one should
practice as well as preach about it. Brushing teeth isn’t just
enough. Oral hygiene encompasses taking care of teeth,
tongue, cheek and lip as well. Brushing and flossing twice
daily is a must and so is keeping our tongue clean. Besides,
everyone should visit a dentist every 6 months for a regular
checkup. Helping the citizens of Pune in maintaining good
oral health is Dr. Sneha’s Multispecialty Dental Clinic.
One of the best dental clinic in Pune, Dr. Sneha’s Clinic
provides best-in-class and advanced dental services and has
earned great reviews and satisfaction from its patients.
Dr. Sneha Gupta, Practicing Dental Surgeon for more
than 10 years now shares more details about the clinic.
What services does the clinic offer?
We offer all the services related to Oral & Dental treatments
which include:-
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Braces
Crown & Bridges
Veneers & laminates
Surgery & Oral Cancer treatments
Tooth Extractions
Fixed & Removal prosthesis
Kids Dental treatments
Tooth cleaning & bleaching
Ÿ
Painless Root Canal (RCT)
We have a team of consultant specialize in every branch of
Dentistry.
What is your opinion on the adaptation of novel
technologies in dental science?
In my opinion introduction and adaptation of novel
technology is always beneficial as it enhances the quality of
treatment. Dental Science is a very vast and fast-changing
technology so we have to regularly update ourselves by
attending different dental education programs.
What is your opinion on the shortage of healthcare
facilities and workers to cater to the growing number of
Corona Virus Cases?
Yes, definitely there is a shortage of healthcare facility in
this pandemic as a very large population is affected. But we
cannot ignore that India is doing really great in handling
this vast population. Each & every individual needs to take
precautions to minimize the spread of the virus. Doctors are
doing their best.
What difficulties has the pandemic brought about for
your clinic and the dental industry in general? How are
you equipping yourself/your clinic to manage the same?
This pandemic is definitely difficult for us as dentists
because we are the one who needs to work on mouth and in
close proximity to patients. The dental industry is badly
affected in general as there is fear among patients related to
safety & hygiene.
08 | October 2020 |

Dr. Sneha Gupta
Practicing Dental Surgeon
| October 2020 |09

Dental Science is a very vast
and fast-changing
technology so we have to
regularly update ourselves by
attending different dental
education programs.
As a dentist, we are specialist in infection control and are
taking each & every safety measure like:-
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Proper Ventilation & Sanitization in clinic using-
Spray
Fumigation
UVC light
PPE(Personal Protection Equipment) used for Dentist &
patients.
Screening every Patient via temperature check &
Oximeter.
Working by appointment only to minimize the waiting
period & rush in the clinic.
What have you planned for yourself/your clinic (in
terms of expansion or new equipment) in the coming
years?
With our aim of perfection, in coming years we are
planning to expand our clinic with all the modern
technology and open few more branches.
10 | October 2020 |

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CO
DENTAL CARE
14 | October 2020 |

IMPACT OF
VID 19
on DENTAL
PRACTICES
| October 2020 |15

he biggest challenge the world
Tis facing right now is the
outbreak of the novel Corona
virus. In last 7-8 months we possibly
have come to know everything
about this deadly virus and its origin.
Over 40 million people have been
infected globally so far by Covid-19.
In India there are 7.91 million active
cases right now with overall
recovery rate of 98%. The impact of
Covid-19 on the economy and
health sector of India is severe.
The whole world is going through
economic and health crises. India’s
ability to handle such crises is much
less than countries like America,
Europe and China. The outbreak of
Covid-19 was catastrophic and it led
these countries to change their
entire medical and health care
system which is not really possible
for India considering our economic
ability.
The health sector of India is affected
in a massive way just like rest of the
world. Initially, there were only
49,000 ventilators for Covid
patients, which is very insufficient
considering our 1.34 billion
population. The worst part is people
are so afraid of getting infected that
they are not going to the hospitals
for treatment of other diseases as
this is identified as nosocomial.
Cancer, heart disease and blood
sugar patients are most affected and
are not getting proper treatment as
most of the medical staffs are
deployed to fight the Corona virus.
Doctors, nurses and other medical
staffs are doing overtime and
working with less equipment with
the highest risk of getting infected
though the government along with
the hospital authorities is
implementing measures to help the
medical staffs. As the patients are
hesitant to visit hospitals, consulting
through telemedicine is gaining
popularity though not all illness can
be cured virtually. Dental health is
something that hardly can be cured
16 | October 2020 |
through telemedicine. Dental
surgeons are also at the highest risk
of contracting the Corona virus.
The huge risk that dental health
care sector is facing
The outbreak of Covid-19 has
significantly impacted the dental
health care sector as dentists are
exposed directly to the patient’s
transmitting organ. This is a huge
threat to the dentists. According to
New York Times, dental surgeons
along with nurses, paramedics and
other healthcare staffs are at the
highest risk of contracting and
transmitting Corona virus. While
private practices are not getting
patients due to hike in their fees, the
government colleges and hospitals
are facing challenges as they are not
compatible with government norms
and regulations. Doctors and other
health care staffs need to be extra
careful with dental checkups and
surgery as small mistakes or
irresponsible behaviour can lead to
a huge suffering. Without proper
equipments and resources most of
the dental healthcare clinics are
failing to provide proper sanitization
and strict hygiene protocol. Apart
from that the clinics have to pay
salaries and rents, though there are
no revenues for months, which is
causing a huge economic impact.
How to curb the risk?
A structural change is needed in our
dental healthcare sector for better
hygiene and treatment. The change
includes dentists and staff using
proper protection before meeting a
patient. Dentists and assistants
need to mandatorily use PPE suits,
goggles, face shields, N95 FFP3
masks, surgical gloves and shoe
covers. Not only proper equipment
but also proper training and process
management is important for safe
dental practices. They need to
update their knowledge and skills to
control the infection. Sanitizing the
clinic is as important as taking
precautions. Without proper
sanitization on regular intervals it
will be hard to stop the virus from
spreading further. The body
temperatures of patients should be
checked before entering the clinic to
make sure they are not possibly
infected. Another important part is
communication. Dentists need to be
honest and find ways to spread
knowledge and awareness among
the patients to prevent panics.
Teledentistry: Need of the Hour
The healthcare issues of people are
being addressed even in the times of
current crisis, thanks to technology.
With Teledentistry as a convenient
option, dental arena also has figured
the way to carry out their practices
and guide patients with dental
issues during this pandemic
situation. The idea of combining
telecommunications and dentistry,
involving the exchange of clinical
information and images over remote
distances for dental consultation
and treatment planning, is the need
of the hour.
Teledentistry not only has the ability
to improve access to oral healthcare,
improve the delivery of oral
healthcare, and lower its costs, but
also carries the potential to
eliminate the disparities in oral
health care between rural and urban
communities.
Concluding Statement
This is the new normal and the virus
is going to be here for a while. It
might sound bitter but this is
possibly the truth. To fight this
deadly virus we need to work
smartly and wisely. We need to be
prepared for situations like this as
this is not the end of a health crisis.
It is important for all the health care
sector staffs especially dental health
care personnel to educate
themselves as well as the common
people about the disease to prevent
anxiety and panic among the
patients.

iSmyle Dental Centre
Providing Best Functional and Aesthetic Dental Care
mile is perhaps the most beautiful expression one can
Sgive that asks nothing more than a smile in return. To
maintain the million-dollar smile of ours, taking care
of oral hygiene is important. Apart from good food habits
and regular brushing, a visit to a dental practitioner once in
a while ensures that our smile remains beautiful.
Good oral hygiene is as simple and basic as brushing twice
daily and flossing regularly between teeth. As renowned
dentists in Pune, this is what Dr. Saif Sayed and Dr. Sanah
Sayed share with their patients. They also make sure to
create awareness among people during casual social
gatherings, conduct small talks at club meetings and more
importantly, share such information on their virtual social
platforms. They also write informative posts or share the
same on their virtual walls.
Here’s how the doctor-duo has been taking care of their
patients’ oral health and spreading awareness about it even
in the current pandemic.
Kindly brief us about your journey as a dental practitioner
and your clinic.
iSmyle is a concept that is born out of a combined creation
of two minds, two thought processes and two qualifications.
Dr. Saif Sayed, a general dental practitioner, has been
practicing for the past four years. He focuses more on the
functionality of a tooth. He ensures that patients under his
care undergo required dental treatments such as tooth
fillings, root canal treatments and gum treatments, all of
which contribute to a healthy chewing habit.
Dr. Sanah Sayed has done her specialization in cosmetic
dentistry. She appreciates the finer, aesthetic aspects of
teeth.
We combine our qualifications and our approaches, making
us come to a common decision of providing the best
treatment to you, in terms of both functionality and
aesthetics. And that is when we ‘recreate smiles’... all over
again!!
What is your opinion on the adaption of novel technologies
in dental science?
It is important that every dentist upgrades himself/herself to
rapidly evolving technologies and techniques when it
comes to clinical dentistry. It is all about ‘evolve or perish’.
As dentists practicing in a city like Pune, we had to quickly
and regularly upgrade ourselves to Digital Dentistry. With
digitization, we can completely design a custom-made
smile for our patients in less than 15 minutes. Going digital
has made dental implants very predictable and quick, and
zero error. Intraoral digital scans are replacing routine
mouth impressions is a blessing for the dentist and more
importantly, the patient.
Digital IS the future and the same applies to dentistry!
What difficulties has the pandemic brought about for
your clinic and the dentistry in general? How are you
equipping yourself/your clinic to manage the same?
As dentists, we must realize that no health care worker
comes as close to the human saliva as us. We are the ONLY
professionals who receive saliva and oral micro-organisms
in an aerosol form. This is by far the riskiest form of a viral
spread because these aerosols can effortlessly float in the
entire dental clinic, eventually settling themselves on the
skin, oral mucosa, clothes, and can enter a human body
through these channels, along with direct contact with eyes
and nostrils.
18 | October 2020 |

Dr. Sanah Sayed
Dr. Saif Sayed
Co-Admin
As dental professional ourselves, these are our set of protocols, and so should be yours, once we all start
treating patients:
1. Personal protection and staff protection -
We must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) which must involve N95 masks, surgical scrubs that
cover the entire body till ends of all four extremities and shoe covers. A surgical, disposable head cap along
with eyeglasses and face shield is what we must wear,
to ensure there is no cross-contamination.
| October 2020 |19

2. Post Treatment and between patients:
After any treatment, thorough surgical washing of hands
with disinfectant and then applying sanitizer must be
done. The staff must thoroughly clean all surfaces like
doorknobs, table tops etc. with an appropriate surface
disinfectant. Enough instruments and sterilization
packets must be ready and equipped for a day’s practice.
Fumigation protocols must be practiced at least twice
daily which means closing the premises for two hours
after the procedure. Also, we need to maintain social
distancing in the reception area.
3. Written Consent:
Every patient must sign a written consent, along with the
procedure, that they are not currently having any signs
and symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, fever,
breathlessness, etc. This should be done in addition to
screening temperature for every patient who steps inside
with a no-touch thermometer.
4. Prioritize treatments:
This goes without saying, patients having pain related
treatments must be taken in first. As we start our practice,
there will be a lot of troubleshooting that we may learn
and overcome on the job. It is best to not crowd the
practice for a few days to learn the best way to cope up
with the situation. The number of patients we see each
day can increase as we have an internal management
protocol in place with all team members and staff
exercising them efficiently.
What have you planned for yourself/your clinic (in
terms of expansion or new equipment) in the coming
years?
In the coming years, iSmyle plans to go completely digital.
We are already into digital smile designs, digitally-driven
implant dentistry and digital simulation of a particular
treatment. With time, we aim to provide only digital
treatment options to our patients, which would result in less
chair time, better and more predictable results with no room
for error.
THE SMILE EXPERTS
Dr. Saif Sayed, a certified Implant Surgeon is the
Co-Admin at iSmyle. He ensures that you walk
out of iSmyle, completely aware of your oral
health, along with a promise of best dental
treatment. He has been practicing dentistry for
the past 10 years and is an expert in various
dental treatments. His first instinct is to save
your original tooth, improve its functionality,
and ensure a natural smile.
Dr. Sayed stays passionately up-to-date on the
latest developments in dentistry and brings
revolutionary new techniques and technologies
into the practice. His certificates proudly
displayed in the reception area are proof of his
dedication towards his profession. For him,
patients are a priority, and he is the main reason
why iSmyle is a patient-centric dental practice.
Dr. Sanah Sayed is a certified Cosmetic Dentist,
who has completed her post graduate course in
Aesthetics from Manipal University, Karnataka.
She has also trained for three years with one of
India’s leading Cosmetologist, Dr. Suhas Lele. Dr.
Sanah has also treated various celebrities and
TV personalities and has been the Associate
Dentist on the panel of Femina Miss India 2013.
She is currently the Smile Mentor for Mr. and
Miss. Personality Pune.
At iSmyle, she exclusively practices Cosmetic
Dentistry and is the expert in Full Mouth
Rehabilitation, as she appreciates the finer,
aesthetic aspects of teeth. She carefully and
patiently works on one tooth at a time to give it
a natural, lively look.
20 | October 2020 |

Soulful Dental Care
Quality Dental Care in a Comfortable Environment
or most people, sitting on a dentist’s chair is a
Fnightmare. More often than not they ignore their
dental issues opting for home remedies or over the
counter drugs, just to avoid a visit that they think will be
more painful than their current situation.
However, such an attitude can aggravate a simple pain to
some serious issues if not taken care of at the right time.
Dispelling this fear of the chair is Soulful Dental Care’s
main objective. The dental care clinic offers painless,
effective and long-lasting dental treatment in a comfortable
and friendly atmosphere creating a setup where patients are
taken care of as a family.
Soulful Dental Care offer services related to pediatric
dentistry including preventive dental treatment like fluoride
application and pit and fissure sealants, painless root canal
treatment, metal-free white composite fillings, colorful
twinky star fillings for kids, steel as well as ceramic caps
for milk teeth and permanent teeth, painless tooth removal
and space maintainers & orthodontic treatment all offered in
a child-friendly environment.
The core team of the clinic includes Dr Swapnil Rachha
(MDS-Pediatric & Preventive Dentist), Dr Mrs Sneha
Rachha (BDS-Dental Surgeon & Implantologist)
Dr Shruti Athalye (Dental Surgeon & Cosmetologist) and
three well trained dental assistants skillful in handling
patients gently.
Here’s Dr Swapnil Rachha, sharing how he followed his
passion and established the dental care clinic.
Kindly brief us about your journey as a dental
practitioner and your clinic.
I cannot be more grateful in the way in which my journey
has been shaped. Inspite of being the son of a banker, I had
an interest in biology and the human body from an early
age which led me to opt for dental science which is a
speciality itself in medical science. Since my early days in
dentistry, I was always intrigued by kids and their dental
treatment. My inclination towards pedodontics increased as
I received immense love and affection from the kids and felt
responsible to throw myself in dedication for working
towards preserving and maintaining kids dental health and
well-being which subsequently led me to start an exclusive
dental clinic for kids in Pune by the name of Soulful Dental
Care.
Since the establishment of the clinic, I have been blessed
with wonderful child patients from all strata of society and
the clinical practice went on to settle pretty fast, serving
several patients every year. Recently we have completed 4
years of service and the amazing response from our patients
only seems to motivate us to work harder.
What is your opinion on the adaptation of novel
technologies in dental science?
Technology and the latest innovations have changed the
face of dental science. In the earlier days, many sensitive
patients had to be forcefully held during tooth removal,
with the advent of advanced techniques & sensitive
equipment saving the natural tooth in a painless way and
maintaining the right form has become the norm of dentists
all over the world. Different types of anaesthesia for
painless dental surgeries, use of nitrous oxide sedation in
anxious child/ adult patients, use of lasers in dental
procedures, highly efficient endomotors and apex locators
are some of many novel technologies routinely used in a
dental practice today. Even preventive dentistry has so
many advancements so that dental surgeons can prevent
many dental diseases from occurring via non-invasive
22 | October 2020 |

Dr Swapnil Rachha
MDS-Pediatric &
Preventive Dentist
Empathetic Nature With Skilful Handling Of Patients By Our
Well-experienced Dentists Forms The Core Of Our Team.
dental procedures and saving a lot of future costs and
trouble. Hence I have a firm opinion that the dental field has
evolved in a way that all patients have immensely benefited
from it and patients are no more horrified for a dental visit
and dentists are no longer considered as monsters!
Share with our readers the measures that have to be
taken to maintain good oral hygiene. How would you
suggest we should spread awareness for the same?
Maintaining good oral hygiene is an important daily routine
which all must follow meticulously. The most common
questions that patients have are how often to brush, in what
way and which toothpaste to use etc. I personally suggest
using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated paste with
950 to 1000 ppm fluoride of any good company to brush
teeth twice daily once in the morning and once at bedtime.
Toothbrushing should be done with moderate forces applied
on teeth and giving horizontal as well as vertical strokes till
approx 3-4 minutes, covering all surfaces followed by
thorough rinsing with water. Use of dental floss and
medicated mouth wash are also very good adjuvants in
maintaining good oral hygiene and preventing dental
diseases. Best way to spread awareness in patients is
visiting your dentist regularly and magazines like Insight
| October 2020 |23

which reach a lot of people and provide vital information to
readers.
What is your opinion on the shortage of healthcare
facilities and workers to cater to the growing number of
Corona Virus Cases?
Reducing mortality is the highest priority that should be
given in the current situation so increasing resources in the
form of beds with oxygen supply and ventilators are the
way to go. Doctors from all fields should be recruited in the
service of covid care centres to reduce the existing burden
on the team of doctors serving the purpose. Jumbo covid
centres are already in place which needs efficient staff to
manage patients appropriately which will lessen the burden
of cases on hospitals.
What difficulties has the pandemic brought about for
your clinic and the dental industry in general? How are
you equipping yourself/your clinic to manage the same?
The COVID pandemic was unprecedented and has hit all
sectors equally. The dental field had a major hit since
patients initially were hesitant to come in close contact
where they had to remove masks for treatment. But dental
pain and dental disease is a thing one cannot neglect for a
long time hence the need for emergency and then routine
dental care emerged. Soulful Dental Care was fully
prepared to handle the adversity since the time the crisis hit
and we geared up with all safety procedures and equipment
according to government guidelines.
We provided patients with timely tele and video
consultations. We started scheduling patients by
appointment basis only and hence avoided crowding in the
clinic. Every patient and the accompanying person was
screened for body temperature and oxygen saturation using
a pulse oximeter. Maintaining clean and sterilised air in the
clinic was possible due to the installation of top-class
Japanese AIR purification system and negative ion
generators. Nanotechnology is being used to thoroughly
sanitise the entire clinic operatory at regular intervals after
each patient visit. I can proudly say that thorough
sterilisation of every instrument going into the patient's
mouth along with the use of advanced disinfection methods
has helped all our patients get effective and safe dental
treatment in this testing phase.
What have you planned for yourself/your clinic (in
terms of expansion or new equipment) in the coming
years?
Soulful Dental Care has completed 4 successful years in
2020 and after providing treatment for thousands of patients
and helping them gain a better smile we are upcoming with
a second branch in Kothrud considering the demand and
need for good dental services around. The second branch
will be an advanced centre for multispeciality dental
treatment and dental implants with all the latest technology
and equipment in a comfortable environment for patients.
24 | October 2020 |

Sweet Smiles Dental Clinic
Spreading Smiles with your Safety in Mind
his pandemic has shown us the true meaning of the
TVUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and
Ambiguous) times. Navigating through different
difficult situations with proper care is something that is
going to keep the businesses running. Among other
healthcare avenues, the dental fraternity is also not exempt
from the flames and fumes of the novel coronavirus
outbreak.
Yet, one of the premier dental care givers in Pune, Sweet
Smiles Dental Clinic is leading the way in hygienic oral
care with optimum safety to its patients. Let’s find out how
Dr. Shilpa Rao – Principal Dentist of the clinic has
managed to do that in the following exclusive interview that
we had with her:
1) Kindly brief us about your journey as a dental
practitioner and your clinic.
Since my dad was in the medical corps of the army, I, as a
child was always surrounded by doctors. I was quite
enamored by their super power to heal people. That’s how
the entire idea of becoming a doctor got instilled within me!
I was okay with everything about being a doctor except the
night shifts. Also, I liked being artistic and there was no
way in which I could combine Art and Medicine except
dentistry! That’s how I began my journey of getting into
one of the most prestigious colleges in India, Government
Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai in the year 1997.
Those 5 years of being in that amazing college taught me a
lot and made me what I am today! After completing my
graduation, I joined Vivekanand Mission Hospital,
Lucknow where I used to manage a daily OPD of 70-80
patients. The experience was just outstanding. I dealt with
every possible case and it gave me a lot of confidence. The
love of the patients I got there is something which I will
never forget.
In 2003, Sweet Smiles Dental Clinic and Implant Centre
was born. This is how the story begins, A young girl dreams
of having a clinic with an aim to create smiles, more smiles
every day! Along the way, she crossed paths with so many
beautiful patients who gave her a chance to touch their lives
and trusted her with the ability to relieve them of pain and
more than anything else became a part of her ever so
growing family. From 1 person when we started our family
now is more than 10000 members big.
Wow, could, we have asked for more?
2) Please give an overview of the services you offer.
We specialize in smile makeovers, aesthetic fillings, root
canal treatments, minor surgeries, gum treatment, implants,
bleaching, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric
dentistry, and general well-being of teeth and gums!
Our core team comprises of me, Dr Shilpa Rao, who is the
Principal Dentist, and specializes mostly in root canal
treatments and aesthetic dentistry. Dr Vinita Sharma, who is
the Associate Dentist, has 10+ years of experience and is
just wonderful with kids and also takes care of your gum
problems. Pooja is the Senior Dental Assistant cum
Manager. She takes care of the patient management and
makes sure that all the sterilization protocols are followed
to the teeth. She makes sure that the coordination between
the visiting consultants and the patients is as smooth as
possible. Rutika and Deepa are Junior Dental Assistants.
They work as the chair side assistants and make work easier
for us as dentists and also make patients feel comfortable.
3) What is your opinion on the adoption of novel
technologies in dental science?
For decades, going to the dentist was considered an
undesirable experience. It involved sitting under a bright
light and having your mouth invaded with a variety of tools.
Even though dental health is very important to your overall
health and for having a nice smile, among other benefits,
many people chose to steer clear of dental visits because of
how uncomfortable it was for them.
Fortunately, new technological advancements are making
trips to the dentist quicker, easier, less painful and more
reliable. Due to these advancements, the dental industry is
26 | October 2020 |

Dr. Shilpa Rao
Principal Dentist
growing rapidly and looking much different than it did in
past years. A greater emphasis on treatment and prevention
will mean fewer caries (cavities) in patients and less risk of
periodontal disease. Similar to innovation within other
health care professions, these new technologies will have a
huge impact on how dental professionals treat their patients
and how people take care of their oral health at home.
If you’re wondering what dental technologies, you’ll find in
dentist offices in the coming year, check out these five
innovations:
Cavity detection through lasers
Normally, your hygienist pokes around your mouth with an
exploration tool to search for cavities. While this has been a
regular element of checkups for a century or more, lasers
can now do the job.
High-tech x-rays
While digital x-rays are not too new to the dental industry,
they’ve become the preferred choice from radiographybased
x-rays. The benefits to clinicians are that the radiation
levels are 90 percent lower with the new technology and x-
rays can arrive on screens in a second making the whole
review process more efficient.
Shorter visits with Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Technology
| October 2020 |27

Using CAD technology, your tooth will be photographed
and then prepared for a crown. The machine can create the
crown in the office without all of the complicated work of
hand molding and sculpting.
Thinner Veneers
Veneers are moldings that cover the front part of a crooked
or unattractive tooth. Before this technology advanced, they
were very thick to be able to withstand wear and tear.
However, advancements in technology allows for the
creation of thinner veneers. Teeth will remain just as well
protected while keeping the original tooth intact.
Fillings and Bond Material
Bonding and filling materials are to be made of highquality,
medical-grade, industrial-strength adhesives and
fillers. With technological improvements, your tooth color
can be easily matched, making the repaired tooth fit with
the rest of your teeth as well as the plastic resin used today
lasts longer than previously used materials and comes in a
wide range of shades.
4) Share with our readers the measures that have to be
taken to maintain good oral hygiene. How would you
suggest we should spread awareness for the same?
Taking care of your teeth is really simple. The three steps to
good oral hygiene are Brushing, Rinsing and Flossing! A
proper two-minute brushing twice a day and flossing at
least at night will take your maintenance of oral hygiene a
long way. Rinsing after every meal is something that is
often forgotten. Also, what you eat also makes a lot of
difference in how your teeth are going to treat you.
Anything that is extremely sticky or acidic is going to
damage your teeth for sure. Eat good fibrous food which
stimulates saliva secretion, hence developing a selfcleansing
mechanism in the mouth!
Primarily, children at school need to be educated about the
importance of maintaining good oral hygiene. Besides
children, parents to be should also be taught in pre-natal
counselling about how to maintain your toddler's oral
hygiene.
5) What is your opinion on the shortage of healthcare
facilities and workers to cater to the growing number of
coronavirus cases?
The shortage of healthcare workers during this pandemic is
bound to happen as our doctor to patient ratio is really poor.
Also, the doctors are not paid as well as their counterparts
in the western countries. The doctors have to be treated
well, only then things will improve!
With the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, now it is an
individual responsibility to take care of ourselves and stay
as safe as we can. Use of mask and hand washing is
something that is the most important now. People should
also not venture out without a reason. Just because
everything has opened up, doesn’t mean that corona is
gone. We have to be extremely careful about every little
thing. Social distancing must be strictly followed. But, keep
in mind that you should just be physically. Don’t isolate
yourself mentally, just stay connected with your family and
friends virtually as much as possible.
6)What difficulties has the pandemic brought about for
your clinic and the dental industry in general? How are
you equipping yourself/your clinic to manage the same?
This pandemic has been difficult for everyone and we are
no exceptions. Initially, things were very bad since there
were no clear guidelines. Patients were equally scared of
coming to the clinic to get any work done. So work was
limited to emergencies.
But now with the guidelines coming up, we, as in the dental
fraternity, are completely geared up to handle patients
safely.
At our clinic, we keep a gap of 40 minutes in between
patients so that fumigation and total disinfection can be
done. Also, a tele-consulting is done as a first step in order
to screen the patient for any medical or travel history.
We have installed UV lights and our clinic is extremely well
ventilated so that the fresh air circulation is happening well.
Also, we have installed Hepa filters in our air conditioners
for extra precautions.
So, all in all, the clinic is extremely safe and we take
absolute care of our patient’s safety!
7) What have you planned for yourself/your clinic (in
terms of expansion or new equipment) in the coming
years?
As for my plans for my clinic in near future, I am planning
to get into Digital Smile Designing so that I can show my
patients how their smile can change and how they will look
even before we touch their teeth!
The other thing that I look forward to is a microscope. I
love magnification and the thought of looking those tiny
little teeth under magnification sure does excite me and my
team.
28 | October 2020 |

Oral Hygiene
in times of the
Covid-19
Pandemic
Oral Practices
30 | October 2020 |

he Covid-19 virus is an
Tairborne pathogen that spreads
using several means. Its
predominant carriers include saliva,
infected mucus and other bodily fluids
and secretions transmitted in aerosol or
tiny droplet form when the infected
individual does anything that causes it
to travel outwards including breathing,
coughing, sneezing or even speaking.
Persons in the vicinity of either the
infected person or place (surfaces
including furniture and anything on
which the infected matter may stay for
as long as two days) are likely to get
infected.
While the mouth remains the main
source of transmission, and the nose
the primary receiver, the mouth is also
known to be a receiver in certain cases.
Despite adequate and more care of the
nose and mouth, lack of oral hygiene
or inherent oral characteristics may
lead to the mouth also being a receptor
of the virus.
Here it makes sense to clear the air
about the effects of Covid-19
pandemic. Unlike other viruses
including Ebola, SARS, H1NI, Nipa
which were studied quite extensively
given that it’s spread and speed wasn’t
anywhere close to that of Covid-19,
characteristics of the latter are still
being discovered almost daily,
including the chances of a second and
third wave.
Having said that, a study by the
German Society of Dentistry and Oral
Medicine (DGZMK) shows the
relevance of oral hygiene and it’s
heightened importance in these times
of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study
quite emphatically states that good oral
care could help stem the severity of the
disease significantly.
A press release by a leading authority
at DGZMK states that in the light of
the pandemic, it’s very important to
keep all parts of the oral cavity healthy
at all times. They particularly stress on
“dental prophylaxis”, a cleaning
procedure for the mouth that is said to
thoroughly clean the teeth, as also all
parts of the mouth leading to the
development of immunocompetence at
the point of entry of the virus that
effectively stops the spread of
periodontal diseases and gingivitis,
besides the likely spread of the virus at
the very point of its entry itself.
In fact, authorities at DGZMK are
emphatic that while lack of oral
hygiene may cause diseases including
caries or periodontitis, it could take a
more fatal form in the case of COVID-
19. For the same, they even have
studies that show an effective
correlation between oral hygiene and
COVID-19.
Not far behind is a study commissioned
by the British Dental Journal
that sheds light on oral hygiene to
reduce the oral cavity bacterial load
and the subsequent risk of bacterial
superinfection. The study states that
patients with severe COVID-19
infection have marked levels of
inflammation and bacterial infection.
Coincidentally, those with the severe
form of the viral infection with marked
oral cavity issues also have comorbidities
arising out of diabetes,
hypertension or cardiovascular disease.
Cases of subgingival periodontal
disease may additionally have large
open wounds in the oral cavity, an
open invitation to the COVID-19 virus.
The protection provided by saliva
Human saliva contains a large number
of proteins and peptides with antiviral
effects that have a crucial role in
preventing and protecting against viral
infections. Past studies against other
forms of SARS virus document the
role of the saliva and how it has
stemmed the virus’s spread. It can,
hence be assumed, from authoritative
studies that the same may apply to the
case of Covid-19 virus.
Hyposalivation is the condition where
the body produces less saliva than
needed likely leading to the oral and
nasal surfaces secreting lesser
antimicrobial proteins and peptides and
exposing patients to a higher risk of
contracting the Covid-19 virus. Further
studies though may be needed to prove
the hypothesis.
In conclusion, though at the moment a
direct cause-and-effect correlation
between oral hygiene and Covid-19
may still need a body of work as
evidence, there’s no reason to neglect
oral hygiene. While the world’s
scientists break their heads trying to
develop a vaccine and study the Covid-
19 virus in all its complexity, folks
worldwide need to do the following
with respect to oral cavity hygiene in
order to stay healthy.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Brush your teeth twice daily and
floss once every day.
Brush your teeth for 2 minutes with
an electric brush- if possible. if not,
brush every part of your teeth with
reasonable vigour (not vigorous
enough to hurt though)
Rinsing with a non-alcohol-based
mouthwash twice a day may help
reduce the plaque build-up that is
said to lead to inflammation of the
gums (gingivitis).
Use mouthwashes high in alcohol
or toothpaste with bactericidal
components like triclosan or other
antibacterial to disrupt the oral
microbiome.
Be a mindful eater.
Go easy on carb-heavy foods and
beverages that increase acids in the
mouth. The latter is known to
dissolve tooth surfaces. The more
you bathe your teeth in these acids,
the weaker and softer your teeth
become.”
Avoid non-fibre carbs which act
like sugar and contribute to plaque
build-up. Avoid processed foods for
better oral health.
Smoking reduces blood supply to
the gums and increases the risk for
gum infections.
High exposure to alcohol is said to
dry out your cheeks and gums.
And last, and not certainly the least
Ÿ Take good care of your toothbrush
and keep them away from the
commode as fecal matter too are
said to contain coronavirus, a
condition when washbasins and
places to store toothbrushes are
close to the pot!
-Purushoutham M
| October 2020 |31