“I NEVER HAD A ROLE MODEL”

A lady with a great personality and a role model for today’s upcoming doctors, Dr.Acharya gets talking with  me about her life in the dentistry field…

You hold so many titles. You are an international doctor. How do you manage so much work?

The key word is planning. Plan your day. Plan your month. Plan your year. If you plan your work everything becomes easy for you. It’s not like there’s a lot of work. The question is about time management.

Your specialized area of interest is Cosmetic dentistry. What would you like to say about that?

Clinical dentistry did not have an importance in the early ages. In those days barbers were dentists. They were engaged in handling teeth. Then slowly this profession got separated from the barbers. Still dentistry did not have a place. And then, as days went along they realized that it was an exact science. Dentistry as a problem has a great effect on human beings. This was the time when dentistry came off the age and people realized the importance of oral health.  From then on it was a need based science. And then it was found that it was not only a science. Apart from the science of dentistry there is a whole new aspect.

            Anything that is close to nature is usually appealing. Teeth are also God’s gift so it becomes necessary for them to look appealing. Because at the end of the day teeth also play a major role in a person’s personality. So, cosmetic dentistry was born from the need to look good.

            And then slowly the art and science got married. With marketing and commercialization cosmetic dentistry has become what it is today.

Was it always your dream to be a dentist?

My dream was to be in the line of medicine. When I joined the course, I realized that my interest was in dentistry. After further study in the field I got a liking to cosmetic dentistry. I had never thought that I would become a dentist. It started small and then became big.

What are the various technologies that are being used in the field of dentistry?

             Cosmetic dentistry is about technology. We have different soft wares where a person’s jaw is studied and predictions are made as to how it looks after a few years. This helps in deciding what kind of treatment a person should go through.

                   

A few tips on white and healthy teeth.

Brush your teeth twice a day. 99% of the people don’t brush in the night. 50% of them don’t do it in the morning also. Villagers usually come under this category.  

Who is your inspiration?

I never had a role model / inspiration as such. But I did look up to my parents. They were my friends and mentors at the same time.

What do you like the most and least about your profession?

The thing that I like the most about my career is that it challenges me everyday. It pushes me to think and do more. It tests my ability. The thing I like the least is that it’s getting highly commercialized and money oriented.

A message to the youth of today.

 My only message to the youth is that if you want to do something in life then follow your heart and make sure you don’t make anything and everything a business.

What would you like to say to people pursuing dentistry?

Don’t make it a business. Follow your heart. Only then will you be satisfied with what you do. You may or may not make money. But if you follow the right path success will run behind you!

Tell us something about your life’s most memorable incident.

I have too many experiences. But there is one such incident that I would never forget. One morning there was a knock on my door at 5 AM. When I opened the door I saw a sad toothless man standing in front of me. He said “Doctor, it is my daughter’s marriage today and my dentures are missing. I’ve lost them and am very embarrassed.” I had to open my clinic at 5AM that day. I will never forget this incident in my life.