The Root Reflections- A dental journey

As I sat and thought about that chair — not a throne, not a recliner, not some sculpted ergonomic marvel — just a chair, worn by years and softened by lives — I found myself transported. Not to one moment, but to all of them. Every chair I’ve known since dental school... they’ve all blended into this one memory. In 25 years, there have been many: cracked vinyl, shining leather, metal bases, sleek arms. But they’ve all shared the same sacred duty — to hold stories. And I, more than a dentist, have been their quiet co-witness. I remember the very first one — in the clinical halls of my college. It seemed monstrous then. I walked toward it with gloves too big, and confidence too small. That chair saw my first patient — a classmate, nervous and trusting. It also bore the weight of my embarrassment when I couldn’t find the right angle for a mirror, or when my cotton roll flew into the air. It was there through the crucible of clinical exams — the invigilators peering over shoulders, my hear...

 I don’t think this feeling will ever leave me. It’s been 25 years since I began my journey in dentistry, yet every time, when I hear the footsteps of a new patient approaching the room — I feel it. A flutter in the belly. A moment of unease. That silent question in my head: “What’s coming today?” Before the patient enters am looking at their medical records, scrolling through numerous documents just to try and find out some relief for myself to prepare for them and to make sure I have not missed anything about them including their personal information if they have visited me before. It’s not a lack of confidence. It’s something more tender, more human. It reminds me of the first time I entered the Oral Surgery department as a dental student. I remember standing over a patient, gloves tight, a syringe trembling in my grip. I had practiced local anesthesia on dummies so many times, but now... this was a living, breathing person. And beside me stood Dr. Lakshmi Naik — my teacher. My ...

  Weekend with close friends is one of the best moments we all look forward to. One such weekend, I was sitting with a dear friend Don. He’s not just overweight—he weighs around 180 kgs (≈ 396 lbs) . We were talking about hospital and clinic marketing—he’s a brilliant web developer—and the conversation wandered into dental treatment. Casual, light-hearted… until he said something that really made me pause. “Doc, I guess I need to get a filling done.” Now, Don is not my patient. I never treat close friends—I usually refer them to trusted colleagues to avoid emotional overlap. But I asked him, “What’s holding you back?” He smiled and said, “It’s not the drill, Doc. It’s the fatigue after the procedure.” Then came the real question: “Is it normal to experience pain and fatigue in other parts of the body during or after dental treatment?” It caught me off guard. He explained: “I have limited mouth opening. If I sit in the chair for more than 20 minutes, my back starts aching, and my ...