Leave Dentistry for A Day

21/04/2019

Actors are agents of change.
A film, a piece of theatre or music or a book can make a difference.
It can change the world.
-Alan Rickman

Touching words, by one of the most celebrated actors of our time and they perfectly sum up the dentist we are featuring in today’s post of Leave Dentistry for a Day. Dr.Mihir Mehra is busy changing the world around him gifting smiles to his patients as an orthodontist and to his audience as an actor. Few of us can boast of such versatility. Dr.Mihir Mehra completed his graduation from SMBT Dental College in 2010 followed by a 1 year Internship at Nair Hospital Dental College in 2011. He then successfully completed his MDS in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics from YMT Dental College in 2016. He currently runs his own practice ‘Dent Inn’ at Dadar West. He is also a partner at ‘Ashtavinayak Eye Skin Dental Care‘(Dahisar East) and is also a consultant orthodontist at Masina Hospital and other dental clinics across Mumbai.
But that is not his sole professional identity. He has also been working in professional theatre as an actor since 2007. He was involved in working in theatrical plays as an actor, right from his school days at St. Mary’s and continued the same in his college days as well at Jai Hind. In 2007, Meherzad, the proprietor of Silly Point Productions, a company involved in the creation, production and staging of plays across Mumbai approached him saying that he had started the company and would like him to join the same. Thrilled with the offer, he auditioned for them and that’s where his journey in professional theatre started. Till date, he has performed in more than 65 shows as an actor. He has also dabbled in production as well for some time. He has even co-directed a Marathi play during his under graduation days. The only time he took a hiatus from acting was during his post-graduation as the schedule was hectic.
He cannot ever forget his first play with Silly Point Productions titled ‘Like Dat Only’ which they performed at the Sophia Bhabha Hall. The thrill of being on stage was unforgettable then and is still unforgettable, now. He still feels nervous, anxious and excited every time he steps on stage in the hope that he can connect with his audience.
Another memorable incident for him is when he was doing a play called ‘Four Square’ where he kept repeating a line in the play, “Doors are shut” throughout the act. During that period, when he was out for lunch with a friend at a restaurant in town, when they called for the cheque, the bill said thanks for making us laugh…“Doors are Shut ’. Apparently the owner had seen the play, the previous week and loved it. While, Dr.Mehra off course insisted on paying but this gesture really touched him. It brought home to him the fact that he could have an impact on someone and be a happy part of their memories. While he has received a number of awards in school, college and at state level for his acting chops he feels all that matters is how the audience responds to you. His current play, The Devil wears BatAA! Is running full house and has got rave reviews in the Bombay Times.
He insists it has all been possible due to his wife, Nikita who supports him by managing the workload at clinic and home, in his absence. His parents being doctors themselves understand what the profession demands and always have his back. And last but not the least, his friends, who are there to watch every first show and encourage him to do better. So, he is now working mornings and afternoons in the clinic, rehearsing in the evenings and then again consulting post 9pm at night. But he’s enjoying every minute.
He signs off saying, “My goal is to be a better actor with every performance. I really enjoy doing theatre and would like to passionately continue doing it and off course with the help of my wife and kid brother, Aditya, I want to further develop my dental practice as well. To all the dentists out there, I know it sounds cliché, but follow your dreams. You always have to make some choices in life, prioritize what is important at that given moment. You will have to compromise somewhere to achieve your goal but in the end it is worth it. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to work hard and keep working towards your goal. There is a quote from a poem by Robert Frost, which is something that motivates me. The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”

We at ‘Leave Dentistry fir a Day’ would like to thank Dr.Mehra for sharing his incredible journey with us and we urge our readers to attend his next show at the earliest!!

19/04/2019

It's the season of new beginnings. The advent of summer, the start of school vacations and the election season which have the possibility to herald a change in India. No better time, for us then to start a new season at Leave Dentistry for a day. We are back, with many more interesting and diverse personalities who we wish to feature this time, on. And we hope for your support and love on this journey...

25/12/2018

Feliz navidad
Prospero año y felicidad
We want wish you a merry Christmas,
We want wish you a merry Christmas,
From the bottom of our hearts !

We are right in the middle of the festive season, with the New Year just around the corner. There is a beautiful nip in the air, the streets are lit up with fairy lights, Christmas trees standing tall around every other corner, cafes are crowded with people catching up with friends and family while nuzzling hot chocolates or sipping a soup. There is joy, warmth and hope in the air.
With the falling temperatures, getting up in the morning has become a more arduous task than usual. Most of us succumb to the urge of burrowing deep into our cozy blankets, till the sun is up. But for others who are passionate about fitness and running, it is preparation time for the many prestigious long distance running events set to occur in the near future. Today, in this very special year end post, we introduce to you, a fitness enthusiast and a long distance runner from our very own dental community, Dr. Yash Shekatkar. An orthodontist by profession, he knows the importance of being slow and steady to win the race in his professional life as well as his running endeavours.
Dr. Yash completed his graduation from MGV Dental College and Hospital, Nashik in 2008 and MDS in Orthodontics from Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences in 2012. He is presently attached as a Reader at YMT dental college and hospital, Kharghar. He has his own private practice at Chembur called ‘Dentaris’ and also is a consultant orthodontist at various clinics across Mumbai. A full plate it would seem, but he makes time for plenty more!
Dr. Yash has completed 50 plus timed Half marathons (21kms) and 7 Full marathon (42kms). He has completed three 6 hour midnight runs at Thane in 2016,2017,2018 covering distances of 36km,42km and 51kms. He has completed three 12 hour runs one at Surat and two at Mumbai covering distance of 60km, 72km and 84kms. Mindboggling, isn’t it ! We are still having difficulty wrapping our minds around the number of hours he has been able to put in running, while putting in full days as a teacher and a clinician as well.
More so, he has achieved all of this in the space of just three years. Initially he used to run only to lose the weight which he had put on during his post-graduation days. Slowly he learnt that there are many runs that happen in Mumbai. He registered for his first 10km run at Powai and never looked back. None of this has come easy, there are lot of things he has given up in terms of sleep hours and diet to achieve of success in the field of enudrance and long distance running.
One of his happiest moments was completing his first full marathon distance at the prestigious Standard Charted Mumbai Marathon in 2017. He says, “My timing was not at all commendable by any means but I was happy to have covered the distance.” He was awarded ‘THE MOST IMPROVED RUNNER’ by JUST RUNNERS in 2018. His family and friends have a big role to play in his fitness journey as they have always been supportive. He has an entire gang of running friends who train together with him and motivate each other to push harder.
Asked about his future goals he says, “My focus nowadays after 2 years of dedicated running is to focus more on distance than speed. I am looking forward to cover more miles, attempt an ultra-marathon (any run more than 42kms). One of the races that I wish to compete is Comerades in the year 2020 at South Africa covering a distance of 90kms.”
To budding dentists, he says, “We all have our own goals in life, but always remember only good health will help you achieve and good health is achieved by regular exercise. Once, one realises, that all that will keep you going ahead in your future life is health, then you don’t need to make time, the body itself tells you get up, get going.”
We at ‘Leave Dentistry a Day’ are extremely grateful, you shared this inspiring journey of yours with us and we wish you all the luck in all your future runs! We will always be cheering from the sidelines and hope this story inspires others to follow in your footsteps too.
To our readers, a very Happy New year to you’ll, we ‘ll meet you again, next year ! Let us know your new year resolutions! Do write in. Fitness resolutions, anyone?

17/11/2018

We are back after a long hiatus, post celebrations of the colourful festival of Diwali. As we head towards winter with the days becoming shorter and the colours of the season becoming duller, we introduce to you a dentist who’s each stroke on her canvas is so precise, delicate and beautiful that her monochrome paintings done with charcoal or micron pens appear as attractive as a colour laden canvas.

The dentist in question, Dr.Parul Dubey resides in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh and completed her graduation from Hitakarini Dental College, Jabalpur. She was drawn to sketching right from junior high school but discontinued it during her graduation days as she found her days immersed in keeping up with a hectic college schedule and exams. However, post her graduation she found herself drawn back to sketching.

What particularly stands out in her work is her choice of medium such as micron pens and charcoal which are unusual choices. Her choices of canvases are also often out of the ordinary, such as a pair of white canvas shoes. Her intricate designs on these make it no less than a designer piece, which even the least fashion conscious person would love to possess. Deities such as Ganesha, Goddess Laxmi are a popular muse with her on a traditional canvas, but her sketches of them stand apart from others as they again have been drawn with a micron pen and made intricate and delicate by incorporating Mandala art in their design.

A firm believer in the quote, “eyes are a window to the soul”, she also focuses on various emotions expressed by human eyes via the medium of charcoal paintings.

She feels sketching increases her energy levels and infuses her with positivity. She uses the free time she gets between clinic hours to sketch and also uses it as a rejuvenation tool for the mind, during times of stress. She is fully supported in her endeavors by her family and has never felt her profession to be a constraint in pursuing this hobby. She believes in living a life whose horizons extend beyond the dental clinic and feels her hobby is one way to achieve the same. Her next plan is to start retailing her creations commercially.

Signing off she says, “I believe in always being positive and happy. Chase your dreams, you have no idea what life has in store for you next!”

We at ‘Leave Dentistry for a Day’ extend a warm thanks to Dr.Parul for sharing her work with us and wish her the very best for the future. Also, please note whenever you start retailing those beautifully designed white canvas shoes, we hope to receive a set to! We can’t wait to wear and show them off to our friends! 
Nikhita Gune Parul Dubey

ps- if liked the story, pls like/share the post/page

18/10/2018

Poem- written by Dr. Sushama Patwardhan, music by Mandar Apte

18/10/2018

18/10/2018

Na tum hame jaane- Swarbandh event-Don't miss it :)

18/10/2018

18/10/2018

या जन्मावर, या जगण्यावर,शतदा प्रेम करावे

-Mangesh Keshav Padgaonkar

Today, on the auspicious occasion of Dussera, we at ' Leave Dentistry for a Day', have the rare privilege of featuring two very senior and respected members of our dental fraternity Dr Jayant and Sushama Patwardhan who live every year, day and minute of their lives in accordance to the couplet above from the much loved song written by Marathi poet Mangesh Padgaonkar. We feel it is a particularly fitting day to honour them as the Dussera festival includes a puja of Goddess Saraswati a symbol of knowledge,music and art and both Dr.Jayant and Dr.Sushama have left their indelible mark in all these spheres encompassing dentistry and beyond. Music, poetry, travel, social work, they have done and excelled in it all. They haven't just excelled, they have touched hearts and changed lives.
Dr.Jayant and Dr.Sushama completed their BDS and MDS in oral surgery and orthodontics respectively in the year 1977 from Nair Hospital Dental College. Excelling in academics, Dr. Jayant topped the final BDS exam, both in orthodontics and oral surgery. In his career, he has taught at Rajawadi hospital and later at YMT Dental College as well. His expertise in all aspects of dentistry is unparalleled. Dr.Sushama too was an excellent student and topped her class in almost all years of her graduation, was awarded the best student award and was selected as a representative to the student senate of Mumbai University which was a great honour for her. She and Sir have been guest speakers at a multitude of events in India and abroad. They have travelled, studied and lectured abroad since 1993 when it was not as common to do so as it is now. Both doctors run their own exclusive joint dental practice at Shivaji Park for the last 40 years. Seems like a packed schedule already doesn’t it? Is there really time for more?
The answer is an empathetic 'Yes' from both. Dr. Jayant and Dr. Sushama started an organisation known as 'Swarbandh' in 2002 and had it registered as a charitable trust in 2003. The motto of this organisation is 'social work through music'. The seeds of this initiative were sowed much earlier in their life. Dr. Jayant trained in tabla during childhood while, Dr.Sushama was a trained sitar player. And both are trained vocalists as well. It was music that united them in college. While they fondly remember first seeing each other in the anatomy lab, it was their joint musical performances at college events, both instrumental and vocal that brought them closer. Swarbandh was born when after watching them singing together at a programme for Doctor’s Day, they were requested by a popular TV director, Bindu Trivedi to hold a musical concert. Swarbandh’s first programme was held in the same week as their 25th wedding anniversary.
'Swarbandh' now holds music programmes throughout the year dedicated to yesteryear musicians like Madan Mohan, Shankar Jaikishen, S.D Burman etc. These programmes have free entry and are organised entirely based on contributions by Dr.Sushama and Dr.Jayant and other likeminded friends who help them in this noble work. Majority of the management and ex*****on is done by them and their friends help out when possible. Both of them perform at these programmes and it is a treat to watch them. All proceeds generated are used to contribute for various social causes including sponsoring surgeries of cataract patients, setting up washrooms for girls in schools to avoid dropouts, expenses of physically and mentally handicapped patients etc. For them and their children, every celebration begins with a contribution to a social cause. They also hold annual singing competitions to encourage young singers and provide them a plaform to showcase their skills. Popular Marathi singers such as Madhura Kumbhar and Apurva Gajjala have debuted at these competitions. They also make it a point to hold events to honour accompanying musicians with more than 25 year’s experience in the music industry as they feel their contribution is often overlooked in favour of the lead artiste. Their events have been graced by various well known artistes including the inimitable Asha Bhosale.
Dr. Jayant has been the honorary treasurer for the Nana Palkar Smruti Samiti building which is in Parel near KEM hospital and provides free lodging to 70 patients and their families for a month. Meals are served here at minimal charges. This building has come as a safe haven for many out of town patients. Both doctors are regular donors to this noble cause
They have their individual interests as well. Dr.Jayant has been a Rotarian for 25 years now and was also the President from 2004-2005. He has an amazing sense of humour because which he is often called upon to start and end every rotary club meeting. Dr. Sushma fondly says of her husband, “We all know jokes, but most of us can't crack them, like he does.” Also a fitness enthusiast, Sir goes swimming every day at 5 am without fail. Dr.Sushama on the other hand, has had a flair for writing from school and has won prizes for the same. She has published two books of Marathi poetry titled ‘स्पर्श ' and 'ओंजळीतले तारे'. She also has to her credit a travelogue titled 'Parikrama' which describes their experience travelling to the famed Kailas Manasarovar area, which was a thrilling journey. This book has also been awarded the P.L Deshpande award. They have also made and continue to present a video presentation on the same subject with live commentary. They have voluntarily completed 106 presentations and would love to present more for people,
When asked how they are able to manage so many different activities so effortlessly, they say in unison “You have to spare time for your passion. Everyone keeps saying am busy, But if you have firm intentions, everything is possible. Your perspective must be broad. You have to make your own time. Also, both of us have been greatly inspired, by our parents. We would like to dedicate this post to them, they made us who we are.” On their journey together they say, “We are different in some aspects, I like things scattered, she wants things in place always. We may fight, but we are always friends.”
We at ' Leave Dentistry for a Day' were left feeling absolutely stunned and inspired by this beautiful couple. They totally made us re-evaluate our life goals. Thank you Sir and Mam, for taking time out to speak to us. Your warmth, your passion for all things blew us away. We hope to learn from you.
And to all our readers, a very Happy Dussera!

P.S: Do visit their FB page ‘Swarbandh to know more about their work

23/09/2018

Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once grow up.
-Pablo Picasso

Today, we introduce to you a dentist who keeps alive her artistic nature by daily interaction with kids who brighten her day and inspire her to draw and paint beautiful pictures that catch the eye. Dr. Maitry Savla Shah graduated from Nair Hospital Dental College in 2011. She then pursued her post-graduation in pediatric dentistry from YMT Dental College and completed it in 2013. She currently has her own exclusive pediatric setup called ‘Smiles n Giggles’ in Chembur.

While in her practice, Dr.Maitry focuses her energies on gifting her young patients with pretty smiles, at the same time she makes sure there is ample time in her schedule to focus on creative pursuits such as art. In fact, her passion for art is such that she has made an attempt to inculcate the same in the little ones visiting her clinic by putting up drawing boards around the clinic for them to doodle on.

Dr.Maitry herself used to pursue art herself from childhood to her graduation days. She attended professional classes for the same as well. In fact during her graduation days at Nair, she has received awards for her paintings at both inter and intra collegiate festivals. However, her hectic schedule during post-graduation and the hustle bustle while setting up her own practice led her to being out of touch with her passion.

She recently started sketching again and was instantly hooked, finding in it a creative outlet for self-expression. She started with focusing on charcoal painting and then graduated to oils.

Charcoal is one of her favorite mediums as she believes the stark shades of white, grey and black highlight the settings, moods and features of her subjects beautifully.

Her husband, family and friends have always been very supportive of her pursuits. She fondly remembers the time while participating at a competition in NHDC, she found herself surrounded by friends for the entire duration who were cheering her on right till the end. Her husband is the most astute of her critics and also the most supportive, encouraging to pursue various styles of art.

Her message to all the dentists out there is, “Dentistry is a great profession with its ups and downs. While we need to focus wholeheartedly on our work, at the same time, we need to know when to step back. Art allows me that luxury, to step away, refresh my mind and return back to work with renewed vigor and positivity. “

We at ‘ Leave Dentistry for a Day’ would like to thank Dr.Maitry for sharing her beautiful sketches for us. Keep sketching away and on behalf of all of us a very “ Happy Birthday in Advance “ (Dr. Maitry will be celebrating her birthday on 28th).
Wishing you a year where your pencil keeps sketching and fulfilling your dreams !
Maitry Savla Nikhita Gune

02/09/2018

Doodle It Out!!!!!!

Finally, Sunday is here and I am sure most of you out there would be heaving a sigh of relief at the thought of some much needed respite after a hectic week at your clinics / institutes. But even the busiest of us, will always have a few free moments during the week while waiting for the next patient to arrive. How do we spend those moments? Raise your hands, all those of you who are in the habit of absentmindedly doodling on the prescription pad conveniently lying on your desks. I am sure; there will be many who concur. I know for a matter of fact, that we at ‘ Leave Dentistry for a day’ who lack an artistic bent of mind, have wasted many a good sheet in doodling flowers, sunsets which a school child could easily draw better. But not so, with the dentist we are featuring today, Dr. Priyanka Patel from Mumbai who is a master doodler and artist and creates pretty tableaus on paper within a matter of minutes.

Dr.Priyanka graduated from AJ Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore in 2012 and has been working in Mumbai for the past 6 years. She currently works with the Nakoda Bhairav Foundation Trust and Namaha Healthcare in Mumbai. From childhood, she always loved the sense of freedom achieved by expressing herself via the medium of art. She was passionate about singing and actively pursued it during her college days. However, she was unable to devote time to it and lost touch. However, in the last one year she reconnected with the creative side of her personality when she started doodling, something she used to do even as a child. Initially, she started with the same basics as us, making flowers and leaves. Then she graduated to experimenting with Mandala designs.

A mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe. In common use, "mandala" has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. It is considered to be healing, transformative and addictive and for Dr.Priyanka it sure was. She was hooked. She loved the way the patterns went in circles. The pattern looked like radiant, blooming flowers and that made her feel happy and positive. It was therapeutic and stress relieving.

She started following other artists on Pinterest and Instagram and started improvising on her designs. Also her palette gradually transformed from black and white to a varied spectrum of colors. From Mandalas, she has now started experimenting with drawing commemorating deities such as Lord Krishna and Ganesha as well as clever tableaus on themes such as childhood days during the nineties when games such as x and zero and hopscotch reigned supreme. She has also now started pursuing it commercially by taking orders for bookmarks, framed drawings etc tailormade to themes given by her clients. She also showcases her work on the Instagram handle 'Merakibypriyanka' which we encourage you all to visit.

She squeezes time for doodles at work or at home, staying up late to complete the drawings. Her family and especially her husband have encouraged her in her endeavor and she feels blessed to have such wonderful support. Her future goals are to have her own clinic with her artwork on display.

Her message to the dentists out there is,” There's so much of a hype as to why a medico should stick to his/her own field which I totally fail to understand. It's like restricting your mind from distractions. But distractions are good. It means you have the knack of thinking about other things as well. I still get those raised eyebrows which say what the hell am I doing! But that's ok. Don't limit your interests. Art has been a part of me since childhood. Dentistry happened much later. And thankfully it worked for me because dentistry is an art in itself! In brief all I can say is, Chase what you like, pursue what you love! Find happiness in whatever you do. And if you are stressing out, just look at a mandala!
All the best!"

We at ‘ Leave Dentistry for a day ‘ would like to say a big thank you for sharing your beautiful work with us and for the very special gifts which we possessively guard to date. And for readers, it is Sunday, Fun-Day, grab a pen and paper and start doodling. We would love it if, you post your creations here!
Nikhita Gune Priyanka Patel

15/08/2018

In the blink of an eye, the monsoon season is drawing to a close and the festive season beckons. Most of us are engaged in planning holiday trips to locations near and far. But a majority of us opt for pre-planned trips which include travel by train/ flights, stay at a resort and tours to major tourist spots in the area. Isn't the spontaneity lost somewhere in this process? How often do we go in search of adventure ? Or have we confined our sense of adventure and spirit of discovery to just the books we read. In the words of Mark Twain, are we taking a trip or are we letting the trip take us ?

Today, we are featuring a senior doctor from the dental fraternity, Dr.Amar Narayan Katre who firmly believes in this philosophy of embracing the journey as it comes without too much of prior planning. Dr. Katre graduated from Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College in 2000 and then completed his postgraduation from Nair Hospital Dental College in 2004.Dr. Katre is presently a Professor and PG guide at YMT dental college & hospital, Navi Mumbai in the subject of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry. He also has his own established exclusive pediatric dental practice at Dombivali. But this is just one aspect of his multi-faceted personality, today he has given the opportunity to glimpse much more.

Right from his graduation days, Dr.Katre enjoyed travelling and visiting new places and rediscovering old ones. A particularly intriguing fact, is that he enjoys travelling to places not with staid vehicles such a the train or car but by motorbike. Dr. Katre enjoys riding a motorbike on long and short trips which is an activity he has indulged in from internship to present. At present, he owns a Bullet Electra 350, which is his most prized possession. He has fond memories of his first bike as well which was was a Hero Honda Splendour. He fondly remembers the times he used to ride with friends to Pune and nearby places. The first ever long ride was to Kolhapur when it just a 2 lane highway. Most of his trips those days were overnight and strictly secretive as his parents would not have permitted such adventures in those days.

After post graduation, his professional life became hectic and time for bike riding was difficult to come by. But a few years back after he bought the Bullet, he rediscovered the joy of riding. Long distance trips on a bike were renewed. He found time to drive down not only to Pune and Nashik but also as far as Goa. Today, his family is cautiously supportive of his love for riding. Every ride taken so far has been memorable for him, in this case the joy being in experiencing the journey to the fullest rather than focusing on reaching the destination.

When asked how he makes time for bike riding inspite of his varied professional committents he says “ Time is a bit difficult to come by, but then one needs to find the time to pursue your passion. I try to do short trips as they are easy and can be decided in a moment. As far as long rides, a really long trip to Leh, a trip of India on the golden quadrilateral would be the ultimate dream trip. To all the budding dentists out there, While it is necessary to be committed towards our profession, it is equally important to pursue your passion.”

We at “ Leave Dentistry for a day” feel extremly privileged to have been given the opportunity to feature him on our page and sincerely thank for taking time out from this busy schedule to share a few of his anecdotes with us. A big thank you to you, Sir from all of us. We wish you many more spectacular and safe rides.
And for the rest of our readers, the outdoors are calling out to all of us, let us all take a ride be it by bike or car ! P. S credits : Do write in with feedback and suggestions