2022 April Mag

My journey to our family dental practice here in Atlanta started when I was just a child.  My family and I moved to the United States from India in 1983, with hopes of a better life for me and my sister.  I watched my parents work multiple jobs, while my dad was simultaneously pursuing his master’s in computer science.  I credit my work ethic entirely to my parents.

From an early age, I had an affinity for math and science.  By the time I went to college at SUNY Binghamton, I knew I wanted to go into healthcare, so I majored in Biochemistry.  Following a few externships, I figured out I wanted to be a dentist. Dentistry would give me the ability to heal the hurting patient as well as use my creativity to make someone feel more confident with a beautiful smile.  With the help and encouragement of my family, I applied for and was accepted into my top choice program at Columbia University.  There, I worked harder than I ever had before.  Following dental school, I completed a General Practice Residency at NY Methodist Hospital, where I was able to get amazing training and obtain significant surgical experience.

Thankful for Grueling Hours

When I finished my training, I was saddled with massive loans.  And unlike many of my classmates, I didn’t have any family in dentistry so there was no practice waiting for me when I got out of school.  Instead, I worked grueling hours at six different offices in New York from Monday through Saturday.  Although it was difficult, I am thankful for that experience.  It gave me the opportunity to see the varying ways a dental practice could be run from both a clinical and business standpoint.  

During this time, I also had an incredible partner in my husband Ben. We had met the summer between my third and fourth year of dental school.  He and I were both doing externships abroad in the Himalayas, mine in dentistry and his in general medicine.  It was every bit a fairytale as it sounds.  We married in 2008 and Ben came to New York for his ophthalmology training so we could be together for the first few years near my family.  But we knew we ultimately wanted to raise a family in the south, so after our son was born and Ben finished his training, we moved to Atlanta, Ben’s hometown.

Finding the perfect mentor

Fortunately for me, Ben’s father, Jeffrey Baumrind, was a dentist in Atlanta and had a well-established practice downtown. I was incredibly lucky to practice with him for seven years.  This was undoubtedly the most influential time in my career.  My father-in-law became my mentor, and he provided me with clinical pearls daily, as well as tactics for running a successful practice.  His advice was to always take care of your patients, and everything else would follow.  After seeing so many different practice styles in my career, his was the one I wanted to emulate as it brought me the most joy, just as it did for him.  His was a small, family style practice with a tight, dedicated staff, geared towards building long term relationships with each patient.  I soon figured out that, like him, I loved to know about what was going on with my patients’ lives.  And like him, I loved to factor in time to catch up with patients at each appointment.  I knew I didn’t want to have multiple offices, and I did not want to have a conveyor belt of patients coming in and leaving.  

My father-in-law passed away unexpectedly in July 2020.  I felt lost without him.  I had always thought I would practice my whole career with him.  It seems life had another plan.

Picking up the pieces

I eventually picked up the pieces of my life after my father-in-law died and took the leap to start my own practice, Jain Dental Care, in August 2021.  I was lucky to have my dream team:  a group of three women, two of whom are sisters, and each of whom I worked with for years at our previous office as our hygienist, dental assistant, and front desk receptionist.  If that weren’t enough, I was fortunate to hire another front desk worker who is not only my best friend, but who is also married to my husband’s first cousin!  She and I also designed every detail of our dental office together, from the wallpaper to the furniture.  I feel blessed that I am surrounded by such a hardworking, thoughtful group of strong women, and we all have each other’s backs.  Our office wouldn’t be what it is without their dedication.

Taking The Leap

Opening a new practice during a global pandemic obviously comes with its challenges, but we have been able to thrive through our commitment to our patients.  Many of these patients are ones I’ve known for years.  Others are new to our practice.  We treat each one as part of our dental family.  We learn about their lives and their families.  We help them through their anxieties, transforming their fears of dental appointments into genuine excitement for their next visit, just as my father-in-law had done.  And we especially love seeing our patients grow and hearing about their milestones in life:  finishing school, getting a new job, getting engaged, or having children (or grandchildren).  There is no bigger success for our office than to see the smiles on our patient’s faces when they walk through the door.  My dream of having a family-style practice has finally come to fruition.  And though I miss my father-in-law all the time, I couldn’t be more excited for this next stage in my career.

Jain Dental Care: https://jaindds.com/