As unbearable as dental pain is, the prospect of undergoing arduous clinical procedures that can last up to four-to-five months causes tremors of unimaginable magnitude in most of us who have had the experience. Wary of even the nightmarish thought we prefer not to visit dentists with surgical needles in their hands until the last moment. And whenever we visit them, we ask for temporary relief in the form of painkillers and medicine rather than going through the entire teeth extraction, waiting period, and teeth implantation ordeal.
Dr Chirag Chamria, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon of Royal Dental Clinics believes that this scenario itself is troublesome as “Most people avoid visiting dentist to the last minute when they could not bear the tremendous pain anymore. It worries me as a dental surgeon.”
A Visionary Leader Ahead of His Time
Royal Dental Clinics, Mumbai was founded by the Late Dr Arun Chamria in 1983, who has been in the field of dentistry for more than 40 years. Dr Arun Chamria honed his skill by undergoing several trainings in advanced techniques relevant to his specialization from global stalwarts in dentistry. He learned surgical techniques in dental implants from Germany, and fixing implants in poor bone-density conditions from Los Angeles.
Dr Chamria also has the distinction of being the first Indian dentist to be associated with Computer Guided Implantology. Late Dr Arun Chamria also underwent training in the latest technology in dental implants known as ‘All on 4’. In 2008, Dr Chamria took special training for Zygomatic Implants, i.e., implants in a thin maxilla and mandible. He was one of the Founding Members of the Indian Dental Association, Mumbai Western Suburb, and was the editor of Nairite, the Nair Hospital Dental College journal, in 1982.
A succession plan is about getting the right person in place for the legacy you leave behind. Speaking of a few characteristics of effective succession planning, Dr Arun would say, “One should seed in the right principles, ethics, and morals at a young age. This is what helped him and that Dr Chirag would follow.”
A Kindling Passion
On any given day one would find Dr Chirag striding through the vast expanse of the premium Royal Dental Clinics in Mumbai, as he rushes from one oral surgery to another in his immaculate white scrub that proudly reads his name and designation – Dr Chirag, MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His coy yet reassuring demeanour relaxes even the most anxious of patients. He is trained in the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery with an emphasis on zygomatic dental implants, facial trauma & reconstruction, cosmetic dentistry, orthognathic surgery, and oral cancer rehabilitation.
Dr Chirag completed his advanced course in Cancer surgery from the University Medical Centre of Netherlands, Europe, and in Salivary gland Sialography from the University of Switzerland at Geneva. Besides all these lofty academic qualifications in the field of Oral Health Care, Dentistry remains more of a passion than a profession for the young and revving Dr Chirag. His passion for the Oral Health Care arena was kindled watching his father, Dr Arun Chamria, who is better known as the ‘Henry Ford of Dental Implants’ in India.
A Tribute to the Legend
In April of 2021, Dr Arun Chamria, one of India’s most illustrious Dentists succumbed to Covid-19 complications leaving the Oral Healthcare Fraternity poorer. The man of many parts, Dr Arun Chamria’s immense contribution to the Indian Dental Fraternity will be cherished. He was an advocate of ‘Dental Implants in One Day’ way ahead of his time.
Dr Arun Chamria painstakingly established Royal Dental Clinics in Mumbai, which to date remains one of the only premium Dental Clinics in India to have a fully-fledged in-house Dental Lab at the same location as the clinic. Dr Arun Chamria entrusted the able and well-qualified Dr Chirag to forward the legacy of the preeminent Royal Dental Clinics. Every setback contains the seeds of enrichment, says Dr Chirag as he continues the prodigious task of taking forward the legacy of Royal Dental Clinics.
Reigniting the Mission
Dr Chirag is one of the few specialists in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. His sound judgment skills are a key to winning many difficult cases. He executes great leadership skills in even training staff and working as a team with his attention to detail and attitude is what make him stand out from the crowd. When asked what was his inspiration behind venturing into the oral healthcare arena, Dr Chirag says that besides an array of motivations, the three fundamental reasons would be:
- Rekindling father’s passion and vision into practice.
- Growing the practice from Dental to Dental and Maxillofacial.
- Serving the servers of the society.
Improvements Sprouting from Challenges
Speaking about the initial challenges, he says Earlier, there weren’t many technological equipments available under one roof. So, one had to really painstakingly develop Clinical protocols. From consultation to scanning to ordering medical devices for treatment and then the final fixing of teeth; would take 3-4 months. Moving towards Same Day Fixed Teeth results under one roof was a transformation altogether. Medical also attracts legal and financial burdens which come at the cost of the healthcare professional and their families.
Then his father’s demise was again a very difficult and challenging time for him. However, “Each difficulty contains the seeds of improvement,” says Dr Chirag as he proceeds with the gigantic undertaking of taking forward the tradition of Royal Dental Clinics.
Makeover of Your Smile
As per Dr Chirag, their professional values and qualities admired greatly by their patients are, “For us, excellence is our constant pursuit. Patients want immediate results and are no longer ready to hold back for days to restore their smile. We strive for nothing less than the mastery of this medium in which we have chosen to craft.”
Revealing the USPs of his practice, he says they are,
- Same Day Fix Teeth with Dental Implants: Dental implants feel and function almost like healthy, natural teeth. They’re comfortable and you may not have to think about them.
- Beautification and Straightening of Teeth in One Day: A “smile makeover” can improve the appearance of your smile through one or more cosmetic dentistry procedures.
- In Virtually No Bone, Get Implants with SAPTeeth: Shock Absorbable Permanent Teeth are polymers that have expected wear-off time of about 5+ years. These polymers can be easily repaired in the mouth.
Reinventing Professionalism
As an experienced professional, Dr Chirag’s advice to the budding aspirants willing to enter the oral healthcare practice is wise. He says, being a professional to most people, means working and adhering to a certain behaviour so that others think of them as reliable, competent, and respectful. Professionals are an asset not only to themselves but also others.
Here, he shares a story about his father. In 1984, Dr. Arun Chamria was at a conference forum hosted by the then President of the well-known American Dental Association, Dr. Donald Bentley. Post the meeting, Dr. Bentley put a question one-on-one with Dr. Chamria. The question as Dr. Chamria passionately remembers was, “What according to you is a professional?” Dr. Bentley then answered the query himself saying, “A professional is 33% of academic knowledge, 33% of economic management knowledge, and 33% knowledge of the prevailing laws.”
This statement even today propels Dr. Arun Chamria’s ventures. That’s why Dr. Chamria believes that a complete professional is someone who holds proficiency in all three different domains stated above. “I wish to spread this message to all aspiring professionals of the upcoming generations,” states Dr Chirag.
Dental Implants in a Day
On envisioning Royal Dental Clinics’ operations with the emerging technologies and automated tools that are revolutionizing the business world by enabling innovations, he reveals that being one of the pioneers for Single Stage Immediate Loading Dental Implants in One Day, Royal Dental Clinics is equipped with latest technologies including, but not limited to:
- Extraoral Scanner
- CBCT for Imaging
- 3D-printing for face anatomy
- CNC milling for Dental Crowns
- CAD designing software
- Zirconia and Ceramic furnaces
- CBC for real-time Blood Test
- General Anesthesia for Conscious Sedation
- ETO Sterilization
With regards to dentistry; technologies help get precision, accuracy, and results for patients. While dental implants see great success rates for patients, however as with all surgeries it does come with a few risks. The end goal of any dentist in Mumbai is to help patients. So, if dental technology can help them deliver better results, we foresee a future for robotic dental technology, especially when it comes to dental implants and other complex dental procedures.
Royal Dental Clinics, Mumbai already offers a revolutionary and futuristic dental implant technique that can immediately replace missing or failing teeth in as little as a couple of hours. “Our highly qualified and trained Dental Surgeons have been performing well-documented and highly successful procedures for over two decades,” concludes Dr Chamria.
