The moment one enters Sabitri Dental Clinic, one can see why the word 'global' has been a part of the tagline. Equipped with all modern amenities and a robust team of six specialised and two general dentists, the centre offers a sense of wellbeing to all its patients. The specialists include: orthodontist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, endodontist, periodontist, prosthodontist and pedodontist. The centre was launched by Dr Surya Kanta Das, 15 years ago, before he joined SCB Dental College. Dr Rajashree Das, his wife, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the managing director cum proprietor of the Clinic. Sabitri Dental Clinic sees a plethora of patients from Cuttack owing to its robust management and world-standard practices. A strict sterilisation protocol is an important component of the treatments and friendly paramedical staffs add a lot of value to the overall ambience and comfort of the patients. Apart from that, Sabitri Dental Clinic is
one of the few dental centres of excellence that have an in-house Prosthetic and Orthodontic Lab which provides quality service in a short time. Kartik Chandra Panda, chief lab technician, is a big asset for the centre owing to his technical expertise and has been serving for the last 14 years. Dr Das believes dental tourism is an important aspect to consider in the state. "Odisha has a lot of scope for dental tourism. A lot of NRI patients come in here to avail the best medical treatments. The lower costs are an added bonus too," he avers.
Dr Surya Kanta Das has lived by the philosophy of simple living, high thinking and followed his passion all through his life. That is what makes him a successful enterpriser as well. As the founder and chief orthodontist of Sabitri Dental Clinic and Orthodontic Centre, he makes sure that his time with patients remains undisturbed. "It is a passion for me. And whe
your work is your passion, it is not hard to find time for it. Of course, I do not get any time for myself, but I have no regrets. This is the life I chose," he says proudly. For someone who dons many hats, having a jam-packed schedule comes with the job. As the professor and head of Post Graduate department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, SCB Dental College, he has to be an active part of several key organisations and committees, not to mention the sea of patients who come to see him every day, both at the hospital and at his clinic.
An alumnus of Sainik School, Bhubaneswar with intermediate in Ravneshaw University, Cuttack, Dr Das pursued his BDS from Dental Wing, SCB Medical College and then, Master's degree in Orthodontics, from King George Medical College, Lucknow. Not many know that painting was one of the main hobbies of Dr Das since childhood. "Dentistry, being a challenge in itself
involves artistry, biology and echanics. It was my inclination towards the artistic part which dragged me to dentistry and then, to Orthodontics. During my BDS days, my inclination turned into a deep passion. In the year 2000, I topped the All India PG entrance examination which is a rare feat," he says.
Currently, Dr Das is preparing himself for the annual conference of European Society of Lingual Orthodontics (ESLO) which will be held at Lisbon in June 2018. He is an active member of the World Society of Lingual Orthodontics (WSLO) and ESLO. He was the speaker at ESLO in June 2016 where he delivered a talk on Statistical Evidence over Parables on Bond Strength of Lingual Brackets customised with Composite Base: An amalgamation of Clinical and in-vitro research findings. He was also the conference speaker at WSLO, Seoul, Korea in 2015 and at the
Apart from being a clinician and professor, Dr Surya Kanta Das works for innovation of products which can reduce the cost of treatment. Apart from three patents of lingual orthodontic devices which include the DTC device, he has also introduced occlusal window transfer tray and simplified Hiro's techniqu
Australasian Society of Lingual Orthodontics (ASLO), Singapore, 2015. His contribution of setting a guideline for lingual typodont exercises has earned a place in the National Integrated Typodont Workshop Manual released by Indian Orthodontic Society. Lingual Orthodontics has come across as a revolution for people who are in need of braces but fear the stigma attached to it.
"The braces for people who opt for lingual orthodontics will be put inside. It won't be seen from the outside. It is an advanced procedure and naturally, 3-4 times more expensive than normal braces," he informs. As an orthodontist, there are several obligations that he fulfils and, as a result, falls back on his wife, an oral surgeon and faculty at Hi-Tech Dental College, for administrative work and management of the clinic. He says, "I have a passion for implantology also". He is a Fellow International Congress of Oral Implantology (USA) and a Fellow Indian Society of Oral Implantology since 2011 - the first person in Odisha to receive the title
Dentistry has come a long way in Odisha with more specialised courses and vocations available. Dr Das recalls," We now have PG courses in SCB Dental College. Back when I was a student, we did not
have so many facilities and exposure. Things are growing at a steady pace now." However, for dentistry in Odisha, challenges still persist. Dr Das says, "There is a lack of general awareness about dental health in the state which is a big concern. Though its improving steadily, a lot needs to be done to improve dentistry and its study and practice in the state. Large parts of Odisha remains unexplored in dental treatment thus the opportunities are many." Dr Das spends almost his entire working hours in the hospital and then at the clinic. "Though we have a team of four doctors here, but I am the only orthodontist. We also have a lab with a chief technician and we are the first in Cuttack to manufacture artificial teeth and have a lab of our own. So, it's a clinic plus lab," he adds. No doubt, Sabitri Dental Clinic provides what others don't!
Sabitri Dental Clinic was a joint dream for the couple. "Dentistry is a wonderful profession to pursue," says Dr Das. "No matter the location, if you love your profession, you will achieve growth, regardless of anything else. We have more specialised options, advanced procedures coming in to the state now. Everything is changing, many things have been altered.
SABITRI DENTAL CLINIC AND ORTHODONTIC CENTRE FOUNDED BY DR SURYA KANTA DAS HAVE EMERGED AS A UNIQUE STATE-OFTHE-ART FACILITY FOR DENTAL AND ORAL TREATMENTS. THE CLINIC IS A GO-TO PLACE FOR PEOPLE IN CUTTACK LOOKING FOR SPECIALISED ORAL TREATMENTS
What one need is to stay updated and skilled," he opines.
The painter that Dr Das was in his student days has given him his artistic sense which he used in his profession. He says, "When profession becomes a passion, growth comes automatically. If you are efficient enough, you will rise. It might take time, but success is guaranteed." Dr Das himself is an example of the same. He has three patents in his name. He has also designed his own device which is commercially available. The DTC device - Das's Tip Torque Thickness Customisation Device - helps in easy and simple customisation of lingual brackets on the malocclusion cast. Unlike other devices, it can be adjusted to the desired vertical heights. The lingual torque blades for torque expression in the custom lingual brackets omit any vertical error due to change in torque prescription.
Dr Das have one son, a seventh grader, who also seems to be a good artist. "I am not bothered about his career options. The world has so much scope in everything that I feel my kid is lucky to have been born in this era where all options are open. I don't believe in forcing chil
dren to go for a particular profession," he avers. "Sabitri Dental Clinic and my practice have expanded by the word-of-mouth more than any elaborate advertisements," he adds. No wonder that remains a matter of pride for this dentist and entrepreneur. Apart from being a clinician and professor, Dr Das works for innovation of products which can reduce the cost of treatment. Apart from three patents of lingual orthodontic devices which include the DTC device, he has also introduced occlusal window transfer tray and simplified Hiro's technique. He has conducted lingual typodont workshops in association with Indian Orthodontic Society (IOS) at colleges in Modinagar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Vizag. He is also the director and faculty-in-chief of the Comprehensive Lingual Orthodontic Workshop extending over one year in three modules of Cuttack since 2015 and has conducted workshops at universities across the country, including at Nagpur, Chennai, Meerut, Lucknow, Banaras, Andhra Pradesh and Bangaluru apart from one at Nepal. "You should own up to your failures. That teaches you more than success ever does. I have made it a habit of accepting failures wholeheartedly," he affirms. The simple living and high thinking philosophy of Dr Kalam has been his motto in life as well. And that reflects in his global approach to his patients as well as his enterprise, that is, Sabitri Dental Clinic and Orthodontic Centre.
