Name: Dr. Vineesha Vasudevan (MedBound handle: @Vineesha97)
Birth Place: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Educational Qualification: BDS, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, India (2015-2020)
Languages you speak or write: English, Kannada, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam
Academic Qualification(s) with name of Institute(s) and year of admission/exit-
Bachelors in dental surgery, 2021
What do you do?
I work at a private practice as a general dentist in Bangalore.
What prompted you to choose this profession?
I was always inspired to choose a career in healthcare. Influences from family and close friends led me to pursue dentistry as a career.
What is the best part about being a dental student/professional?
Dentistry being a blend of both art and science, I think the best part is getting to incorporate an artistic touch in your work.
How do you like spending your free time?
I enjoy gardening and spending time amidst nature. I also immerse myself in book reading and journaling in my free time.
Which is your favorite subject in dentistry and why?
I am fond of pedodontics as it unravels a lot of details on the development of jaw structure and teeth in children and discusses early interventions that could help mitigate future orofacial problems.
Which is your least favorite subject in dentistry?
The subject that I least enjoyed in my BDS curriculum is prosthodontics. The theoretical concepts were mostly complex to me and the clinical work can be tedious.
What are some studying tips you use to retain and understand things better?
The one method I found most useful is to break down complex concepts and make them more simpler and relatable(to clinical scenarios) to understand them better. Learning with diagrams and flowcharts helped me get a firm grasp of the content.
Which dental procedure(s) do you enjoy/anticipate doing the most?
Dental restorations and root canal treatments.
What do you enjoy more, doing an RCT or extracting teeth?
As a dentist, my prime focus is to execute treatment procedures that address the prime concern of the patient. But I would prefer root canal treatments over extractions if that's feasible because preserving a natural tooth is always better.
What are some challenges you face in your professional field?
A typical day of a dentist demands catering to patients from diverse backgrounds each of them who have to be handled with generosity and patience. A dentist should be well-equipped to deal with any unexpected turns and unforeseen complications that may arise during dental procedures. The nature of work can be physically taxing and dentists are at high risk of developing musculoskeletal problems.
How would your friends describe you?
Uptight, patient, and good-humored.
What has been the best/ most memorable moment in your dental school so far?
The time when we got to enter clinics and attend to patients was nail-biting yet a fascinating part of our journey at dental school.
Has dentistry impacted your food choices? Like, do you consume less sugary and sticky food items?
I never had a sweet tooth. Nevertheless, dentistry has enabled me to make conscious food choices to avert dental concerns.
As a dental health professional, what is your dental health care regime?
Brushing twice a day and flossing at least once preferably at night. Occasional warm salt water rinses that are beneficial for gum health.
If given a choice, what alternate career would you have opted for?
I would probably want to be a mental health advocate as I am a person who recognizes and desires to break the stigma around mental health issues.
Where would you like to work in the future?
I would love to work in the UK in the future.
What is your dream travel destination?
I would love to explore Finland, the happiest country in the world!
Tell us a secret talent(s) that the world does not know about you.
I'm also a chess player.
What are you not very good at?
I'm not good at time management.
A quote that resonates deeply with you?
Worship gets you through the hardest times in life because it shifts your focus from the problem to the Almighty problem-solver.