Orthotown Jan/Feb 2016 - (Page 46)

practice solutions // feature Serendipity and the Right Technology: One Orthodontist's Story By Darshana Novick, DDS, MS This is what I've learned from my orthodontic practice in the Oak Park/ River Forest area of Illinois and from growing up in the world of dentistry via my mother, Dr. Nandini Subbaraju. The values of hard work and perseverance are deeply engrained in my family. My mother, among the youngest of 10 siblings (eight brothers and two sisters), was the only woman who graduated in her dental-school class in India. She was a pioneer in 1973 when the focus was mostly on men's education. Her fierce motivation helped her achieve her goal of becoming a dentist. She moved to the United States after marrying my father, Dr. Tumkur Subbaraju (a veterinarian), and took her U.S. dental licensing exams in 1980. Pure serendipity My parents searched for the perfect location for my mom's practice. As my 46 parents looked at potential office spaces in Chicago, construction blocked the road they were taking and forced my dad to turn on to a major street in the heart of Pilsen. Right there they noticed a "for lease" sign on a building and immediately fell in love with the location and space. As my mother's practice grew and she felt the need to expand, she again was kissed by fate, as there was a plot of vacant land right next door to her existing building. Empty for many years, the city-owned lot was up for bid. My parents didn't have any idea what to offer, but a kind person told them to bid one dollar over a certain amount. It was the magic number, and they finally had the land on which to build the practice my mother had always dreamed of owning. It was at my mom's office that my penchant for dentistry was nurtured, in both a business and clinical manner. My parents guided me on to the path that I walk today. I was at my mom's office as far back as I can remember. As a child I spent my spare time in the office learning about benefits, claims, codes and charges. Then, as I got older, I was able to assist chairside. College and dental school followed, and the summer before orthodontic residency, I worked as a general dentist in my mom's office. I have great respect for general dentists, but discovered in dental school that orthodontics was the specialty for me. What I saw in orthodontics, more than in general dentistry and any other specialty, was the ability for me to be a part of my patients' lives, both in the present and in the future. So every time they see their smile in a photo of a special moment-graduation, wedding day, or even in their daily lives- they think of their orthodontic experience, of which I was a part. I love the challenge JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 // orthotown.com OT_Dr.Novick_JanFeb_EY.indd 46 1/20/16 1:07 PM http://www.orthotown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown Jan/Feb 2016

Orthotown.com Highlights
Embrace Progress: You Can’t Fight Mother Nature
Transfer Case: Can I Finish Without Surgery?
Best Direct Bonding Protocol
Class III Treatment in 15 Months
Go Beyond Accommodating: Working with Extra-Needs Patients
Treatment of Open-Bite with Mini-Screws and Segmental Mechanics
Cali Orthodontist an Engineer of New Smiles
Poll
Serendipity and the Right Technology: One Orthodontist’s Story
Townie Choice Awards 2015: Townies Have Spoken!
12 Marketing Tips for Orthodontists in 2016
Ad Index

Orthotown Jan/Feb 2016