In the dental world, where the process of drilling, filling, and billing is the norm, Dr Srivats Bharadwaj has set up Vatsalya Centre for Oral Health to focus on preventive dentistry and allow people from all backgrounds access to dental care.
“Something that has always disturbed me was the suffering that disease caused. I would always wonder how we could avoid this suffering, especially when we were merely taught concepts of treating diseases. It would always surprise me that we would never discuss health in medical school,” says Dr Srivats Bharadwaj, Founder, CEO, and Chairman, Vatsalya Centre for Oral Health.
Founded with one assistant in 2003, Vatsalya today has expanded to include 15 doctors and five centres in Bengaluru. Focused on preventive dentistry, the team also works on different social efforts to ensure that people pay attention to oral health.
The whole idea of Vatsalya started when Srivats realised that over 98 percent of dental problems were preventable and when neglected, would impact general health and quality of life. It was then that he decided to focus on educating people, doctors, dentists, and students of dentistry to think of prevention and not just cure.
Away from the devices of torture
Speaking of an incident that diverted his attention towards prevention, Srivats says:
“I was talking to a doctor and the discussion was around the practices of hygiene a few 100 years ago. The doctor said that today we need not follow many of the age-old practices as we have advanced in medicine and technology and have developed antibiotics which can protect us. It made no sense to me. I thought when we could prevent disease, why create one and then solve it.”
Even looking back, Srivats realised that our traditional practices were focused on prevention. He soon began to closely observe life around him. “My idea of healthcare is when a doctor is paid the highest salary when the population he is serving is healthy and not diseased. Oral healthcare must shift from repair to prevention,” says Srivats.
Moving away from the drill
Srivats believes it is possible to use cheaper and less intrusive methods than are presently employed, a belief he has put into practice — a regular root canal that costs anywhere between Rs 8,000 and 10,000 will cost somewhere between Rs 4,000 and 6,000 at Vatsalya.
An appointment here begins with an hour-long consultation followed by an educational session on preventive measures, after which you are informed about treatment procedures. Most of the equipment used is of international standards.
