When I took the opportunity to pursue a course on general dentistry, I wanted to learn new advancements and also brush up my basics. Although I have been a practicing dentist in a government hospital back at Arunachal Pradesh for quite a few years now, I was not getting much exposure in the field.
I am glad I chose Dr. Rajat Sachdeva’s dental institute for this course as it has definitely been a great educational experience for me. This program is a complete, wholesome package for any clinician who wants to upskill themselves and gain a fresh perspective of latest advancements. I have learnt a great deal about every aspect of the subject and I definitely feel way more confident now than a month back.
My training was customized according to my needs and weak areas. Dr. Rajat personally made sure I learnt exactly where I was lacking and much more. Endodontics module covered RCTs, both with hand files and rotary files. Each step was clearly demonstrated with the importance of the same. I got to learn so many tips and tricks of RCTs that will definitely help my cases outcome. I even got to try my hand at dental microscopes while performing RCTs. It was a truly exciting experience to be able to get an opportunity to use loupes and microscopes. I have also never had a chance to use RVG during my practice over there, but I could learn the use and interpretation of the same during the course here. The management of mishaps during endodontic treatments such as instrument fracture, ledge formation or even RCT was brilliantly taught by Dr. Rajat sir.
The module on Prosthodontics covered everything that we commonly encounter in our daily practice like dentures, facebow transfer and jaw relations, tooth preparation of all classes of teeth (anterior, premolar and molars), pontic design and even RPDs. The clinic’s OPD was great and such that within one month, I was exposed to numerous different cases. A good Prosthodontic practice requires a great working relationship with a lab and I got to understand the importance of the same.
Oral surgery is one aspect which has scared me from the beginning. Even at my practice, I tend to refer such cases to other doctors. Having said this, I was really looking forward to learn and master this subject. When I communicated the same with Dr. Rajat, he took the process slow and allowed me to work my way up from the basics to advanced procedures. Initially, we started with the correct and easy methods of injection of LA, following which principles of extractions was taught to me. As I practiced on the patients, I saw a significant change in my acumen and confidence. As we progressed further in this module, I learnt impaction techniques along with management of its complications. I was even demonstrated various incisions and their rationale.
It is mandatory to understand the medical history and its implications while carrying out various surgical procedures on patients. I was fortunate enough to have even handled some medical emergencies during my program and learn about the pharmacological aspects too.
The module on Pedodontics was also extremely informative, especially when it came to building a relationship with the child and turning an uncooperative patient to a cooperative one. As far as the procedures were concerned, it is so common to see dental caries in children in our daily practice and almost imperative to learn about direct and indirect pulp capping. As an added bonus, I also got to see few cases of apexogenesis and apexification.
The infrastructure of the clinic is amazing and it was very new for me to be able to work with such latest, state-of-the-art equipment. Working with intraoral scanners was very exciting and it is not common to see it in other clinics. I even understood and learnt the criticality of correct documentation and record keeping.
Running the risk of being repetitive, I would again like to thank my mentor Dr. Rajat Sachdeva, who has sincerely helped me out through this journey. He is not only an excellent clinician but a brilliant teacher who treats his students as his own. He really puts in extra effort so that we become better dentists and improve the quality of our work.
Dr. Heena and Dr. Richa were extremely supportive and encouraging during this entire duration and were always there to help me out and clear my doubts, even the silly or repeated ones. The entire team at the clinic was very warm and approachable. This definitely adds on to the plus points of the institute and gives you a relaxed and motivational environment to learn and grow.
Our practice is completely patient oriented and it is very important we build trust in them. While pursuing this course, I not only learnt excellent clinical skills, but I also learnt soft skills, including how to conduct myself with the patients and how to alleviate their doubts and fears. Apart from the syllabus and the regular curriculum of the course, there is so much more to learn from Dr. Rajat sir’s practice and I am definitely going back with improved knowledge, enhanced skills and increased confidence. I can’t wait to go back and practice my newly learned techniques on the patients and provide them an excellent quality care.
