“It’s All About Confidence”: Dr. Neela Gandhi Shares Her Journey as a Dentist and Community Leader
“We are living in a country today where the second most powerful person in the world is a woman. In my case, I consider the “Amba nari shakti award” a privilege bestowed upon me and it motivated me to do more for women empowerment.” Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Neela Gandhi is a dentist and community leader to know. Born in Kenya, she shares her journey into dentistry, and top3 tips for healthy teeth. She also reflects on her inspiring community service work with , currently serving as the President of United India Association of New England. We are excited to share her journey! Enjoy
Tell us about your journey into dentistry and what are your top 3 dental tips for adults and children?
Dentistry is about confidence, in other words, dentistry or dental practice focuses on a part of the body that influences one's confidence, general health, how you eat, sleep, drink, talk and how you are perceived by others. As a confident person, it was a natural fit for me to get into a profession that increases a patient’s confidence in themselves.
I was born and raised in Kenya and studied dentistry at the University of Manchester School of Dentistry. This was after I completed my high school in Nairobi where I excelled in all subjects especially biology and chemistry. I graduated in 1994 and as a patriotic Kenyan, returned to my country to help my fellow Kenyans improve their oral health. I got my practicing license and worked in Kenya for six years in private practice.
When I moved to the USA in 2000, I enrolled at the prestigious Tufts University School of Dental Medicine where I had to undertake a two-year conversion program. Since graduating in 2006, I have been working in private practice in Greater Boston.
In my 28-year work experience, my three top dental tips to my patients are:
1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day thoroughly with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes and floss regularly
2. Keep a regular routine of visiting the dentist twice a year, and involve your children
3. Avoid sugary foods and drinks to prevent cavities
2. You are also involved in the local New England community and are currently the president of UIA (United India Association). What drove you to volunteer at community organizations and what are some challenges you face as a community leader?
I always took leadership roles in my life-I was a school prefect and head girl in high school. I was also President of my International class at Tufts Dental School and board member of our local Asian student association, South Asian Medical and Dental Association (SAMDA)
After graduation, I joined the Leadership Institute program at the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) which led me to chair the membership committee and became the chair and trustee of my local Dental District-The Metropolitan District Dental Society (MDDS).
My involvement with the United India Association of New England (UIANE) began in 2009 where I was elected as the Secretary; I volunteered for this as the UAINE Board was looking to fill that position and possessed the leadership qualities the leadership was looking for. Indeed after a year of pro-bono work, the community felt that I needed to vie for the President’s position which I did; I got elected unanimously and have been the President of UAINE from 2010 to 2012, 2014 – 2017 and just got elected again in 2022.. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my community and look forward to continuing advocating for strong Indian values and culture during my tenure.
When one deals with people with different aspirations and mind sets, you are bound to have differences in thought processes; I find this healthy as differences in opinion allows one to evaluate and propose middle ground win-win solutions.
3. You have won the inspiring "Amba nari shakti award" given by the Government of India to individual women that work towards the cause of women empowerment. What are some causes / actions that led to this award?
We are living in a country today where the second most powerful person in the world is a woman. Women are beginning to take leadership roles which is encouraging. We are able to multi-task better than men, look after our families, and are generally more committed to our causes.
In my case, I consider the “Amba nari shakti award” a privilege bestowed upon me and it motivated me to do more for women empowerment; I am grateful to the Government for selecting me among many other deserving Indian women.
I attribute this prestigious award to my community service in Boston where for example, (i) as President of UIANE, I encouraged women to take up more positions in the Board (ii) encouraged women and youth to take charge of events that promote and maintain our rich Indian culture in the US, and (iii) I promote the idea of social working for the well-being of women and children in our community.
In addition to the above, I co-chaired a two day conference for Women in Dentistry in 2013 at the Yankee Dental Congress which was for all dental professionals and students.
On behalf of UIANE,I also organized a successful and well attended one day South Asian Women's Network Conference, which was the first of its kind in the New England area and was convened at The Conference Center at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts on Sunday 6/9/13 with the aim to give a voice to South Asian Women on contemporary issues faced by them as the nucleus of the family in the US and develop structures for their holistic, physical, intellectual and emotional empowerment.We raised some funds at this conference which were donated to ONEFUND BOSTON charity for the tragedy of the Boston Marathon that year.
4. Being the multifaceted person you are, what is your next big personal and / or professional dream?
For UIANE, I would like to establish a home where we can organize programs on a regular basis for all age groups including children, women and seniors and celebrate all the cultural events.
On a personal level, I would like to continually take care of my patients and I love the interaction with people and the rewarding feeling I get when someone comes to understand the benefit of their oral health. Bringing some one through treatment to improve the health of their gums and watching them be successful is such a great feeling!
Thank you Neela for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bio: Dr. Neela Gandhi received her DMD degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2006. Prior to that, she earned her BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) degree from University of Manchester, UK in 1994. Dr. Gandhi practiced as an associate in Nairobi, Kenya for several years and also worked as a clinical associate in the Craniofacial Pain Center at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. In addition to her clinical practice, she contributes a tremendous time to organized dentistry. Dr. Gandhi is an active member of the American Dental Association, Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) and is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. She has also served as President of a local non-profit organization called United India Association of New England for five years where she has organized cultural events and health fairs to bring all members of the community together and was asked to serve again this year in 2022.