Going Beyond Dental Health
Poorva Parnaik, DMD
“We have time to spend with patients. We get to know their background, their lifestyle, what kind of food they eat, their exercise routines – all of this comes up during our new patient interview. Larger, corporate practices just don’t have the time to invest in patients the way we can.”
For Poorva Parnaik, DMD, dentists are responsible for far more than just their patients’ dental health. Parnaik, of Dental Creations in Medford, believes the health of a patient’s mouth is a window into their overall well-being.
“What you see in the mouth is just a fraction of their general health,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll look at someone’s gums and know they’re dealing with a bigger health issue. In dentistry, we often only focus on the teeth, the decay, the crowding – but there’s so much more underneath that affects the health of the mouth and the patient’s experience.”
Her practice emphasizes personalized treatment, focusing on the overall health and well-being of her patients. Parnaik educates her patients on proper nutrition and checks vitals, such as blood pressure, at every preventive visit. This approach, she says, is what sets her practice apart and allows her to connect with patients in meaningful ways.
“I came to Dental Creations because I wanted a smaller practice with a very cozy kind of culture,” says Parnaik. “Bigger practices don’t allow you to be creative. Every patient has different needs and in a larger setting, it’s hard to remember those details and create a personalized experience.”
Some patients don’t like certain kinds of numbing, she says, while others don’t like to be leaned back too much in the chair.
“In a smaller practice, I know my patients, and I can create better experiences because I’ve seen them over time, and my team has been with me for 20 years,” says Parnaik. “It’s a wealth of knowledge that we draw from.”
Dr. Parnaik began her dental career in India before moving to the United States to earn her dental degree from Boston University in 2006.
“What attracted me to dentistry was the ability to create a lifetime of experiences,” she says. “Dentists are among the few primary care physicians who are also surgeons. We numb our patients, perform surgery, and it’s something that is both tough and rewarding. We do what many other primary physicians can’t without extra training. And the results? They’re immediate, and you get to see the impact right away.”
Building trust with patients is central to her practice.
“It’s important to know your dentist as a person – what they value, what they stand for,” says Parnaik. “We have time to spend with patients. We get to know their background, their lifestyle, what kind of food they eat, their exercise routines – all of this comes up during our new patient interview. Larger, corporate practices just don’t have the time to invest in patients the way we can.”
Her focus on prevention, overall wellness, and long-term health makes her practice more than just a place for dental care – it’s a place where patients feel known, cared for, and understood.
“When you can see the bigger picture, you’re not just treating what’s in front of you,” she says. “We’re not just fixing teeth – we’re caring for the person.”
Dental Diagnosis
Parnaik recently had a young patient, 23, who was experiencing excessive teeth movement from clenching and grinding.
“It didn’t seem normal, so I asked if the patient had a family history of hypermobility syndrome,” she says.
The patient revealed that her mother had it. Two weeks later, she confirmed she had a subtype of hypermobility syndrome, affecting her collagen and explaining her loose teeth.
“It was an “Ah-Hah!” moment for me to make that connection and create a dental plan that would work for her,” says Parnaik.
medford
609-849-5905
medforddentist.com
