Contemporary Treatment Techniques in Pediatric Dentistry

Meenakshi Sivasankar Kher, MDS, is a leading specialist in clinical pediatric dentistry in India. A graduate of the Government Dental College & Hospital, Mumbai (1991) she received her Master’s degree in Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry from the Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai. In 1995 she established the ‘Happy Tooth Clinic for Kids’ in Mumbai city,dedicated exclusively to managing the oral health needs of children. Her workshop Pedopathshala, a continuing education course in clinical pediatric dentistry was founded in 2010 with the aim of enthusing clinicians to practice evidence based pediatric dentistry. Pedopathshala has proved to be immensely popular amongst general and specialist dentists giving Dr. Meenakshi Kher an opportunity to personally mentor more than a thousand dentists from different parts of the world. Her expertise in pediatric dental treatment protocols has received international recognition and she has been an invited speaker at international congresses including the IAPD and FDI. She conducts webinars and podcasts for international audiences on social media groups dedicated to pediatric dentistry.

Ashwin Rao, MDS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pedodontics at Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India. He gained his BDS from A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore University, in 2000 and his MDS, with specialization in Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, from Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 2005, receiving the Vidya Tandon Memorial Gold Medal for best outgoing postgraduate student. Dr. Rao has undertaken research with funding from the Indian Council of Medical Research and has developed a modified two-stage inferior alveolar technique to administer the inferior alveolar nerve block comfortably in children. He is the author of a number of book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals.