He is an internationally acclaimed educator in aesthetic dentistry with special emphasis on direct composite restorations and indirect ceramic restorations. Here at RipeGlobal, Vishal is one of our most popular educators. Students love his passion and skills, many of which were self-taught and underscored by his mantra, find a way or make one.
Vishal is a dentist who pursues excellence. Gifted with a naturally spiritual comportment, as well as wisdom and strength gained from years of marathon and ultra-distance running, Vishal has forged the material, spiritual, and intellectual elements of life on his terms.
Ahead of his upcoming Masterclass, I asked Vishal about his journey from dentistry school to becoming one of the most sought-after educators in the world.
A bird in the hand
“I always wanted to be a doctor. Then I failed the medical school entrance exam three times. However, my goals didn’t change. My focus was clear, and therefore, time was irrelevant.”
Vishal was preparing to sit the medical school entrance exam for the fourth time when he was offered a place in the Bachelor of Dental Science program. Vishal felt certain that he didn’t want to spend his life putting his hands in people’s mouths - until his father offered the parable, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Could three failed medical school entrance exams have been a sign?
Vishal enrolled in the dentistry program.
No purpose, no goal
He loved dentistry from the first day of college. The Dental Materials book intrigued him. Vishal was hungry to gain knowledge in the art of practising dentistry. “I was there to gain knowledge, not pass an exam,” he said. "Students today might not share his goals," he lamented. "New dentists just want to pass exams, but you need to have a purpose. That’s a problem with some students. I ask people what they want to do after they graduate, and they don’t know what they will do, they haven’t found their purpose. If there is no purpose, there is no goal. How are they going to achieve anything?”
Not meant to practice average dentistry
Whatever dentistry learning Vishal could get his hands on, he did. And what might surprise many is that he has never attended a composite course in his entire life. “I didn’t know anything about composites until 2006! - and I taught myself! It took me so long because I didn’t have a mentor; there was nobody to give me feedback. There was no one who could lessen my learning curve.
Even if there were foreign lecturers coming to India I couldn't afford to attend, to be honest.
But I had the will. I am not meant to practice the average kind of dentistry - this is my mantra. If I do something, I want to give my heart to it. The mind makes you think - but the heart is what gives you passion.”
Success is never owned, it is rented. And rent is due every day.
Vishal defines success as being able to do what he wants to do. He says that the key to happiness is not to live in somebody else’s pocket. “[My wife and I] have gone through times that were difficult. We are a nuclear family so we have gone through those times where we had to take our daughters to work with us. Now I can live my life according to my own terms; I go to the clinic when I want to. Of course, success is financial freedom. But you also have to look at your blessings. Blow a kiss to your house.
If you have a house over your head, food on your table, you have your loved ones, and a couple of good friends, you are richer than you think.
I don’t know how to give up
Dentistry taught Vishal how to be more compassionate. It showed him how to move toward excellence, and how to slow down. “I don’t do fast dentistry,” he said; “I focus on results. I’m a long-distance runner which has helped me to stay humble when I achieve my goals. Running showed me how to never give up. I don’t care how many times I fall, I will keep going.
From my experiences in dentistry, I have become more resilient, more patient, and stronger. I don’t know how to give up. If I decide to do something, I put my heart and soul into it and I achieve it - including marathons and ultra-marathons.”
My passion is aesthetic dentistry
Vishal’s passion is found in aesthetic dentistry. “I would love to have my skills more refined in direct composites,” he said. “I love the challenge of direct composites over indirect composites. With indirect you need to plan the case, take nice preps, then for the rest you simply depend on the technician to give it to you.
Direct restorations on the other hand is more challenging - with shaping, shade, colour, surface texture, finishing, polishing, hue, chroma, and characterisation - one requires a vast amount of knowledge in order to execute beautiful direct composites. There are so many aspects and you need to bring all of them together to make the work great."
Vishal, what is one way a dentist can improve?
Share your work! You need to get feedback.
And be open to criticism.
Join Vishal for an insightful and entertaining Masterclass on how to polish and finish anterior composites.
Registration is free and you will learn:
- How to shape primary, secondary and tertiary anatomy
- The minimal armamentarium that is required
- Simplified protocol laid down step-by-step that will give repeatable and predictable results
Can't attend live? Register anyway and we'll send a replay that you can watch in your own time.
