Funny thing is—I never actually wanted to be a dentist.
What I did always want was to be a doctor. I dreamed of having “Dr.” in front of my name. Life had other plans though, and I found myself in dentistry. And so here I am.
The beginning wasnʼt easy. In medicine, people tend to trust you almost instantly. In dentistry, itʼs often the opposite. I quickly realised that the reputation of dentists wasnʼt always the best—and that trust was something Iʼd have to earn, one patient at a time.
There were days Iʼd start and end with patients saying things like,
“I hate dentists. I hate coming to see you. Donʼt take it personally—itʼs just never been a good experience.”
And back then, I did take it personally. I didn’t know how not to. I didn’t know how to separate “Dr. Kritika Mehra” from Kritika, the person. I was just one version of myself, trying to figure it out.
So I focused on what I could control. I poured myself into the technical side—refining my dentistry, aiming to impress through skill alone. Sometimes it worked, but often, it didn’t.
Thatʼs when I shifted focus.
I started working on my patient communication—my chair-side manner. After all, in dentistry, the patient is awake. They hear us, they feel everything we do, from the way we hold their cheek to how we explain a procedure.
Something began to change. Things started to click. Then came the biggest realisation of all:
I donʼt just work on teeth—I work on people.
Their mindset, their fears, their past experiences with healthcare. I had to understand that before I could truly connect.
And to truly serve people, I had to start with me.
I had to understand how I listen, how I connect, how I show up—not just in scrubs, but as a whole person. I had to build confidence from the inside out to become the best version of myself.
Today, Iʼm on a journey that takes me around the world, learning from some of the best doctors, dentists, and health professionals—people who share the same vision:
To change how doctors and dentists are seen. To bring back trust, connection, and compassion.
Along the way, Iʼve been fortunate to train under some of the greatest minds in the field—mentors whose wisdom, example, and generosity have profoundly shaped who I am today.
After all, in one way or another, we all stand on the shoulders of giants.
And this—this is just the beginning.
