Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital recently opened a dental clinic as it continues to expand its medical services.
The new dental clinic, which became a reality about a month ago, is manned by Dr Kiran Koora, an Indian national. He only arrived in Guyana two months ago, by which time the equipment for the clinic had already been shipped and installed. “I started working almost immediately after I got the registration, like the day after and things have been going fine since,” Dr Koora said.
Asked about the services at the clinic, Dr Koora explained that it was offering various procedures, except implants, which required specialisation. Additionally, he said the new clinic did not install braces, since that was a procedure which also called for specialisation. “You know if you do something wrong the patient’s teeth could come out, or it could be damaged; it is a kind of specialization,” he said.
The clinic currently sees about six patients daily, and Dr Koora said it was good exposure for him. He decided to come to Guyana because he wanted a new experience and he was not sure how long he would remain here. “It depends,” he said, adding “I am getting different exposure and each case is always different.”
Dr Koora studied at one of the top colleges in his country after he decided to follow in his father into dentistry. His father has been operating a reputable dental clinic for almost 40 years. He practised at his father’s clinic after completing his undergraduate studies and worked there for about three years before he took up post-graduate studies.
Although he is a paediatric dentist, Dr Koora explained that the treatment techniques do not differ significantly for adult patients.
According to him, parents should take their children to a dentist from the age of six months, when the child’s teeth begin to form. He also advises that the children have regular check-ups throughout their childhood. Even though the milk teeth eventually drop out, Dr Koora noted that they still needed to be treated as if they would last the children for a number of years. By the age of 14, permanent teeth are formed and he said by that time the need for dental care as well as regular visits to the dentist’s office, ought to be taught.
Dr Koora is mindful that people are always afraid of dentists but he said he has techniques that he used to put his patients at ease so that the procedures could be pain free and less stressful. His most important strategy was ensuring that his patients did not see all his tools, making sure that the instruments were behind him. As for his young patients, Dr Koora said he was extra careful and spent a long time ensuring that they were not afraid of him.
Dr Koora would not discuss prices at the clinic, explaining that each patient was unique and as such some may need more work done than others regardless if it was the same procedure, resulting in varying costs.
The dental clinic is open from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
