Dental alumnis gives back

Defining what matters

Dr. Amreesh Khanna (DDS 2007) holds his core values close to his heart. “Helping my community is really important to me. My parents were always involved in community and volunteering, and they shaped my personal and professional values.”

During his time at the School of Dentistry, he founded SHINE Dentistry. In this student-led voluntary clinic, low-income youth get free dental services on Saturdays at the Boyle Mc- Cauley Health Clinic. It was a huge endeavour to start but knew it was for an excellent cause. He was grateful for community support to raise the funds for start-up supplies.

He says, “I was in my second year, and I had no idea how to set up a clinic! I was lucky to be mentored by Dr. Randall Croutze (CEO of ADA&C and past president of the CDA), who helped and encouraged me to continue.” Khanna takes great pride in seeing SHINE in its 14th year, performing over $100,000 of treatment for those in need every year.

After his DDS, Khanna completed a General Practice Residency in the Bronx, New York, then bought a practice in downtown Calgary with his brother (DDS 2010) and wife (DMD 2009 University of Saskatchewan) in 2012. Khanna says, “I’m an entrepreneur at heart. I love the business side of my practice and building something patients and team members can feel proud to be part of.”

Khanna’s practice was destroyed in the 2013 Calgary floods. They rebuilt at double their capacity, honouring their vision. This was a tough time for them, but Khanna says, “Being faced with this adversity forced us to learn quickly about grit and resilience.” They worked hard and have since opened a second practice and a clinic for treating patients under IV-conscious sedation.

When COVID ground practices to a halt, Khanna realized he needed to re-focus on his purpose: to inspire, influence and educate. “Finding your purpose and aligning your skillset is what keeps you focused on the light at the end of the tunnel during times of difficulty and adversity.” He and his practices had survived a flood, losing his father and his daughters’ births — they would survive a pandemic!

Khanna and his wife wanted to exemplify community giving for their children. Throughout this year, he has been busy! He continued DENtalks (an educational series bringing together a community of like-minded dentists to grow as clinicians and business owners) with his brother. He facilitated an online mentoring group (with more than 20 other dentists) to pass on his lessons from the 2013 floods and work together to optimize and prepare for their businesses’ post-pandemic growth.

Khanna has set up two scholarships to recognize SHINE Dentistry students and honour his father’s memory. He says, “I want to help those students who go above and beyond their schooling through volunteering and community contribution — exactly what my father stood for. As an immigrant in the 70s, my father worked hard to build his career and create a life for us. He impacted our community greatly — he was the guy people went to for help.”

He also founded Cause to Smile, a new charitable organization. They aim to bring the dental professions together to contribute to the community through initiatives that will give others a cause to smile. In June and July, Cause to Smile partnered with Canadian Blood Services to raise awareness and increase blood donations in Alberta, which had dipped since the pandemic.

SHINE is always looking for volunteer preceptors for the Saturday clinics. Khanna also hopes to bring together SHINE board alumni. If you were involved in the past, he would love to be in touch. And stay tuned for Cause to Smile’s next initiative!