Dental alumnus giving back

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 really shaped my personal and professional values.”

During his time at the School of Dentistry, he founded SHINE Dentistry, a student-led voluntary clinic where youth who cannot otherwise afford dental care could get service for free on Saturdays at the Boyle McCauley Dental clinic. He says it was a big endeavour to start. He was thankful for the support from the community and raised over $40,000 for supplies to get the clinic going. “I was in second year and I had no idea how to set up a clinic! I was lucky to be mentored by an instructor who encouraged me to continue.”

Khanna decided to set up two scholarships for SHINE students to honour the memory of his father. “I want to help recognize those students who go above and beyond their schooling through volunteering and community contribution, which is exactly what my father stood for.”

He says, “My father worked hard as an immigrant in the 70s to build his career, create a life for his family and an impact to the community. He was the guy people went to for help.”

Fast forward to this year when COVID hit, and practices ground to a halt, Khanna founded Cause to Smile, a new charitable organization that focuses on contributing to the community and giving others a cause to smile. He reached out to his SHINE alumni community and asked them, “Who are we if we can’t do patient care?”

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.

Reconnecting with SHINE brought pride to his heart. “14 years later, and performing over $100,000 in treatment to those in need every year. Who would have thought!”

Please note: Due to the growing concerns regarding COVID-19, SHINE Dentistry has made the difficult decision to close our doors indefinitely at this time. To protect our volunteers, staff, and patients (who often wait for extended periods of time in our waiting area), we at SHINE are taking social precautions seriously. We encourage our patients and volunteers to be cautious and put their health first during this time.