Everyone is an Artist

EVERYONE IS AN ARTIST AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. ANJALI RAJPAL

WORDS BY IONUȚ RAICEA

Everyone is an artist, the German art theorist Joseph Beuys famously once said, attempting to encapsulate the deep meaning of art and its creator in the fewest words possible. And the message behind this quote still eludes many of its readers. Some of us identify true art in a sculpture or a painting. Others, in being a good manager, or even a good parent. It’s all about responding to the natural call to creativity and finding one’s voice to respond to it.

Dr. Anjali Rajpal, nicknamed the “Diamond Dentist,” a world-renowned cosmetic dentist from Beverly Hills Dental Arts, found her artistic essence in putting a beautiful smile on patients’ faces.

“I have more of an eye for how a smile suits a patient’s face. And it just feels like I am creating art,” Dr.Rajpal shared.

From sculpting and painting to cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Rajpal heeds her calling to art in everything she touches.

ART IN ITS MULTIPLE SHAPES AND FORMS

Dr. Rajpal has nurtured her propensity towards art and creativity from a young age. Having inherited her mother’s passion for painting, Dr. Rajpal took her first artistic steps in sculpting and painting, bringing anything that her imagination conjured up to life.

“I love making things in general, anything creative. I will make things out of fabric or different mediums, such as wire, plaster, clay, whatever seems interesting to me. I still paint a lot. I sculpt a little bit, but just occasionally,” Dr. Rajpal said.

From two of the five fine arts, Dr. Rajpal built a successful career in dentistry. Her academic cursus honorum took Dr. Rajpal through the most reputable learning institutions in the country, which endowed her with the knowledge and skills required to start her own practice in Beverly Hills.

“I went to the University of Michigan for undergrad where I did a Bachelor of Science in Bio-Psychology. I then went on to Tufts University in Boston for my DMD dental degree. After that, I completed a general practice residency in LA at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I then started practicing in Beverly Hills, and I have been here ever since,” she said.

Not only did this passion for art point her towards countless perfect smiles and grateful patients, but it also gave Dr. Rajpal the peace of mind we all needed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When we were in the lockdown, I was painting a lot because that was all I could do to keep myself busy,” Dr. Rajpal said.

USING COSMETIC DENTISTRY TO ACHIEVE A NATURAL LOOK

Years of diligent, industrious education gave Dr. Rajpal the privilege of taking cosmetic dentistry to the next level. For Dr. Rajpal, cosmetic dentistry is the use of biocompatible, restorative materials to help the teeth achieve correct alignment. Tools such as clear orthodontic aligners (e.g., Invisalign), veneers, crowns and natural-looking porcelain restorations help Dr. Rajpal replace misalignments and imperfections with a perfect, natural smile that, with proper maintenance, can last a lifetime.

“It is my goal to always have my restorations look as natural as possible, so my patients don’t go out into the world and have people notice that they had any work done,” she said.

Every patient becomes a unique art project for Dr. Rajpal, who sees all the rewards she could ever hope for in beautiful smiles. Such is her determination to dazzle each of her patients with an even more dazzling smile that, from the moment she welcomes you in her office, Dr. Rajpal already has her next masterpiece ready in her mind. All she needs is to bring it to life.

“I can naturally make temporaries or make permanent restorations just by hand, without needing anything to help me shape it, just by using my eye and my ability to assess the shape of neighboring teeth, or just by coming up with something out of nowhere that matches the patient’s look in their face structure,” she said.

IT IS MY GOAL TO ALWAYS HAVE MY RESTORATIONS LOOK AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE, SO MY PATIENTS DON’T GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND HAVE PEOPLE NOTICE THAT THEY HAD ANY WORK DONE.

- DR. ANJALI RAJPAL

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT A SPECTACULAR WORK OF ART CANNOT OVERSEE EVEN THE SMALLEST OF DETAILS, AND DR. RAJPAL, WITH HER ARTISTIC PROWESS, CAN TURN YOUR SMILE INTO AN ENDLESS RESERVOIR OF CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM.

A CHARMING SMILE DOES WONDERS TO YOUR CONFIDENCE

Is bringing the perfect smile to life the only purpose of cosmetic dentistry? Or do patients have something even more precious to gain from restorative dental work? For Dr. Rajpal, a dazzling smile is enough to help people turn their lives around!

Self-consciousness about one’s smile or the loss of one’s teeth is enough of a reason to put a dent in our confidence and self-esteem. Dr. Rajpal has numerous stories of patients who were traumatized by tooth loss (especially the front teeth) but recovered their trust in themselves by entering her office. It goes without saying that a spectacular work of art can not oversee even the smallest of details, and Dr. Rajpal, with her artistic prowess, can turn your smile into an endless reservoir of confidence and self-esteem.

“And I see so many people that have suffered from lack of confidence with their smile for years and decades, and then I will transform them, and they are immensely grateful because it makes such a difference to their lifestyle and their professional and personal lives,” Dr. Rajpal said.

BRING YOUR UNIQUE TOUCH TO COSMETIC DENTISTRY

The field of cosmetic dentistry faces technological challenges that will revolutionize how we imagine a “normal trip to the dentist.”From 3D model printing to CT scans, technology assists Dr. Rajpal every step of the way, from the first consultation to the perfect smile’s big reveal. Such is the world where the next generation of cosmetic dentists will have to make a name for themselves, steadily build their own practice and change patients’ lives. For Dr. Rajpal, it was the “Diamond Smile” that helped her shoot for the stars.

But amidst this race for self-affirmation, Dr. Rajpal advises future generations of cosmetic dentists to let their artistic self shine and guide them towards a unique approach to dentistry, one that will earn them the gratitude of their patients and the respect of their fellow dentists.

“Try to formulate your method of how you want to practice and design it based upon your personality, so that you’re practicing as true to yourself as possible and providing as best of a service as possible to your patients so that you feel fulfilled and enjoy what you’re doing,” she said.

Once everything your touch turns to “diamond,” and you see fulfillment in everything you create, your art becomes genuinely unique, and Dr. Rajpal’s work will remain as a memento to those who seek to artistically express themselves in medicine. You can research more about Dr. Rajpal’s dedication to the art of dentistry by accessing her website here.