Start with A Smile:Dr.Patel and Dr.Amlani Met At Bu and Are Proud Owners of Boston North Dental Associates in Saugus

By Cary Shuman

They have been friends since their days at the Goldman School of  Dental Medicine at Boston University.  Dr. Priti Amlani graduated in 2006, and Dr. Bhavisha Patel graduated in 2007.

“We were introduced through mutual friends,”  recalled Dr. Amlani, an award-winning student who became a mentor to Dr. Patel.

Following their graduation, Dr. Amlani remained in Boston while Dr. Patel moved to Michigan for her residency and to be with her husband, Dr. Pushpak Patel, who was completing his residency in orthodontics and now has a practice in Lynnfield.

The friends kept in touch while working together at a dental practice in New Hampshire.  Two years ago they acquired the dental practice of  Dr. Bruce Goldman at 605 Broadway, Saugus, Changing the name earlier this year to Boston North Dental Associates.  Dr. Goldman remains active in the practice two days a week.

“He’s amazing,” said Dr. Amlani, 36. “He has a very loyal patient base.  His chair-side manners are excellent. The patients feel they’re his friend, not his patients, and we’re happy he’s agreed to stay on at our practice.”

Dr. Patel, 38, also praised Dr. Goldman, saying “he is a great mentor and I really respect him.  He really likes what he does and he knows his patients will.  He created this loyalty among his patients and we hope to carry forth his excellent care of his patients.”

They share a zest for education and are always seeking ways to improve their skills while staying on top of the latest technology and newest trends in dentistry.

“We both love learning and to be involved with the dental community,” said Dr. Amlani.  “We are active in dental study clubs in the area and we both love to travel to dental education workshops.”

“We do plenty of continuing education, devoting hundreds of hours every year to it, “ said Dr. Patel.  “If you tell me there’s a good course being taught tomorrow, I would try to be there.”

Boston North Dental Associates offers mainly cosmetic and restorative services.  As Dr. Amlani explains, “Our philosophy is dealing with one tooth at a time, looking at it more comprehensively and treating the entire mouth and the entire body – using a more holistic approach to treating a patient.”

Dr. Patel shares the same philosophies about dental care with her colleague.

“We have good chemistry together because have the same philosophy regarding our patients,” said Dr. Patel. “We provide really comprehensive care, taking care of the patient – not just looking at the tooth but looking at the overall health and lifestyle of the patients.”

Dr. Patel said the practice tries to make new patients feels comfortable from the outset. “Some patients have dental fear so we try to provide some options to comfort them.  Our comprehensive care includes checking patients’ head and necks, doing oral cancer screening, while also examining the esophagus.  We also have an Endodontist (root canal specialist) who is scheduled once a week to care of our patients.”

Boston North Dental Associates offers intra-oral which allows the staff to capture a superior image of the tooth.  With this technology, Dr. Amlani said, “the patient can see exactly what we’re seeing with our magnifying glasses and it’s a huge patient education tool.”

The dentists recently upgraded their digital radiography system to a new system which produces High Definition Radiography (HDR) that produces high-quality X-rays.  The office has also gone paperless.  “Everything is digital now – the charts, the medical histories, “ said Dr. Amlani.

The quality of  X-rays today is amazing,” said Dr. Patel. “Technology in dentistry has evolved a lot.  When administering anesthesia the needles are much smaller compared to years ago and there are several topical gels that we apply before the needle so the patient doesn’t feel the pinch.”

Because many of their patients are seniors, a growing segment of their practice is dental implants.

Dr. Amlani said in the 1950s and 1960s people who lost their teeth sought dentures, but “nowadays we see patients requesting full mouth dental implants.”

We work with dental surgeon, Dr. Thomas Sterio on these cases,” said Dr. Amlani.  “There have been major strides in full – mouth dental implants.  There are so many more cases that we can do now, that weren’t possible 5 – 10 years ago.”

The practice also has four hygienists on staff: Deborah Hurley, Susan Abu Sharkh, Kristen Neary, and Kelly DeSouza.

The two dentists recommend regular dental check – ups every six months.  “But it all depends on who the patients is.  There are patients that need cleanings every two months and there are patients that need cleanings every 6 – 8 months.”

While the dental practice grows, the two women are also proud parents.  Dr. Amlani is married  and has two sons while Dr. Patel is married and has two daughters.

The two women hope to become more involved in the Saugus community.  They have donated to local organizations and look to expand their connection to Saugus residents.

“We’ve been a part of  Founder’s Day in Saugus, but we’d like to begin visit the school and help the children with screenings and dental education.”

            Dr. Patel would recommend a career in dentistry to children. “Yes, definitely they will be financially rewarded in dentistry but it’s more of the satisfaction you get from helping your patients.  I see my patients going out the door with a big smile and that is very rewarding for Dr. Amlani and me.”

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