KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 17

In order to be healthy and live a long life, Dr. Roochi Patel Sahi opines, "People of Nepal must understand that oral health is not just mouth health; it is the gateway to the human body and a signal to the health of your entire human system."

Speaking exclusively to The Himalayan Times, Dr. Rocchi Patel Sahi of Kenya, who is in Nepal for the first time to attend the 10th World Sciences and Oral Health Conference and the Second Conference of Kantipur Dental College, revealed that both Kenya and Nepal are developing nations in terms of dentistry, with Kantipur Dental College being the dental facility we had the pleasure of visiting.

She mentioned how beautifully situated and well-organised KDC is. "Every department had a separate room and floor, and as I moved through them, memories of my dental school in the UK-Barts in Royal London-came flooding back. The arrangement, the flow, and the importance assigned to each department are all fairly similar," she said.

"That left me feeling really impressed. It is not quite at that point in Kenya yet, but it is definitely there. Thus, in reality, I was drawing comparisons to my time as a student in London rather than Kenya."

On the other hand, she believes that conferences such as this are critical to the advancement and future of dentistry. She stated that she is a young dentist among this board of very privileged, honourable conservative dentists, and she is here to provide cutting-edge advances in dentistry.

Rocchi, 40, claims that dentistry should not be taught in the same way that it was 10 to 15 years ago. "Epigenetics has changed, and your field of science has left its mark. So many conservative dentists who were taught in dental school, including at Kantipur Dental College and in the United Kingdom and America, are about to shift, and it will happen within the next five years. They are promoting it as the dental profession's future at this conference. What I practise and what is still to come is a branch of dentistry called holistic health dentistry, which has connections to medicine."

According to Roochi, we have a very Newtonian mindset and human nature that the mouth and body are unrelated because you see a dentist for this and a medical professional for the rest of it.

"Since we are both at the forefront of a healthy human and body, "that bridge actually needs to change. It needs to be changed in dental and medical textbooks. It is crucial for dentists to understand the role they play in airway, microbiome health, and oxygenation, which is the future of dentistry," she added.

"Less so in terms of implants and restoratives; we all know that those developments will continue to improve with artificial intelligence; we also know that restoring a mouth will not be difficult thanks to technological advancements; however, what we do not know is how to create a completely healthy person, and that is what I am here to do. I believe that the event provides a platform for me to discuss

my slightly contentious area of dentistry."

She also stated that everything in the body is linked to the oral microbiome. For example, anything related to inflammation can range from acute to chronic, so chronic inflammatory diseases include diabetes, hormone issues, thyroid, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.

"That offers a vast window into all inflammatory diseases that exist today. We have even connected oral health to cancers-well, not oral cancers per se, but body cancers originating from oral bacteria, which include rheumatoid arthritis and infertility. My list is long; it includes everything from skin problems to weight management to obesity," she Told THT.

Meanwhile, as an oral microbiome specialist and holistic health dentist, Roochi explained that she is working to ensure that every dental graduate recognizes the distinction between a tooth issue and the patient as a whole when they enter the clinic.

"If dentistry can improve in that area, I believe we will make a big impact on the microbiome and make waves in the global health and medical community," she said.

"I examine microorganisms, but when you visit my office, you are more than just a dental issue-you are also your thoughts from the previous day, your food intake, and the advice from your parents. You present the entire system in my clinic, and that is how you are treated."