Tooth Talk: Q&A with Navika Gupta EDOP 27
In our Q&A series, “Tooth Talk,” we are sitting down with GSDM students and residents to learn more about their paths to Boston University, their time at GSDM, and how they have made Boston their home.
For the next edition, we spoke with Navika Gupta EDOP 27. She discussed her love for esthetic, digital, and operative dentistry, her journey to a Master of Science in Dentistry, and her drive for meaningful research.
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Questions and responses have been edited for clarity, context information, and length.
When did you first know you wanted to become a dentist?
When I was a child, I fell and broke my tooth, but I didn’t get a cap because I didn’t have much dental knowledge and neither did my parents. From the age of 10 to 14, I didn’t have a crown; it was a half-broken tooth. That really affected my confidence a lot. I didn’t realize that until I got the crown and I started smiling more. When I realized that, I wanted to get into dental medicine and create more awareness about options that could be affordable.
Why did you want to specialize in esthetic, digital, and operative dentistry?
When it comes to digital dentistry, there are not too many colleges that have digital dentistry as a course. There’s so much transition going from analog dentistry to digital and I wanted to get better knowledge about technology—best of both worlds. This program really made sense to me with not only esthetics aspect, but also with digital dentistry because there’s so much going on and there’s so much to learn about the latest digital advancements and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
What led you to both Boston and more specifically GSDM?
I chose GSDM because everything is top notch. Dr. Russell Giordano II, assistant dean of biomaterials & biomaterials research, literally invented one of the ceramic materials; he is truly inspiring. In fact, one of my projects that I’m working on is comparing different curing mechanisms for 3D printed materials in dentistry because there’s no data online on curing protocols. Dr. Giordano came up with the idea of seeing which is the best curing unit. The research we do is quite meaningful, and that would be possible only if I was in GSDM.
How has your time at GSDM been like so far?
It’s been amazing, honestly. And you know what the best part is? I’ve never felt any mental pressure. In my undergrad, I lived in university housing and they had such strict curfew times like 6 p.m. I had no life back in my undergraduate because it was a fairly unsafe region. So, from there to here, it is a huge difference. There was a lot of mental pressure. If you skip classes, they will fail you. If you don’t score, they fail you. I was always competitive so that was never a problem, but I never liked that immense pressure. Here, I’ve made really good friends from every ethnicity. Also, with my co-residents, there’s no unhealthy competition.
With your research endeavors, have you ever participated in Science Day or any national research conventions? If so, what was that experience like?
During my interview, I spoke with John Ictech-Cassis DMD 88 PROS 86, program director of esthetic, digital & operative dentistry, and Dr. Konstantinos Michalakis, chair of the Department of Restorative Sciences & Biomaterials, and they encouraged me to do a master’s in addition to a CAGS because it can open so many doors. You can become a researcher in the future. You can become a professor in the future.
There’s so much going on at GSDM with such meaningful research. That’s how I realized I didn’t think I would get this opportunity anywhere else anytime soon. I am so grateful for Ictech-Cassis and Michalakis for pushing me for MSD. My PI is so great. My experiment is so meaningful and there’s so much to experiment further because once you find something, you find a conclusion that is statistically significant or not. So you can see why did this work? Why did this not work? It helps you understand things on a molecular level. That’s what Giordano says. He makes you understand concepts on a molecular level.
With your research endeavors, have you ever participated in Science Day or any national research conventions? If so, what was that experience like?
I went to American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research in New York and it was such a great experience because you get to see different research. Even at GSDM with Science Day, there’s such good research going on within all the departments, whether it be prosthodontics, orthodontics, or periodontology. It’s so much fun looking at their progress and the research they’re doing.
You are part of a mentor/mentee program with BU Association of Women Dentists (BUAWD). What has that been like?
I have a mentee who is in the DMD Advanced Standing program. I touch base with her and help whenever she needs guidance. BUAWD connected me with her. If she needs guidance with master’s program advice or research, of course, I’m there. I really like BUAWD because it is very encouraging and inspiring to work with other women in dentistry.
If you could give advice to either a pre-dental student or someone who’s interested in going into their master’s program, what advice would you give them?
My first and foremost advice for someone, especially someone going into a master’s, would be to get into research during their DMD program. Even if you’re not planning to do a master’s, I would say just get into research. It can open a lot of doors. Research is a great opportunity, and you should take advantage of the facilities and resources you have.
Getting familiar with Boston is one of the many perks of being part of the GSDM community. To end our conversation on a fun note, where is your favorite thing to do in Boston?
I have so many, but I love Boston Commons. There’s also another park in Cambridge near the BU Bridge that during the fall has this giant red tree. It’s so beautiful. I like taking a stroll there or near the Fenway campus from the Fenway bus stop to campus. I just love strolling everywhere. I even did the duck tour. It was a very touristy thing, but I loved it.