 |
 |
|
|
Sunil Wadhwa, D.D.S., Ph.D., Orthodontist and Researcher, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
|
1. I chose this career because...
2. My typical workday involves...
3. What I like best and least about my work …
4. My career goals are...
5. When I'm not working, I like to...
|
|
1. I chose this career because...
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
Sunil sits at the head of a typical reclining chair used in an orthodonics clinic
|
I chose to become an orthodontist because it is a form of oral medicine that causes less pain than typical dentistry work. People don’t want to go to the dentist because of the pain involved in some procedures. I don’t like putting people in pain. In orthodontics, it’s just the opposite. People want to see me, and there is nothing I do that causes them pain. Since about 75 percent of my patients are kids, that is important to me. Also, orthodontics was a perfect-fit career for me, because it combines my math and engineering skills with my interest in science and medicine.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Physics, Bowdoin University, Brunswick, Maine
- Doctor of Dental Surgery, Columbia University, School of Dental and Oral Surgery, New York
- Doctor of Philosophy, Oral Biology, University of Connecticut, Farmington
- Clinical Certificate, Orthodontics, University of Connecticut, Farmington
I decided to get my B.A. in physics because I’ve always been good with numbers. It helps to have parents who are both math professors. The early courses in physics were easy. The later courses I didn’t enjoy as much because they were more conceptual and theoretical.
I wanted a curriculum that was fact-based, so I entered graduate school as a mechanical engineer at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. While there, I did volunteer work at the free community clinic. This experience made me reconsider my career. I questioned whether I wanted to sit behind a desk all day since I enjoyed interacting with patients in the medical setting. I ruled out medicine, because my older brother was a doctor with a hectic schedule. He was on call a lot and often worked late nights. I wanted a more flexible work schedule.
|
|
2. My typical workday involves...
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
Sunil conducts an experiment on a bone sample
|
My typical workday in the lab is divided into three experimental sessions:
- I usually come into the lab early, around 7:00 a.m., and get started on an experiment. It’s usually quiet and I can accomplish a lot. Since most experimental procedures take around 4 hours, I use that time to review and plan. I think about expected results and how my work relates to other published results, and I plan the next experiments.
- While at lunch, I’ll have another part of my experiment running.
- In the afternoon, I set up another experiment or one that may run overnight. Once this is going, I usually do maintenance work, like taking care of cell lines, checking supplies, or preparing for the next day’s work.
In the Lab
My current research project involves studying bone growth of the skull. It grows similarly to the way the upper jaw grows. We use mouse models to study human diseases like craniosynostosis, which affects skull growth, physical appearance, and intelligence. By understanding bone growth, we may be able to develop effective treatments for children who have this and similar diseases.
In the Clinic
One night a week, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., and usually one day on the weekend, I work in a private practice. My assistants do the preparatory work with the patients, and then I see them. My assistants and I perform whatever procedures are needed and work back and forth between two chairs. In this way, we can see more patients in a time-efficient manner. Last Tuesday night, I saw 28 patients in 4 hours.
Equipment I Use in the Clinic
- Panorex machine – for taking X-rays of the oral cavity
- Chair– reclining chair with a lighting fixture and an air-water syringe and suction system
- Light cure apparatus – to harden and set the cement when applying corrective braces
- Drill – for removing cement after braces comes off (The drill doesn’t hurt!)
|
|
|
 |
