For over three decades, I have lived at the intersection of clinical care, community service, and academia—first as a dental surgeon for 26 years in Ujjain and New Delhi, and later as a global researcher and oral health advocate.

My journey—rooted in my parents’ medical heritage and deepened by studies in Health Economics & Management, Healthy Ageing & Rehabilitation, and the European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovations—has been enriched by academic collaborations with institutions such as the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, International Health Literacy Association, Erasmus University, IARC, Stanford University, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

These experiences taught me a simple truth: Information saves lives only when it flows freely between professionals and communities—for both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Everywhere I worked, I saw the same reality: people don’t make health decisions alone. Families discuss, communities share stories, and trust—more than knowledge—shapes choices. Health literacy must be shared, not taught in isolation. My research shows it acts as a social vaccine—empowering communities to protect health before disease begins.

When families understand evidence in plain language, they act: ensuring HPV vaccination for boys and girls, maintaining daily oral hygiene, and recognising oral-systemic health links. Prevention multiplies through shared responsibility.

SmileAge Initiative Trust was born from this belief and lived experience. It restores dignity in ageing, prevents disease before it starts, and makes health literacy India’s social vaccine—one conversation, one informed choice, one empowered family at a time.

This mission honors my late husband, Dr. Puneet Anand, my parents, in-laws, daughters, and family—whose love and values guide me. My faith in Shirdi Sai Baba’s teachings of Faith and Patience has been my compass. It also pays tribute to the profession that has sustained me through loss, renewal, and learning.

Join me to create @SmileAge Initiative Trust as our shared, sustainable platform to end preventable pain and misinformation. Together, let’s make health knowledge flow as freely as care itself.