Hi! I’m Dhara. I’m a pediatric dentist who’s passionate about childhood health and wellness, located in Northern Colorado. I grew up in the #1 place to raise your child, Naperville, Illinois, so I had access to one of the best public education systems in the US. I was blessed to have access to all kinds of classes, everything from computer programming to music theory. 

Growing up, I suffered a lot of health issues. Unknowingly, I was suffering silently with a breathing problem, which in turn was causing frequent bouts of respiratory infections and sleep issues. Sleep and breathing are essential to child growth and development. Yet no one knew what was causing these problems. I was misdiagnosed multiple times. It wasn’t until I stumbled on the issue in my own patients that I learned what it was. 

I also was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 15, which can cause infertility issues and pre-diabetes. This was devastating to my child mind. I didn’t truly know how to handle the implications and responsibility of this diagnosis at a young age. I was placed on birth control and given some dietary counseling and sent on my way.

At the beginning of my career, I worked all over the Chicago metropolitan area. Thanks to working in a variety of settings and locations, ranging from private practice to non-profit facilities serving low-income communities, I started to get an understanding of the different groups in the area. Across the board, I found that families were struggling to communicate with doctors about their care, and it was a challenge for them to coordinate care between all their doctors and other healthcare providers, which affected the overall health and wellness of the child. I experienced similar issues in my childhood and noticed this as an issue with my care as an adult.

Those two factors in childhood—health and wellness—affect us all the way into adulthood. What we learn as a child can then become our lifelong habits and our understanding of life. I know this from personal experience with not only my physical health issues, but also my mental health issues. Growing up, I dealt with physical, sexual, and emotional abuse that went unnoticed, even in a well-resourced and high-performing school district. I suffered from heavy bullying, which resulted in a variety of mental health issues, like undiagnosed anxiety, depression, and PTSD. 

We can all carry trauma into adulthood, which I’ve seen in my patients, too. Children can often experience trauma during dental treatment. I’ve spoken to many adults who say they hate going to the dentist as a result of their experiences in childhood. Even in this small setting—a dentist’s office—we can experience trauma that lasts until it is healed. 

These experiences made me curious about my own childhood trauma, how trauma is stored in the body, and what the associated chronic stress can do to our bodies. If we can raise children to cope and minimize their stress and help them heal from trauma, we can avoid damage that can last a lifetime. As a pediatric dentist, I have helped many children develop a healthy relationship with the dental setting and their teeth. Children are intuitive and curious and we as adults can guide them to the human beings they are truly meant to be.

As an adult, I’ve been able to use mindfulness to heal from the stress and trauma I experienced, and I’ve wondered how much better the world would be if we were to notice and respond to these childhood issues in a more compassionate, holistic way. 

What kind of world would it be if we focused on your children and gave them the tools to become healthy, happy adults? But what does healthy and happy mean? How do we as adults become healthy and happy for the children in our lives? It is my mission to unravel these questions through my podcast by interviewing experts, healthcare providers, child advocates, personal stories, and through my own personal research.

Outside of my work, I am passionate about hiking, dancing, and spending time with my rescue dog, Mylo. I’ve noticed that many of the things I enjoy are the things I gravitated towards as a child, which is true for many of us. For whatever reasons, at times some of us steer away from what brought us joy as children, and I want to bring back both for myself and others the childlike wonder that brings us joy. My life’s work is to inspire love in myself and all those around me. Are you ready to join me in this journey?