Around the world, the oral health crisis in children is alarming. Tooth decay in permanent teeth remains the most widespread health issue. According to the World Health Organization, over 530 million kids have untreated dental issues in their baby teeth. Yet, most of them do not get the care they need. This poses a serious challenge for public health and pediatric care, thus necessitating urgent action. Even with such a grim reality, Amrita Chakraborty, a well-respected, board-certified pediatric dentist and award-winning author of the kids’ oral care book, “Little Bright Smiles,” has stepped up to create change, working hard to improve oral care for kids, especially those with disabilities.
Amrita’s impressive career highlights her dedication to providing fair, quality care for everyone. She began her journey in Dubai but studied dentistry in India. Her true inspiration, however, came from helping children with disabilities in rural areas. These early experiences shaped her strong belief in fair and equal healthcare, guiding her impressive career. Moving to the United States forced her to rebuild everything from the ground up. She succeeded anyway, earning advanced degrees. These include a master of Science in Craniofacial Biology and a master of Public Health. She showed her leadership skills early, becoming the president of her dental program in school. However, her commitment went beyond the classroom. She joined a team of 15 on USC’s mobile clinic, bringing dental care to underserved kids in rural California. Her qualifications and diverse experiences give her a unique perspective. This helps her address individual patient needs and larger systemic issues. Her innovative work hasn’t gone unnoticed, though. Recently, she won the Solution of the Year award for her toolkit. She also won the Best Paper Presentation award for her research on “Finite Element Stress Analysis of Stainless Steel Crowns.” These achievements highlight her creative thinking and profound influence in her field.
Closing the Gaps in Specialized Information
Pediatric dentistry faces a challenge. There isn’t one central place to find reliable information about kids with unique syndromes or special health needs. Dentists face difficulty in finding focused resources, which creates gaps in how they diagnose and treat cases. This makes many feel unequipped and gets in the way of giving the best care to children who need it most.
Amrita addresses this lack of information. She shares essential work in academic settings and also helps shape knowledge with her colleagues. She edits the “Pediatric Dental Study Guide,” a key resource that organizes detailed information on syndromes tied to oral health, demonstrating her dedication to collecting, checking, and sharing reliable information. “This guide helps many practitioners manage complex diagnoses and treatments,” she says. “By keeping this valuable resource, I allow dentists to learn more. This helps them give better and more accurate care.” Moreover, her expertise is well-regarded within academic circles. She serves as a reviewer for respected journals. These include Global Public Health and Epidemiology, the International Journal of Oral Health Sciences, and the Journal of the South Association of Pediatric Dentistry. In this role, she checks submitted research for accuracy and guides the course of published work. Her efforts promote strong evidence-based practices in public health and pediatric dentistry.
Beyond that, she has spoken at major conferences, like the one held by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. At this event, she talked about “Applied Interprofessional Education for Inclusive Health.” At the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry Research Day, she shared significant research on “QLF Analysis of Peptide Mediated Enamel Remineralization” and “Monetite-apatite Phase Transformation for an Enamel-like Restorative Material.” Then, at the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry Conference, she discussed “Finite Element Stress Analysis of Stainless-Steel Crown.”
Finding New Ways to Deliver Inclusive Care
A big issue in pediatric dentistry is the barriers that stop kids with disabilities from getting the dental care they need. There are not enough tools to respect different cultures. Dentists often struggle to manage behaviors. They also may not receive enough training for these situations. As a result, many of these kids do not get the dental care they need. This causes them unnecessary pain, avoidable health issues, and worse overall health.
Amrita’s work goes beyond theory. She applies her ideas in real-world settings, creating practical tools to solve issues in clinical practice. One of her standout successes is the creation of “Little Bright Smiles,” an award-winning book that aims to improve oral health care for children with disabilities. This special book won the Solution of the Year award in Personalized Medicine at the American Business Expo 2025. This shows its impact and creative approach to celebrating better patient care.
“Little Bright Smiles” gives caregivers and dental professionals a clear plan to address oral health issues. It has 14 one-page fact sheets on common medical issues. There’s also a playbook to handle challenging behaviors in dental settings. Plus, prevention toolkits for parents to use at home. “The fact sheets share vital details in a way that is quick and easy for dental teams to grasp. The playbook offers tips for clinicians to build a calm and predictable dental environment. It can reduce stress and make treatments easier for kids with severe anxiety or autism,” she explains. “Then, the toolkits share simple, practical ideas with parents to improve oral care at home. Parents and guardians can use these simple steps to keep their child’s dental health in check.”
Amrita’s toolkit is trauma-aware, inclusive, and tested in real-world settings. This makes it both valuable and applicable to many different patient groups. Now on Amazon, the manual shares her work and spreads valuable knowledge globally. It provides families and professionals with the tools for skilled, caring treatment.
Shaping Policies and Training Professionals
Weak policies and limited training hurt support for at-risk groups. These gaps make it difficult to train enough dental experts needed to handle complex cases. This can lead to the neglect of serious oral health issues in public health and education. As a result, inequalities continue. To address these challenges, Amrita is shaping advocacy and supporting professional growth. She ensures that special groups are included in policy decisions and school programs. “In my role as the Disability Section Representative for the Oregon Public Health Association, I oversee important projects that support people with disabilities,” she notes. “My role lets me influence public health policies and resource sharing.” She also advocates for fair dental healthcare access and seeks broader systemic changes. She participates in the Advisory Committee for Rogue Community College’s Dental Hygiene and Assisting programs, where she helps shape the curriculum. This, in turn, helps train future dental workers. By bringing new ideas to education, she helps prepare future oral health professionals to serve more patients and lower barriers to care, thereby promoting a more inclusive and effective system from the start.
Besides, her involvement in professional organizations highlights her dedication to improving the dental field. She is a member of groups like the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), which sets standards in her field. She is also part of the College of Diplomates (COD), which reflects her board certification and her dedication to ongoing learning. Nonetheless, she keeps in touch with her roots by being a member of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (ISPPD), which helps her support dental work in India. Beyond India, she is a fellow of the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry (IAPD), where she helps set global standards and share cultural knowledge in the field.
From the foregoing, it is clear that Amrita Chakraborty has a deep influence as a thought leader. Her intense research, creative approaches, and vocal support do more than add to the discussion. She leads the way in pediatric oral healthcare, focusing on fairness, compassion, and access for all kids.
Volha Hurskaya
Volha Hurskaya is a freelance writer.
