We recently connected with Varisha Parikh and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Varisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

My first job in dentistry was during my sophomore year of college. In college I majored in Biomedical Engineering but by my second year I wasn’t doing very well in the program and was really unhappy with engineering as a career path. I felt even more confused because I wasn’t really interested in any of the traditional career paths that engineering offered such as consulting, research and development, or academia. When I went home for the summer after my 2nd year of college, my orthodontist offered me a summer job as a dental receptionist since his was going on maternity leave. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I ended up loving it! I distinctly remember my first morning huddle and being so awed at how this whole team was aligning themselves to take the best possible care of patients all day. I learned so much that summer about patient care, communication, leadership, and entrepreneurship. After that experience, I was sold on becoming a part of the dental field a began taking my pre-requisites and completing my dental school admissions applications.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Dr. Varisha Parikh and I am a prosthodontist. A prosthodontist is a dental specialist that focuses on the restoration and reconstruction of complex dental cases. Specifically in my practice I focus on enhanced cosmetics, conservative dental solutions, and complex dental implant cases. I completed my dental education at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and then went on to complete an additional three year Advanced Prosthodontics specialty residency program at the University of California Los Angeles. After graduating residency, I began working as an associate prosthodontist in Westchester and really fell in love with the community. In 2023, I opened my own boutique dental practice in Westchester. I am so proud of the practice we have created! We provide our patients with a unique individualized experience at each visit in a calm and modern environment. I am very passionate about utilizing advanced dental technologies to help achieve the best possible results for our patients. Our office features the very best in dental intra oral scanning and 3D printing. In addition, to being a clinician I really enjoy teaching and am blessed to be able to travel the world sharing workflows, innovations, and collaborating with other clinicians.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I absolutely would. I always say that I am incredibly blessed to have found my calling in life. I believe helping people with the skills I have as a prosthodontist is incredibly fulfilling and gives me my purpose in life. However, I advise those that are interested in going down the dentistry or dental specialty path that they need to make sure that this is what they want to do. It is a long and arduous road to get here, but if you feel this purpose in yourself then every step is worth it.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think the thing that helped the most was going out and introducing myself to other practitioners and making a one on one connection. In the early days of my new practice, I would make cookie baskets and drive around to other dental offices to introduce myself to the doctors and team members. Taking the time to make a personal connection and introduce myself, encouraged other practitioners to trust in me and my office and made them more likely to send referral patients my way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prosthoqueen.com
• Instagram: @dr.varishaparikh
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvarishaparikh
• Other: Tiktok: prosthqueen

Image Credits

Patricia Pena Photography