Sneha Abhyankar, Class of 8T1 DIP DPH, 8T5 MSc, 8T9

Sneha Abhyankar, Class of 8T1 DIP DPH, 8T5 MSc, 8T9

By Sarah Macfarlane

Sneha Abhyankar turns challenges into opportunities to improve her own life, plus the lives of others. 

A three-time graduate of the Faculty, Abhyankar earned her diploma in Dental Public Health in 1981 and her master’s in 1985. After completing her DDS in 1989, she moved to Newfoundland, where she was one of few dentists of colour at the time. She has practised as a general dentist in Corner Brook for the last 31 years.

Abhyankar has been providing care in the remote communities of Burgeo and Port Saunders since 1994 and 2011, respectively. “People in these small communities are genuine and helpful,” she says. “The dental service provided there is much appreciated.”

One winter, her car got stuck in the snow and strangers stopped to assist her and her children. “That’s what I like about the people in Newfoundland.” 

Abhyankar has been active in organized dentistry through the Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association (NLDA), serving as president in 2008. During her tenure in the top job, she successfully advocated for a government-funded dental plan for low-income seniors. “My aim was to get something to curtail their suffering, infections and pain, to serve these seniors who needed help for medical reasons.”

She continues to advocate for dental services at hospitals and long-term care facilities. As a staff dentist at the Western Memorial Regional Hospital, Abhyankar treats children with special needs. She was a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Board from 2010 to 2016 and serves on multiple NLDA committees. She’s also on the executive of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada.

Abhyankar mentors new graduates returning to Newfoundland and encourages them to serve rural and underserviced areas.

Ever since she moved from India as a young woman to pursue an education and career, Abhyankar’s tireless efforts to reinforce dentistry’s position as an essential part of health care have been her legacy.

Photo by Tom Cochrane

Read about Farel Anderson 6T6

Read about LouAnn Visconti 8T8

Interested in more impact stories? Read the PDF edition of the U of T Dentistry Magazine Winter/Spring 2021 Issue

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