THE DENTAL SAGA! Reinvention of smiles, science and sustainability. 

Over my two years with APDSA Pakistan, one thing has always amazed me, how quickly and efficiently ideas turn into reality. Earlier this year, we saw that spirit again, when The Dental Saga came into being. 

It all began one fine morning when Dr. Zoya Sajjad, our evergreen Public Health Officer, gave me a call. "Bushra," she said, "we're planning a webinar this year, but I want something different. "I smiled to myself, how often do we hear those words at the start of any new venture? But there was something about her voice that morning, a subtle hint of excitement and anticipation that made me sit up straighter and want to listen more closely.

She spoke about how she wanted the webinar to be more than just educational. It had to be something related to us, something personal, something that truly resonates with us and affects the way we live, work, and dream here in Pakistan. Public Health, she said, would be the central theme. But what else could we add?

Inspired, I grabbed a notebook and started scribbling. I knew I wanted to focus on issues that hit close to home, like climate change and its connection to dentistry, but I also wanted to broaden the conversation to what’s happening around the world, especially how far we've come in the technological side of dentistry.

After a few hours of research (and a deep dive into PubMed), I found some solid studies linking dental practices to environmental impact. I also came across new developments in technology, particularly the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare and thought it would be fascinating to include this in our discussions, especially in terms of how it's reshaping dentistry today. For the final day, I decided to keep things a little more practical and maybe a touch conventional too. So why not explore Public Health as a career path? It felt like the perfect way to end: practical, inspiring, and relevant to where many of us are heading.

With a very rough looking plan and a few speaker suggestions in hand, I presented my draft to Dr. Zoya, hesitating a little, wondering if it would meet her expectations. But to my surprise, she liked it! "We just need the EXCO members' approval now," she said with a smile. “And one last thing remains, the name of the webinar.”

Thus, once again, I opened my notebook and began brainstorming, scribbling down ideas, crossing some out, rethinking, and starting all over again. Eventually, I turned to ChatGPT to speed things up and finally came across a name that fit so well: The Dental Saga, a trilogy of three different themes, all revolving around one central idea — educating and spreading awareness.

With our Public Health Officer leading the charge, rallying all the team members to work on securing approvals and setting up meetings with the speakers, the Dental Saga moved from an idea to reality.

On Day 1, we highlighted technological advancements, particularly the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. We had the honor of hosting Dr. Javed Ashraf, Assistant Dean at Riphah Academy of Research, and Dr. Shahid Islam, an endodontist and certified Cloud Generative AI Engineer, who shared their expertise with our audience.They walked us through the future of dentistry, from AI-assisted diagnosis to treatment planning and explained how technology is making dental care smarter, faster, and more efficient. What once seemed like complex, uneasy tasks is now becoming easier and more manageable for dentists.

Day 2 brought us incredible insights from Dr. Hasan Jamal, who did his Doctorate in Pediatric Dentistry at UCL, and Rafay Alam, a Yale World Fellow and environmental lawyer. They opened our eyes to the environmental impact of healthcare, especially dentistry, from carbon emissions to single-use plastics, and shared ideas for making practices more sustainable to help protect our planet.

Day 3 focused on Public Health and Master's degree programs. The session was opened by Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Paracha (MHS, Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins) and followed by Dr. Sehrish Aijaz (Dentist and Commonwealth Scholar, University of Manchester). Both shared insights on pursuing Public Health as a career and discussed the evolving political and economic dynamics of the world, as well as how these factors shape the future prospects of choosing Public Health as an advanced degree program.

Finally, on April 20, 2025, The Dental Saga came to a close. A true success story, thanks to the unwavering guidance of Dr. Zoya and the relentless dedication of our team members, Sara Khalid and Nabiha Khan. Looking back, I can say without hesitation that it was an unforgettable journey and If you ask me how it went, I have just one word for you: fantastic.

Bushra Batool

Associate to Public Health Officer

APDSA Pakistan 2025