At Orchards Dental Care in Bengaluru, Dr. Shilpa Shashikran has been practicing dentistry for over two decades.
Her three-chair practice runs on a philosophy of community connection and preventive care, not just clinical excellence.
Before adopting scanO, Dr. Shilpa had been using intraoral cameras extensively. Her challenge wasn’t technology- it was time.
“Every time we conducted school or corporate camps, I had to be physically present. It was tiring but necessary.”
Community programs were her passion, but managing logistics and presence at each location was exhausting. In October 2024, as her clinic marked its 20-year anniversary, Dr. Shilpa wanted to celebrate by bringing something innovative- something that could empower her outreach without limiting her presence. That’s when scanO entered her story.
Dr. Shilpa discovered scanO on social media and was instantly intrigued. She later saw it again at an IDA conference, but by then, she had already placed her order.
Her intent was clear:
“Now I can set it up in a school or corporate office and still get accurate reports. I don’t need to be there physically anymore.”
With the AI-powered scanO reports, she could generate community oral health statistics - cavity ratios, periodontal trends, and more and later combine them with clinical and radiographic findings to create full treatment plans.
It wasn’t just efficient; it was transformative.
Patients respond to pictures- not jargon. With scanO’s WhatsApp-delivered visual reports, even those with dental anxiety find a comfortable entry point.
About 90 % of her patients react positively. The remaining few who resist technology are reassured that it’s only for education, not judgment. She has made the scans free of cost to encourage awareness. Even accompanying family members often ask to be scanned out of curiosity and some end up booking appointments.
While scanO could have sped up consultations, Dr. Shilpa takes a more mindful route.
“I sit with each patient and discuss the scanO report. I let them speak first; it helps me connect better.”
With reports already in hand, she knows exactly which areas need focus when using her intraoral camera.
Patients understand their condition visually, and treatment discussions become shorter and more meaningful.
Interestingly, she notes that financial readiness, not awareness, now determines patient decision time, a shift from “convincing” to “planning.”
As a Rotary Club member, Dr. Shilpa frequently organizes camps in schools and rural areas. Now, with scanO’s portability, she has ramped up camps from once a month to once every two weeks.
“Some parents didn’t even know their kids had cavities until they saw the report. Awareness leads to action.”
She even jokes that someone suggested keeping scanO units in cafés “because why not let people check their smiles over coffee?”
Among her many stories, one still stands out.
Moments like these, she says, remind her why technology is a tool for empathy, not just efficiency.
Her team adapted quickly, the only challenge being patient posture during scanning, which staff now guide easily.
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