Gurdaspur Diary: Using AI to make a difference in dentistry
Dr Jasdeep Kaur Chadha is a dentist with a difference. She is among those professionals who are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to further their qualifications and abilities. Besides her clinical and research work, she has filed a patent for the use of AI in smart dental implant robots. A dental implant robot is a robotic arm that helps dentists place implants with precision. These robots can improve accuracy, efficiency and speed and in fact can reduce the drawbacks of free-hand surgery. Recent rapid leaps in the field of AI have inspired hope and hesitation. The questions that arise are how can we best harness this new power to help us in our professions? And more importantly, how can we harness its responsibility? Dr Cheema is trying to answer both these questions. She has a sense of humour. She says a smile remains the most inexpensive gift she can give anyone and yet its powers can vanquish kingdoms. "An aching tooth is better out than in, to lose a rotting member is not a bad thing," she quips. "The playing field is poised to become a lot more competitive. Professionals who do not deploy AI to help them innovate will be at a disadvantage. That is why doctors are quick to use it in their respective fields," she says. Dr Cheema has recently been honoured with the prestigious Pierre Fauchard Academy (PFA) Fellowship. The PFA is a dental organisation that recognises leaders in the field of dentistry. The rules of PFA are tough. The fellowship celebrates those who are making outstanding contributions to the progress of the dental profession. All award recipients are nominated by a committee of past recipients and must be approved by the Board of Trustees. Her links to Gurdaspur are many. Her parents live in the city, and so do many of her relatives. After her graduation, she joined the highly respected Arthur A Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. Apart from being inducted as a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy in 2024, she has got the OKU Senior Excellence Award for outstanding achievement in dental research in 2023, Excellence in Social Welfare Services in Dentistry in 2019, Young Dental Achiever Award in 2020 and Versatile Dentist of the Year in 2019. Philanthropy too interests her. She likes community service and has worked for organisations like American Red Cross, Mount Hope Lutheran, Khalsa Aid International and Sewa Kitchen Organisation.
New SSP tours border areas after taking charge
It is the early bird that catches the worm. The fact is that officers who start early have a better chance of success. It actually encourages officers to be proactive and take advantage of opportunities before others can do. That is precisely what the new Gurdaspur SSP Aditya did. On the very day he joined, a message went out in the border areas that the new boss was coming at night. Before he reached the international border (IB), his subordinates were standing there. He conducted a series of checks at Dinanagar and Behrampur police stations. The visit included a mock drill exercise to ensure the preparedness of his men in case of emergencies. This is a border area and is Pakistan's favourite playground to indulge in nefarious activities.
(contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal)
