There was a "record attendance” of 50 Zoroastrian dentists and associated non-Parsi dentists at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Zoroastrian Dentists’ Organisation (ZDO) at its annual scientific meeting at the Taj Mahal Palace (Hotel) on March 24, 2024. Seventeen scientific papers presenting the dentists’ best clinical cases were read, noted Dr Porus Turner, chairman of the ZDO Charitable Trust, who sent Parsiana a note on the event.
President Dr Cyrus Karkaria and Turner believe that ZDO’s objective is to "encourage and motivate the young and the not-so-very-young Zoroastrian dentists to strive for excellence in their profession and to document their cases with photographs and 3D X-ray techniques,” stated the note. The meeting also stressed the importance of dentists keeping physically and mentally fit by practicing yoga and strength training. A video of an 81-year-old dentist performing yoga and 22 full push-ups was shown to impress upon the young dentists to take care of their physical and mental health.
Top: participants at Zoroastrian Dentists’ Organisation’s conference;
above, from l: Dr Porus Turner, Dinshaw Mehta, Shiamak Davar, Dr Ruxshin Bhot Mist
In a video message to the members of ZDO, Prabha Narasimhan, managing director of the oral health company Colgate Palmolive India Ltd, appreciated and commended the Organisation on its 70th anniversary. "She also assured that Colgate will always support them in the good work they are doing,” stated Turner.
Chief guest, erstwhile chairman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) Dinshaw Mehta, was introduced to the audience by choreographer Shiamak Davar who "recalled the great services rendered by … (Mehta) without fear or favor” and commended his publishing the Parsi Junction "through his own resources.”
Others present included pioneering prosthodontist and implantologist Dr Firoze Mirza; Dr Mehroo Turner who headed the prosthodontic department of Government Dental College; retired managing director of Tata Power Adi Engineer and his wife Pervize; social worker Rumi Zarir.
A minute of silence was observed at the beginning of the meeting in memory of orthodontist Dr Keki Mistry (see "Keki’s charisma,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, January 7-20, 2024). "ZDO and the entire dental community of India will miss this great Zoroastrian,” noted Turner.
The ZDO "has been rendering completely free dental treatment, including implants, to practicing mobeds, their families and fire temple workers.” This year, it was successful in sending a girl student, whose parents wished for her to remain anonymous, to the A. B. Shetty Institute of Dental Sciences in Mangalore at concessional fees. "The rest was covered by the WZO Trust Funds, BPP, senior lawyer Burjor Antia, philanthropist Persis Vatcha and the M. D. M. Jeejeebhoy Trust… The student excelled herself by obtaining a first class with distinction in her first year of dentistry.”
The meeting was sponsored by Colgate Palmolive India Ltd and co-sponsored by dental company Dentsply Sirona India. The other sponsors were Geistlich India, Bredent, Noble Pharma amongst others. "The ZDO through the years has been supported by WZO Trust Funds, Antia, businessmen Adi Jehangir and Gilan Ferzandi,” acknowledged Turner.