In a healthcare environment increasingly influenced by technology, specialisation, digital visibility and commercial expansion, there is one asset that cannot be acquired overnight—trust. It has to be earned, consultation by consultation, patient by patient, and sustained over years.

Dr Ekta Narula’s 25-year journey in dentistry is a story built around precisely that idea.

A Gold Medallist in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Dr Narula underwent her postgraduate clinical training at the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, one of India’s leading dental institutions. Twenty-five years ago, she began her professional career as a dental surgeon at Guru Harkrishan Polyclinic at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. Her association with the institution has continued through the years, and she currently serves as Senior Dental Surgeon.

At around the same time, she also began her private dental practice in Patel Nagar.

Many professionals might eventually choose between institutional service and private practice as their careers evolve. Dr Narula chose otherwise. She continued to serve at Bangla Sahib even as her independent practice developed, creating a professional journey that has unfolded simultaneously across two very different healthcare environments.

That decision has shaped her understanding of dentistry.

Two Practices, Two Patient Worlds

Institutional dentistry exposed Dr Narula to a broad and diverse patient population, with varied backgrounds, needs and expectations. Private practice offered something different—the opportunity to develop long-term relationships with individual patients and families.

Rather than seeing the two roles as competing commitments, she treated them as complementary experiences.

The institutional practice kept her connected to a wider cross-section of society, while private practice enabled relationships to develop over years. That combination has remained a defining feature of her professional identity.

In 2009, Dr Narula moved her private practice to New Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi. The clinic’s subsequent growth was driven significantly by word-of-mouth recommendations and returning patients.

And that is where her story becomes particularly interesting.

Patients have travelled from places such as Sonipat, Lucknow and Assam to seek her consultation. Some patients who later moved overseas have continued to visit the clinic when they return to India.

For any healthcare professional, such continuity represents more than a referral. It is evidence of confidence built over time.

In Dentistry, Trust Begins Before Treatment

Dentistry occupies a particularly personal space in healthcare. For many people, the dental chair is associated with anxiety, apprehension and sometimes years of postponed treatment. The decision to undergo a procedure therefore depends not only on clinical expertise but also on whether the patient feels heard, understood and reassured.

This makes communication an important part of the dental experience.

Patients today are also more informed than previous generations. Search engines, social media, health platforms and online videos have changed how people approach medical consultations. Patients may arrive having already researched symptoms, procedures and treatment alternatives.

Yet more information does not necessarily mean greater clarity.

The clinician’s role increasingly involves helping patients separate relevant information from confusion—explaining the available options, addressing concerns and helping them understand what is appropriate for their particular situation. For Dr Narula, patient confidence has remained closely connected with this process of communication and reassurance.

The Value of Knowing When Not to Over-Treat

There is another dimension to trust in healthcare that is often less discussed. Modern dentistry offers an expanding range of procedures, technologies and interventions. But the availability of a treatment does not automatically mean that every patient needs it.

Professional trust grows when patients believe that recommendations are guided by clinical requirements and individual circumstances rather than simply by the availability of a procedure.

That changes the nature of the consultation. The patient is no longer merely purchasing a dental service. The patient is relying on professional judgement. Over 25 years, such judgement becomes part of a dentist’s reputation.

A Career Measured in Continuity

Balancing institutional responsibilities with private practice for 25 years has required consistency and discipline. It has meant managing different patient profiles, workflows and professional responsibilities without losing sight of the central purpose of clinical care.

Her continuing association with Guru Harkrishan Polyclinic has also kept her connected to a diverse patient base, even as her private practice has evolved.

There is a larger lesson here for healthcare professionals.

Success does not necessarily have to mean building the largest clinic, expanding into multiple locations or pursuing constant commercial growth. It can also mean creating something much harder to achieve—a practice where patients feel known, understood and confident enough to return.

That becomes especially relevant as healthcare becomes increasingly technology-driven and consumer-oriented.

Patients may discover a dentist through Google, social media or online recommendations. They may compare clinics, prices and procedures before making an appointment. But once they sit across the consultation table, the fundamental question remains unchanged.