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Dr Ash Shah runs a community-minded and eco-friendly practice that operates on a local and global level. By Kerryn Ramsey
Dr Ash Shah is not afraid to put her money where her mouth is. As the principal dentist and owner of Shenton Park Village Dental, a 10-minute drive from Perth’s CBD, she takes the concept of giving back very seriously. Not only does the practice enthusiastically embrace eco-dentistry, but they also allocate five to 10 per cent of profits to local and overseas outreach programs.
“While some may consider that a large slice from our profit, I consider it a well spent investment,” says Dr Shah. “Different practice owners spend their money in different ways. Some put it in the bank, some spend it on holidays, and some spend it on their family’s wellbeing. In the end, it comes down to what brings you joy. Our outreach programs allow my family to visit remote places, meet local people and really get an understanding of their way of life.”
Good work
Shenton Park Village Dental has run outreach programs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, India, Mozambique and Cambodia. Two recent programs were concerned with improving oral hygiene among younger children. In December 2022, the team visited Terrayung Village Preschool in Borneo, Malaysia where they taught the importance of proper oral health and introduced sustainable oral care products to the school.
In April 2023, they made their way to Worawaru village in Sumba, Indonesia, where 30 children learned about oral hygiene, toothbrushing techniques, and the importance of preserving their traditional diets and lifestyles. Dr Shah examined the teeth of 10 children and established a community trust. This trust will fund transport and treatment at a local dental clinic for the children. By utilising locally trained dental professionals, the trust will also help strengthen the local economy.
“My leadership philosophy is deeply guided by my spiritual journey,” says Dr Shah. “I don’t have a formalised religion, but I do believe in the principles of good deeds. The act of service and community work has been part of my family’s way for many generations. I believe that your personal growth is directly proportional to the impact you have on those around you. Service for the betterment of humanity has a profound multiplier effect in so many aspects.”
While Dr Shah performs extractions on urgent cases, the main objective is to form alliances with locally trained dentists and set up a fund for transport and the first round of treatments. The bill is always shown to the parents.
“The notion of heroic volunteerism isn’t for us,” says Dr Shah. “The community must take responsibility and know the costs of treatment. We find that encourages improved oral health behaviour in the future.”
Being a dentist provides you the privilege of making an impact to people’s lives. Making money is important but the real richness and wealth comes from having passion and purpose focused on the patient, the planet and the community.
Dr Ash Shah, owner, Shenton Park Village Dental
The clients of Shenton Park Dental Practice are well aware of the overseas and local programs Dr Shah undertakes. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive with people happy to see such good work being done.
“Our local community cares about their health and the environment,” says Dr Shah. “They appreciate we are a clinic that values community ties, both local and global. Our values reflect theirs and because of that, client turnover is very small. Investment in our programs just makes good business sense.”
Starting out
Dr Shah spent her early years in Kenya. Her great grandparents are from India, she speaks four languages and has lived with lots of different cultures. She attended high school in Perth but moved to Brisbane to study dentistry, graduating from the University of Queensland in 2010. She then returned to Perth and worked as an associate dentist for 13 years. After giving birth to a son in 2021, she wanted to set up a dental practice close to his daycare. Shenton Park Village Dental opened its doors in 2022 with zero clients on the books.
“We’re a true start-up practice,” says Dr Shah. “Fortunately, we grew steadily. We booked our first patients before we had even installed the autoclave. There are larger, corporate-style practices in the area whereas we offer a more intimate, personalised service. A lot of our clients are local families.”
Always green
From the outset, Dr Shah planned for the practice to be eco-friendly and sustainable. She wanted the business to be an extension of her personal and family values. The practice operates with sustainable materials and effective waste management. They use autoclavable impression trays and suction tubes to reduce single-use plastic waste ending up in landfill. Sterilisation pouches, office supplies and rinsing methods align with sustainability goals. They also offer patients eco-friendly oral hygiene packs with bamboo toothbrushes and silk floss.
The clinic has also adopted the use of enzymatic, biodegradable and non-toxic surface disinfectants. These products eliminate pathogens, viruses and bacteria, doing away with the need for single-use plastic barriers. All their dental supplies come in recyclable or recycled packaging.
A common misconception is adopting sustainable practices can be more expensive than traditional methods. Dr Shah found just the opposite to be true—going green saves her business money.
“Most practices spend around 10 per cent of revenue on consumables,” says Dr Shah. “Our eco-dentistry alternatives reduced ours to around 4.2 per cent.
“I started a single dentist practice committed to sustainability. Many people are enthusiastic about green alternatives and seek us out. Today, our team consists of four clinicians, three nurses and a practice manager. We operate six days a week.”
Going green
Dr Shah and her team also provide dental health education on a local level. They run programs at the nearby Rosalie Primary School and at the University of Western Australia’s Early Learning Centre.
Local children receive Shenton Park Village’s oral health packs that are fully compostable—from the brush to the bristles to the bag to the floss, as well as biodegradable pencils that contain a seed and can be planted at the end of their life. Dr Shah has designed a fully compostable toothbrush, and also offers sustainable oral healthcare packs for other practices.
Good works, sustainability and exceptional dentistry has seen Shenton Park Dental almost reach capacity, with Dr Shah now looking at prospective sites for a future second business.
“We’re fortunate that our community enthusiastically embraces sustainability and our outreach programs,” she says. “It also reflects the modern Australian community at large. Being a dentist provides you the privilege of making an impact to people’s lives. Making money is important but the real richness and wealth comes from having passion and purpose focused on the patient, the planet and the community.”
For info on customised oral healthcare packs, or to discuss ways to improve the green credentials of your practice, Dr Shah can be contacted at reception@spvd.com.au.
