PROMOTINGAWARENESSOFSPECIALISTDENTALCARE Perth'sAssoc ProfRamesh Balasubramaniam, OAM

Forserviceto dentistry.

t44, the University ofWestern Australia'sAssociate Professor Ra1nesh Balasubramaniam is one oftheyoungestrecipients oftheQueen's Birthdayhonourfrom our con11nunity.

"I an1 surprisedand honoured atthis felicitation," an elated Dr Balasubra1nania111told IndianLink.

Currentlyengagedin acomplexfieldof medicinecalled dentalsleep medicine, Dr Balasubra1nania111 hasa special interestin research pertaining toorofacialpain.

Describinghis nichefield, heexplained, "Chronicorofacialpain canbevery distressing and hard totreat. Isupposethat challengeexcited me and drew111e away fromgeneral dentistry.Ireallywantedto relievepatients' pain and suffering."

SittingPrincipalofthe PerthOral Medicine and Dental Sleep Centre forover adecade,hewasalsothefounding men1ber ofthe Dental Specialists SocietyofWestern Australia. Launched in2016, thesociety ai1nedatpromotingawareness ofspecialist dentalcarewithin thecommunity.

Dr Subramania111 is also Presidentofthe Oral MedicineAcademy ofAustralasia.

Theassociateprofessorhasdelivered over 100 lectures in thefield oforal medicineall over theglobeand has numerouspublicationstohis name.

Graduating from UWAin 2000, he travelled overseasand received diverse trainingin orofacial pain and orofacial medicine at the UniversityofKentuckyand the UniversityofPennsylvania respectively, returningtoAustralia in 2008.

Whenhereturned, oralmedicinewasnot a recognised specialty inWesternAustralia.

"In 2009, alongwitha coupleof othercolleagues, Iwasinstrumentalin gettingthespecialtyrecognised," Dr Subramaniam revealed. "Atthattime, therewasno national board; eachstate haditsown. We1netwiththe Health Ministeratthe time, Nicola Roxon,to effecta changeintheDental Boardof WesternAustralia toseethisdiscipline recognised."

Todayheseesthisas asignificant highlight ofhis career, besidesofcourse, hisOAM honour.

"I hope this recognitionwill motivate others in the field ofdentistry as wellasotherareasofun1netneedin Australia toexcelinthosefields," Dr Balasubra1naniamexpressed.

TheMalaysian-bornoral medicine specialist'sIndianlinksrun deep thanks aprojectirutiated anddevelopedbyhis wifeMani. to hjspassion for thefield.

TheSelvendras'contributiontoHindu lifeinVictoriacannotbeunderestimated.

DrSelvendra cametoMelbournein 1974 after hismerucal educationinEngland, Scotlandand Ireland. Hepractisedas GeneralMedicalPractitionerand Surgeon, servingatSunsruneand attheRoyal MelbourneHospital, inacareerthat spanned 59years.

TheSriLanka-borndoctorwasalso felicitatedforhlscontributiontothe multiculturalcommurutyinthearts.

"Besides someaidworkin thepast, I havetiesto India within theoralmedicine and radiologycommunity. lfitwasn't for theglobalpandemic, 1 wasgoing to go to India again thisyear to do somelectures in dentalsleep medicine. Obviously, now they'reallonline."

Headded, "I havemanydearcolleagues in India. WhenIwrotemytextbook, my colleagues inoralmedicine in Indiawere verygenerous inprovidingclirucal images ofsomeoftherarediseasesofthemouth, whichwas helpfulfor the textbook."

The Oral Medicineexpert

"Inthe 1970s,therereallywasnotmuch in thewayofartsforus in theSouthAsian community," DrSelvendrarecalled. "Those ofuswhowereartsinclined hadtoinitiate programsourselves."

Andsohebecametheorganiserof dramas, filmscreenings, concerts,radio shows.Themusicfestivalplatformshe organised haveledthewayto the highprofileSruthlLaya Kendraandthe AcademyofIndian Music,Victoria.Asa Carnaticmusicfan andartiste,hefounded theSouthIndianMusic Festivalto markthe ardentlyfollowedThyagarajaAradhana, a acknowledged thatbeingAustralia-trained has probably made hisjourneytosuccess easier than thosewho trained overseas.

"Ifyouwereto comehereas adentist qualifiedfromoverseas,and then sit theAustralian DentalCouncilexam,it ischallenging.It's notan easyexam; in fact,pass ratesareverylowbecausethe standardsare extremely high. Butwhen onedoeshearofanoverseas trained dentist practisinginAustralia,thefirstthingthat comestomindis, thispersonmustbean excellentdentist,to beableto becon1ea studentalloveragain andrequalify."

Bageshri Savyasachi

tributetothefatherofCarnaticmusicthat fansallover theworldcelebratetothisday.

Melbourne'sfirst-everThyagaraja Aradhanawasheld attheSelvendra residence. ItwasthestartoftheIndian classicalmusicsceneinthecommunity, leadingtoastringofconcertsandfundraisingevents.

Asaperformerhimself-Dr Selvendra playedtheJewishharp (morsing) -hecan reeloffalonglistofhigh-profiletouring artistesfromsouthernIndia whohe accomparuedonstage.

Rajni Anand Luthra