Senior Clinical Investigator
Clinical Research Collaborative
Clinical Instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology,
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
email:
Bombay University, India, B.D.S., 1950, Dentistry
State University of Iowa, M.S., 1956, Orthodontics
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, D.M.D., 1960, Dentistry
Work in the Soparkar group aims toward a continuing evaluation and improvement of oral care. Our clinical research provides an essential basis for evaluating products and techniques designed for a wide range of dental applications. Some studies assess the effectiveness of various public health programs directed toward maintaining oral health. In addition, Dr. Soparkar has a long history of involvement in the international arena, with the goal of improving oral health care in many areas of the world.
Dr. Soparkar is recognized as a premier examiner and is often called upon by industry and academia to train and calibrate other investigators in various clinical indices. His expertise is also known around the world, carrying him to distant sites in South America, Europe, India, and the Middle East. Since 1982, he has served as a Senior Consultant to the Ministry of Health in Kuwait.
In the early 1980s, Drs. Soparkar, Paul DePaola, and Robert Glass of The Forsyth Institute were invited to Kuwait to assist in the establishment of a comprehensive oral health care program for the Kuwaiti people. After analyzing the needs and studying the infrastructure of the existing care delivery system, a fourteen-operatory, state-of-the-art children's dental clinic was established in the center of Kuwait City next to Amiri Hospital. The clinic continues to provide dental care today.
In 1992, Kuwait was ready to expand the success of the capital governorate program into other areas of the country. At this time, Drs. Soparkar and DePaola were invited to return to Kuwait with the aim of developing and overseeing an oral health care program for school children in Jahra governorate. Because the area is less urbanized, the challenges were significantly greater here than in the capital. In spite of the difficulties, the Jahra program was so successful by the end of its first 6 years that the Ministry of Public Health requested that Forsyth take over the leadership and operations of the school oral health programs in all of the Kuwait governorates. Since then, the program has trained dentists who are now working to provide preventive and curative services in school based clinics throughout the country. Our goal is to put in place an efficient program of oral health to serve the needs of school children, and one that, in the future, can be turned over to the Kuwaiti government to be carried on by the Kuwaitis themselves.
The aims of the Soparkar group include: (1) The study of the distribution and determinants of oral diseases, (2) The short- and long-term assessment of new and promising prophylactic modalities, and (3) The implementation and evaluation of public health programs involving prevention and/or care. Much of our work involves conducting clinical trials supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and industry. We have carried out clinical studies on craniofacial growth, dental caries in adults and children, gingivitis, plaque, plaque pH, calculus, tooth sensitivity, stain, and tooth whitening. In addition, by working with many of the major producers of dental care products, we provide independent evaluations of a wide spectrum of approaches for both the prevention and treatment of oral disease.
Al-Mutawa SA, Shiyama M, Al-Duwain Y, Soparkar P. 2006. Dental caries experience of Kuwaiti school-children. Community Dent. Health 23(1):31–36.
Mascarenhas AK, Soparkar P, Al-Jutawaa S, Udani TN. 2005. Plaque removal using a battery-powered toothbrush compared to a manual toothbrush. J. Clin. Dent. XVI (1) :23–25.
Soparkar P, Newman MB. 2001. Effects of a baking soda gum on extrinsic dental stain: Results of a longitudinal 4-week assessment. Compend. Contin. Educ. Dent. 22(7A):25–28.
Soparkar P, Newman MB. 2001. A clinical investigation to evaluate reducation in dental stain provided by the once-daily use of a breath mint or chewing gum. Compend. Contin. Educ. Dent. 22(7A):33–35.
Soparkar PM, Rustogi KN, Petrone ME, Volpe AR. 2000. Comparison of gingivitis and plaque efficacy of a battery-powered toothbrush and an ADA-provided manual toothbrush. Compend. Contin. Educ. Dent. Suppl. 21(31):S14–S18.
Anna Rivkin
