When you hear the word dentist, you imagine someone who fixes teeth and tells you to avoid sweets. But when you meet Dr Mahima Dand, you realise a dentist can create change far beyond a clinic.
She treats patients, teaches students, and leads healthcare projects that help thousands of people. She once laughed, saying, “I would open the book, sleep for two hours, and come back,” but nothing about her life looks sleepy. It is filled with movement, ambition and purpose.
Introduction to Dr Mahima: A Dentist and Women in Leadership Icon
Dr Mahima Dand is a respected dentist, professor and humanitarian. She teaches in the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics at SDM Dental College, Dharwad. She runs Dr Mahima’s dentistry in Hubli, a modern clinic known for quality care. She is the President of the Rotary Club Hubli Vidyanagar for 2021–2022, where she led over 100 impactful service projects.
She has given over 40 guest lectures, written publications and co-authored a book. She received the Most Proactive Academician Award and the Woman of Substance Award in 2021. She also served as Editor of the TIE Hubli Chapter bulletin. Before this, she was the Convenor of TIE Women Conclave 2019. She is known for her strong leadership qualities, community service and compassion.
Early Journey: How a Dentist Began Her Path in Medicine and Learning
She grew up in a Kutchi Gujarati family where her childhood and her parents’ home offered a very open and encouraging environment. After marriage, she moved from Bombay to Hubli, where her in-laws’ family was more conservative. However, she wanted to pursue further studies in medicine and dentistry. She was encouraged by her principal, Bhaskar Rao, to pursue a master’s degree. She travelled daily by bus to the SDM library, wearing sarees and quietly hiding a salwar underneath, just to get the chance to wear it for two hours.
She remembers those days with humor and says, “The quiet library often made me feel tired, but I pushed through and focused on my goal.” Even then, she never quit. She completed her master’s through a management seat when the fees were reasonable. Her dedication shaped her as a committed healthcare professional.
Becoming a Dentist and Starting Dentistry With Purpose
She opened her clinic on 24 June 2006. She juggled full-time teaching, raising her daughter, and working evenings from 6 to 9 pm. She felt guilty when her daughter compared her to stay-at-home mothers, but everything changed when her daughter topped the ICSE exams in North Karnataka. It proved her belief that children need quality time more than quantity. She always says that dental pain feels like a second childbirth, and she feels rewarded when she relieves someone’s pain. Her clinic is not just a workplace; it is her way of healing people and offering comfort.
Rotary Journey: When a Dentist Steps into Community Service
Her husband was a Rotaractor, and the idea of Rotary was already familiar. Club members encouraged her to apply for the Group Study Exchange program.
Out of 102 participants, she was selected for a one-month visit to California. She lived with American families, saw their homes and culture closely and said, “Even if you go as a tourist, you will never get such an experience.” She joined Rotary in 2011 but remained “regularly irregular” for ten years.
After her daughter finished 12th standard, she accepted the presidency of Rotary Club Hubli Vidyanagar. This role changed her life and opened the door to massive community service.
Growing Leadership Qualities as a Dentist and President
When she became President of the Rotary Club of Hubli Vidyanagar, she devoted her first two months to observing her members and identifying their strengths. Initially, she did projects because they were required. Everything changed when she saw gratitude on people’s faces.
It made her say, “Happiness lies more in giving than in getting.” She also learned Kannada and delivered full speeches in the regional language during her tenure. Her confidence grew. Her identity shifted from being known as Mohit’s wife to being known for her own achievements.
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The TIE Women Conclave strengthened her leadership and taught her that real leadership starts with heartfelt service.
Charity and Community Service Projects That Defined Her Leadership
Her year as President was filled with powerful community service projects.
- Wall of Kindness Rotarian Anand Patwa shared a picture of a vegetable cart and asked if it could be done. The first elderly beneficiary cried and said in Kannada that no one had ever even given him five rupees. She felt deeply moved. They donated eight carts.
- Ek Muthi Chawal College students approached her to collect rice. They collected 5000 kg of rice during Sankranti and donated it to Siddharth Orphanage.
- Hair Donation Drive She hesitantly proposed this project and said, “Sir, please do not laugh at me.” A salon partnered with her, and a Tamil Nadu foundation supported the cause. Nine wigs were donated instantly. Actress Tanuja attended and comforted cancer survivors. They collected 76 kg of hair that year.
- Healthcare Equipment Projects She donated two anaesthesia workstations to a new mother and child ward. She helped set up a 45 lakh ICU at NIMHANS with a global grant. People recognised her work across the district.
International Exposure as a Dentist Representing India
Her visit to California earned her honorary membership in the California Dental Association. She attended parliament and senate sessions and visited the largest aquarium in Monterey. She met a world-renowned orchid grower. She admired American culture, where children move out at 18 and become responsible.
Her Nigerian medical mission was life-changing. She saw intense poverty and strong generosity. She received full-time bodyguard protection. A waitress braided her hair for five hours. A girl made her a bracelet. Many locals requested, “Please take us to India.” She learned the importance of gratitude and humanity.
Major Healthcare Projects Led by a Dentist With a Vision of Charity
She led global grants where partner clubs covered 40 per cent of the costs, helping deliver vital medical equipment to hospitals. The ICU established at NIMHANS became a major milestone, with its largest initiative being the cervical cancer vaccination drive for 1,000 girls. Inspired by Sudha Murthy’s Rajya Sabha speech, she partnered with VRL. Four women doctors wrote the detailed proposal. Parents were counselled, and schools were selected. It became the first and largest project of its kind in the Karnataka Rotary district.
Balancing Family, Teaching and Leadership
She believes in patience, compromise and selflessness. She often says, “If you cannot help, do not do bad.”
Her daughter grew up disciplined, learned to cook early and did not use a phone till 10th standard. Her family supported her fully. She follows simple living and believes anyone can rise because, as she says, a peon can become an owner and an owner can become a peon. Humility is her foundation.
Her Message for Young Dentists and Women in Leadership
She advises young dentists to focus on passion and patient care rather than chasing money. She encourages women to step out of their comfort zones.
She says every woman can be a Udyogini and adds proudly, “Even my maid is a Udyogini.” She believes in passion, patience and perseverance.
Her life proves that community service builds character, and true leadership grows when you choose to act. Her charity values and humility guide her every step.
Ending
If you think one person cannot make a difference, meet Dr Mahima. She can run a clinic, teach students, build hospitals, run giant projects, travel continents and still smile at her own library joke. A dentist like her does not just fix teeth.
She fixes lives, lifts communities, and proves that one woman’s commitment to service can leave a legacy greater than any professional title.
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