Dentist helps patients get back their smile
Doctor Lubna Khawaja’s clinics at Unga House in Westlands are abuzz with activity as patients await their turn to be treated.
Dr Lubna has been practising dentistry for the last 25 years and now runs three clinics.
The mother of three, two of whom are following in her footsteps, is also a businesswoman having brought and marketed several new technologies in the local market.
Special interest
Dr Lubna who has a special interest in orthodontics, is the only dentist in Kenya who is able to work with stem cells.
Stem cell research and possible medications have been the focus of medical community overseas in recent years, and some consider it to be the next frontier in long term medical solutions.
She is able to harvest stem cells from a child’s milk tooth. The cells once harvested, are stored at a bio bank and have the potential to treat disorders such as leukemia, anaemia, autoimmune disease and even cancer.
Dr Lubna sees her stem cell work as her contribution to the future of medicine in Kenya.
“We may not be part of treatment, as and when stem cell treatments become commonplace, but we can contribute by facilitating storage of stem cells,” said the doctor who likes calling herself a ‘fundi’ of teeth.
In spite of being the first dentist to provide these specialised services, she finds time to conduct free medical camps in remote areas of the country with other doctors, at times chartering private planes to reach her destinations and treating more than 300 dental patients at each camp.
She has held seven free camps and has no intentions of stopping.
To keep up with the latest technological advancements, she attends seminars and training, and has been to Hawaii, Dallas, Dubai and Calgary.
What stands out is the fact that Dr Lubna is also the only dentist in the country who provides the clear aligner technology, which allows the straightening of teeth without fixed braces.
She has 60 ongoing cases, with about five which have been successfully completed.