Local dentist Dr Mohit Tolani was named 2025 Citizen of the Year at the Shellharbour Community Awards last month.
“I feel very honoured, and I see it as an encouragement to sustain what I do. It’s a great opportunity to invite collaboration and network with people who can support similar initiatives to myself,” Mohit says.
Dr Mohit works as a dental practitioner at Shellharbour Dentists and Dapto Dentists, where he advocates for accessible dental care through various community-linked initiatives, such as ‘Project Smile’. Project Smile aims to provide free dental care for patients who may be underprivileged or unable to receive care.
“There’s a couple of things that stop patients from entering the dental clinic – that’s fear and cost,” Mohit says.
“If we eliminate those two things from the equation, we can open care and access at the right time, addressing inequities in the community.”
Mohit graduated as a dentist from Griffith University on the Gold Coast and has also completed a Master of Public Health and Master of Health Management from the University of New South Wales. He also holds a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) from the University of Sydney, where he is currently also completing a specialisation in Dental Public Health/Community Dentistry.
“Many years ago when I was in dental school, we did a community project with an Indigenous children's group. We provided a free health workshop, which was quite successful,” says Mohit.
“Those children put that knowledge into practice, they visited the dentists at the right time to seek help – we provided that information they needed. If something is not right, seek help at the right time. If you can’t solve it at home, reach out – because a small brown thing can become a hole.”
Mohit is the deputy chair of the Australian Dental Association NSW Advocacy Committee and a member of the Australian Dental Association’s Policy Committee. He also contributes to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s (AHPRA) Notification and Compliance Committee.
“There are a few hats that I wear, and all of them echo the simple value of prevention, integrity and ethical practice, which is what we aim to integrate in our practice,” Mohit says.
While working in regional Victoria, Mohit was confronted by extreme health inequities, which led him to the advocacy work he does now.
“One time we had to pull out 10 teeth from a two-year-old child under general anaesthesia,” Mohit says.
“I felt that the parents weren't attentive enough to the child's needs at the right time. It made me think ‘I'm not here just to pull teeth out – my job is to stop the whole cycle'.
“That sort of broke me.”
Three in 10 Australians delay or avoid seeking dental care due to cost barriers, and 1 in 4 children (aged 5 to 10) have untreated decay in their baby teeth, according to the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s most recent report.
“There was another patient who was not dentally sound and under general anesthesia at the age of 17, we had to remove all of her existing adult teeth and give her dentures. Those teeth were not salvageable. If help was sought at the right time, it wouldn't have happened that way,” Mohit says.
“Seeing a 17-year-old who’s lost all of their teeth because maybe they couldn’t access care at the right time or there was poor dental health literacy made me question my thought process as a clinician.
“We are not here just to drill, fill and bill. We want to get to the root cause of it, which is inaccessibility.”
Mohit was one of 10 remarkable local citizens honoured at Shellharbour City Council's awards ceremony at Shellharbour Civic Centre on January 15.
Mohit says his achievements would not be possible without the support of his family and colleagues.
“I can't go without my wife, my mother and father, and my two children. With the initiatives that I’ve undertaken, they have been quite an integral part of it,” Mohit says.
“They accommodate my travel needs and are very supportive. My wife, Dr Chandni Badlani, is a doctor so she definitely provides her support as well, not just clinically but personally.
“My work colleagues, especially Mr Shinu Joseph, he is one of my mentors. I wouldn't be successful if I didn't have them. You need that support system.”
Locals can apply to Project Smile to access dental care at Shellharbour Dentists.
“If you think that you have been affected by adversity of some sort, book in for a free consultation so we can see how we can help you out,” Mohit says.
“If successful, we can provide free dental care.
"We want people to share their stories so that we can move forward.”