Dr. Kalpana Rajendran
Experience: | 12 years |
Education: | Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital |
Academic degree: | Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) |
Area of specialization: | I am mostly into early detection stuff—oral ulcers, precancerous things, even those weird spots that ppl ignore until too late. That’s kinda where I’m comfortable. I work a lot on spotting lesions before they turn into something worse. Not every patch or sore means trouble, but some do—and figuring that out fast really matters.
Biopsy reports are a big part of what I do. I try to not just read them, but also connect what’s on the paper with what I saw in the mouth. Sometimes it doesn’t match up at first and you’ve got to double check everything, even your own assumptions. Honestly, that mismatch thing—yeah, it bugs me till I get it right.
I’ve spent a lotta time trying to understand how small changes in tissue might mean something bigger is going on. Whether it’s a non-healing ulcer, red or white patches, or something that just *feels* wrong when you look at it—it all tells a story, you just have to know what to look for (and what to ignore too).
It’s not flashy work but it’s real. And I’m there for ppl when they’re in that scary phase of "what if?" before diagnosis. I don’t rush it. Even when clinic’s full. Would rather explain twice than have someone walk out unsure or afraid. |
Achievements: | I am not usually into talking about awards much but yeah, I did recieve a few international ones in oral pathology. Still feels kinda surreal tbh. These were for some work I did around early diagnosis & tissue level changes, stuff I’ve been digging into for years now. One paper got picked up in a conf abroad (don’t even remember the exact year lol) and after that few recognitions came my way. Didn’t expect it honestly—just wanted to go deep into what I do. |
I am working in oral cancer diagnosis for over 10 years now and honestly, it’s been a long journey with a lot of ups n some confusion too. I didn’t exactly plan to specialize in this field at first, but once I got into it, I realised how critical and often overlooked early detection really is. Every day I deal with cases that remind me why this work really matters—sometimes ppl come in late, sometimes way too early, and figuring out what’s what isn’t always clear cut. My main focus is on identifying precancerous lesions, tracking suspicious oral changes, and helping both patients and general practitioners understand what’s going on beneath the surface. I deal a lot with biopsy procedures, imaging interpretation, oral cytology, and just knowing the patterns of malignancy vs benign stuff. Sometimes its subtle. Sometimes it screams at you, but most of the time, it whispers. And you’ve gotta pay attention to that whisper. I’ve spent these years refining my skill in clinical evaluation—spotting those early warning signs that even experienced eyes might miss. It's not just about what you see, but also how you listen. Patients don't always come in saying “I think I have cancer,” sometimes it's “my tongue feels weird” or “there's a small patch inside my cheek I didn't notice before.” That’s when you gotta slow down and really check. I work closely with ENT specialists, oncologists, and dental surgeons to make sure diagnosis isn’t just accurate but also timely. Coordination makes a big differnce—esp in borderline cases. Not gonna lie, some days are mentally exhausting, but I guess that’s part of the job when lives are literally hinging on early detection. While I don’t really keep track of titles or awards (not that many tbh), I’ve been part of many academic discussions, tumor board meetings, and I do mentor junior docs sometimes when they’re starting out with oral pathology cases. It helps me stay grounded and think twice about my own assumptions too. If you're worried about something—white patches, non-healing ulcers, or just discomfort that doesn’t go away—don’t wait too long. Seriously. Better to check early and be sure than regret it later.
