Lasting Impressions | Fall 2015

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 17 What makes this all possible is Idiculla’s success in his field. Success such as he enjoyed at the NSU College of Dental Medicine (NSU CDM), the school that he said, “gave me a shot.” Gave him a shot? “Yes, NSU gave me a shot—I don’t take this for granted—I’m eternally grate- ful. If a dental school only has a hundred slots, that means that many applicants will not get in. NSU chose me,” Idiculla said. One would say the school made a good choice, since he ended up being number one academically in his grad- uating class. He is particularly grateful for the guidance of professor Robert A. Uchin, D.D.S., former CDM dean, and associate professor Clark Galin, D.D.S. “NSU offered a great balance of academics and social life that led to a well-grounded education,” said Idiculla. “Mentors and teachers had open-door policies. The relationships then, since it was a newer school, were amazing.” Idiculla cites Uchin for his leadership and inspiration. “It is because of [Uchin] that I have gotten very involved in the AAO (American Association of Orthodontists),” Idiculla said. “He is the reason for my passion for organ- ized dentistry and protecting our profession.” He also thanks Galin, primarily for taking a chance on him. “It is because of him and his mentorship that I got into NSU CDM. I will be forever grateful to him,” Idiculla said. The years at NSU, he added, were some of his favorite years in his entire life. In 2011, he was hon- ored with Nova Southeastern University’s prestigious Alumni of Distinction Award. From NSU, Idiculla returned to the University of Pennsylvania, where he did his undergraduate work, for his two-year orthodontic residency. Idiculla’s practice employs the dental technol- ogy of “now.” For example, the practice has done away with the “goopy impressions”—stuffing lumps of clay in your mouth to get the shape of your teeth. Now they simply scan teeth digitally. “We scan teeth with a laser scanner,” said Idiculla. “It is like HD images of the teeth. The itero scanner is the one that I use and recommend. Within one hour of scanning a patient’s teeth, the patient’s file is in Costa Rica being analyzed by my Invisalign technician.” He can have the trays back to the patient in five to seven days from the initial scan. “It is amazing,” said Idiculla. “The trays fit so much better, and the results are more predictable than before.” The website for his practice ( i-Orthodontics ) notes that it is “one of the only Invisalign Elite Level providers in the country, a distinction reserved for the top 3 percent of all Invisalign providers nationwide.” Invisalign is a treatment that renders braces virtually invisible. He also was handpicked to be a member of the Invisalign faculty to teach courses about the treatment across the country and in Costa Rica. “I am honored to be the only doctor in Colorado to be selected to join Invisalign’s faculty,” he said. “I offer Invisalign at all of my locations, in addition to tradi- tional and lingual braces.” SETTING AN EXAMPLE OF GIVING BACK The philanthropy in Kolkata and the school volunteer program for his staff are only a portion of how his prac- tice gives back. Concerned about school budget cuts, Idiculla decided businesses should chip in. His practice Above, one of the five state-of-the-art orthodontic centers in Colorado that Anil J. Idiculla owns