Meet The Erindale Dental Team

Dr. Hothi has been providing quality dental care to her patients for over 24 years and enjoys working at her Rexdale and North York practice, which she considers her home away from home. She stays up to date with the latest advances in dentistry to ensure her patients receive the highest standard of care. Dr. Hothi regularly attends courses and conventions to continue expanding her knowledge and often shares that expertise with colleagues and friends seeking mentorship. Her continuing education is primarily focused on implants, surgeries, and orthodontics.

Dr. Hothi believes strongly in the philosophy of informed decision-making when it comes to patient care. She and her staff take the time to thoroughly explain treatment options, discussing the pros and cons of each approach so patients can make confident, well-informed decisions about their dental health.

Dr. Hothi is an active member of:

• South Asian Dental Association
• Ontario Dental Association
• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario
• North Indian Medical and Dental Association of Canada
• IDIA – International Dental Implant Association
• International Straight Wire of Orthodontics

Outside of dentistry, Dr. Hothi is passionate about both her profession and her family. When she is not busy restoring smiles, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. She is also an avid reader and music lover.

Dr. Aarati Balakrishnan has been providing meticulous and dedicated dental care to patients across the GTA for over two decades. After completing her dental education at prestigious institutions in both India and Canada, including the Government Dental College in Mumbai and the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, she has built a reputation for compassionate, patient-focused care.

Dr. Aarati believes in taking the time to ensure each patient receives the treatment, care, and comfort they need. Her approach focuses on making patients feel completely at ease in the dental setting while achieving exceptional functional and aesthetic results.

She is a member in good standing of:

• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario
• Ontario Dental Association

Committed to ongoing professional development, Dr. Aarati continually pursues continuing education programs to stay current with the latest advancements in dental treatment methodologies and patient care procedures. Her additional training includes courses through the prestigious Toronto Crown and Bridge Study Club and the West Toronto Dental Society.

Dr. Aarati has a special connection with children, and young patients naturally gravitate toward her warm and calming personality, making dental visits a much more positive experience for kids of all ages.

Outside of dentistry, she is a yoga enthusiast, enjoys music, and loves spending time relaxing with friends and family.

Dr. Pooja Vazhakkat earned her Bachelor’s degree in Dentistry in 2012 and completed her Postgraduate training in Periodontology in 2017. She has been practicing dentistry in Canada since 2019 and has also served as a part-time instructor of clinical skills for internationally trained dentists at a reputed institute in Vancouver.

Her special interest lies in the prevention and treatment of gum disease. Dr. Vazhakkat strongly believes in preventive care and encourages her patients to maintain lifelong oral health through education and regular dental visits. She remains committed to staying current with the latest advancements in dentistry through continuing education programs.

His work has been published in a number of professional periodicals including The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. He also has delivered presentations at a variety of scientific conferences.

Dr. Abouzgia received his training at the University of Toronto and completed his residency at The Toronto Hospital. He continued his training in Toronto and was awarded a fellowship certificate by the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. While working on a research project in the University of Toronto’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Abouzgia also earned a master’s degree in science.

Outside of the office, he enjoys traveling and gardening.

Nisha has been a dental assistant and office administrator for well over 25 years of which she has worked at Erindale Dental for the last 17 years. Nisha is a people’s person and the opportunity to interact with people, explain their dental work, plan coverage and what to expect at upcoming appointments in simple terms is what has drawn her to this profession.

Nisha’s calm demeanour, patience, attention to detail, knowing what works for different people and thoughtfully remembering to fulfil their requests makes her popular among patients and staff alike. While not at work, Nisha enjoys meditating, cooking, karaoke singing with friends and travelling or exploring the outdoors with her husband and beautiful daughters. Reading about the latest updates in the dental world keeps her in touch with advances.

The happy smile that welcomes you when you walk into Erindale Dental is Aseel’s. Even though she is the newest member of our team, she has quickly blended in with the Erindale Dental family over the last year. Aseel brings laughter and positivity to our office. Aseel is a great receptionist and is amazing at accommodating patients and their needs. There is rarely a task assigned to her that remains incomplete.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking. Her passion is experimenting in the kitchen. Aseel loves doing make-up and hair and you can see her craft at looking beautiful when you walk in and see her pretty face. She is also amazing at massages and is our personal massage therapist at the office.

Meet Nelly- our treatment coordinator. She has been part of our team since 2012. Being well versed with how insurances work, Nelly helps our patients understand their insurance plans better. She is a dental assistant by qualification, which gives her the unique advantage of being able to explain different treatment options to patients in a simple manner. She is versatile and happy to step into many other roles in the office.

Her bubbly personality and sense of humor bring much joy and laughter to our patients and the whole office.

Nelly loves spending time with her husband and her two fur babies Chloe and Bella. In her spare time, she loves to read while sipping her favorite teas. Watching true crime documentaries, playing video games, diamond painting and trying different cuisines are her go to leisure activities.

This is Erika and she always has an answer for you whether you need an urgent appointment, have dental questions, need to clear a bill or simply need to chat. She has enjoyed coming to work every day of the last six years that she has worked at Erindale Dental. She comes to work with a positive mindset and a smile on her face and our patients feel that positivity when they interact with her. Erika earnestly cares about our patients and their dental needs.

When not at work, Erika loves to spend time with her three adorable kids and husband. She enjoys binge watching Netflix shows, dancing and scrolling through her social media accounts. She is outgoing and friendly and enjoys cooking for her immediate and extended family.

Optimism, happiness, compassion and skill rolled in one best describes Teresa. Teresa has been a dental assistant for the last 25 years. She qualified originally to be an engineer and proceeded to study dental assisting at a Toronto College later in life. Her analytical thinking and being two steps ahead of the dentist – make her an ideal assistant. Patients warm up to Teresa since she is easy to talk to and is usually successful at alleviating their fears and concerns. Every dentist Teresa has worked with, has grown to depend on her quick reflexes and helpful manner.

Teresa is a proud grandma and enjoys cooking for and spending time with her family. Teresa finds reading therapeutic. Chatting with friends and volunteering are what she does in her spare time.

Odette has been a dental assistant since 2010. Her efficiency and sincerity make her a great assistant. Her past experience at working in the jewellery and tailoring industries gives her a sharp eye with attention to detail. She is a hard worker and always eager to learn new things. This has made her delve into learning dental admin tasks to help the admin staff with their duties. When she is not assisting, Odette loves sewing, spending time with her children and going on walks with her little puppy Niko.

Sherri has been working in the dental field since 1993. She is a Fanshawe graduate with almost 30 years as a registered dental hygienist. Sherri prides herself on her gentle and thorough approach to oral care. She brings a breath of fresh air and happy energy to our office and our patients love her brisk and bubbly manner just as much as we do.When she is not at work you’ll find her reading, doing yoga or hanging out with her 3 daughters. Sherri looks forward to helping your smile shine!

Meet Barbara, one of our meticulous and thorough dental hygiene superheroes. Barb is passionate about educating patients about the importance of oral hygiene and simple but sustainable ways of home care. Barb has been with the Erindale team since her graduation as a Dental Hygienist in 2010. Her goal has been to help patients achieve optimal dental and oral health. Her gentle and mild manner appeals to patients and they want to be back to have their smile fixed by her over again. When not at her dental chair, Barb loves hanging with her family and friends and travelling extensively.

Uzma is a friendly and caring dental hygienist with 10 years of hygiene experience under her belt. A graduate of CADH, Uzma prides herself on providing meticulous and thorough dental care in a gentle and effective manner. Customizing oral hygiene plans based on each patient’s individual needs is Uzma’s specialty. Through continuing education programmes Uzma stays up to date with the latest trends in dentistry to provide high quality care to patients, giving them a whole new meaning to “squeaky clean”. Outside of work, Uzma likes to spend time with loved ones, travel and try cooking new recipes.

Sania is a Dental Hygienist who is dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care by creating a comfortable, stress-free environment which puts patients at ease. Sania’s goal over her last 13 years as a hygienist has been to create individualized and achievable home care goals for patients so that they can attain optimal oral health. She is always energetic and buzzing about the office ever-ready to help out a colleague or the doctors with anything they may need help with. Her happy energy is contagious. When she’s not working, Sania spends quality time at home with her 2 little kiddos. She enjoys reading and baking with her daughter. She loves biking and going on long drives.