Postgraduate degree
Master of Clinical Dentistry
Restorative Dentistry · Newcastle University, United Kingdom
London · Sydney · Boston
Restorative precision.
Periodontal perspective.
Sydney North Shore restorative dentistry guided by thoughtful diagnosis, soft-tissue awareness and a long-term approach to stability.
MClinDent Restorative DentistryNewcastle University, United KingdomHarvard School of Dental Medicine · BostonUCL Eastman Dental Institute · London15 years clinical experience · Australia & UK
Lane Cove · North Sydney · Cremorne · Mosman · Neutral Bay · Crows Nest · Chatswood · Hunters Hill · Sydney North Shore
Clinical · Academic · Interdisciplinary
About
Dr Prajakta Karkare (Praj) — restorative dentist, clinician-researcher and lifelong student of the periodontal–restorative interface.
I am a Sydney-based dentist working across the North Shore, with a Master of Clinical Dentistry in Restorative Dentistry from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, together with advanced training at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston and additional postgraduate education through the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, London. My clinical work sits at the interface of restorative dentistry, periodontal stability and long-term maintenance, with particular interest in how teeth, soft tissues, function and patient habits influence prognosis over time.
Alongside clinical dentistry, I maintain a strong interest in research, academic writing and evidence-based clinical systems. My research interests span public oral health, periodontal diagnosis, AI in recall and risk communication, and clinical decision-making at the periodontal–restorative interface, with published and current academic work spanning the Australian Dental Journal, British Dental Journal Team, Frontiers in Dental Medicine and the Journal of the American Dental Association. Current research work continues to focus on making periodontal–restorative decision-making clearer, more measurable and clinically useful.
Research interests
My philosophy
I believe the mouth should be treated as part of the body, not in isolation. I favour evidence-based treatment planning that considers periodontal biology, medical context, function, occlusion, restorative design, patient goals and long-term maintainability before treatment begins.
Modern monitoring
I use digital scanning, serial clinical records and structured review to help monitor tooth wear from grinding or clenching, changes in gingival recession, tooth position, and the stability of restorations over time. This supports more measurable, preventive and patient-centred care.
Interdisciplinary care
Where appropriate, I also incorporate orthodontic treatment as part of a perio-restorative treatment plan, including planning with Invisalign and Spark when alignment can improve cleansability, restorative design, tissue health or long-term stability.
Beyond dentistry
Outside dentistry and research, I am a mother of two young children and our family also includes a golden retriever. I enjoy kayaking, travelling, exploring cafés, pottery and baking — pursuits that bring creativity, detail and perspective into the way I think and work.
Education & advanced training
Postgraduate training that stands at the centre of my clinical identity.
My clinical foundation is built on postgraduate restorative training at Newcastle University, United Kingdom, complemented by advanced training through the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, together with further advanced education at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, London. Ongoing education through the International Team for Implantology, and AIA soft-tissue fellowship training with Dr Jess Liu · Boston University further supports that foundation.
HARVARDSchool of Dental Medicine
Mastering Regeneration in Periodontics & Implantology
Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston · 2026
- Periodontal regeneration: precision regenerative concepts, diagnosis and treatment planning for complex periodontitis, and biologic principles of hard-tissue regeneration.
- Bone & soft-tissue augmentation: predictable bone augmentation, biomaterial science, mucogingival correction, vertical soft-tissue augmentation and esthetic-zone tissue management.
- Implant integration: prosthetic design considerations, immediate implant placement versus ridge preservation, live surgery, hands-on surgical workshops, and prevention and management of implant complications.
Advanced postgraduate education
UCL Eastman Dental Institute
Advanced training in anterior aesthetic dentistry, including porcelain veneers · London, United Kingdom
ITI Curriculum Foundation — Completed
Completed structured implant education through the International Team for Implantology, strengthening treatment planning, case selection, biologic and restorative principles, maintenance and interdisciplinary implant care.
Advanced soft-tissue training
The Soft Tissue Blueprint
Training with Dr Jess Liu · Boston University
Advanced training in assessment and management of gingival recession and soft-tissue deficiencies, with emphasis on diagnosis, predictable treatment planning and appropriate specialist referral.
Assessment & case selection
Gingival recession, tissue phenotype and soft-tissue deficiencies.
Root coverage & grafting
Connective-tissue grafting and root-coverage approaches.
Aesthetic planning
Soft-tissue contour, smile-zone planning and restorative integration.
Peri-implant management
Soft-tissue management around implants and recognising referral needs.
Clinical focus
Integrated thinking across the periodontal–restorative interface.
The objective is not to treat isolated procedures, but to connect diagnosis, tissue health, tooth position, restorative design, function and maintenance within one coherent clinical pathway.
Complex restorative care
Structured assessment and rehabilitation of heavily restored, functionally compromised or aesthetically demanding dentitions.
Periodontal–restorative planning
Treatment planning that considers periodontal condition, restorative prognosis, sequencing, cleansability and long-term maintainability together.
Soft-tissue conscious treatment
Attention to gingival architecture, recession, tissue phenotype and the biological context surrounding teeth and implants.
Digital longitudinal monitoring
Serial digital scans, photography and radiographic review can help document tooth wear, occlusal change and gingival margin position over time rather than relying on memory alone.
Orthodontics within the plan
When tooth position contributes to periodontal or restorative risk, clear-aligner orthodontics may be incorporated as part of the overall treatment sequence using Invisalign or Spark where clinically appropriate.
Continuity and maintenance
Active treatment is linked to structured review, periodontal maintenance and reassessment so that restorative work is supported by stable tissues over the long term.
What I assess
Periodontal and restorative problems often overlap.
These representative clinical images illustrate conditions that may influence diagnosis, treatment sequencing and long-term maintenance. They are educational examples rather than photographs of my own patients.
Periodontal & soft-tissue considerations
Healthy tissues are part of restorative predictability.
Gingival recession
Recession, cervical wear, sensitivity and tissue phenotype are assessed together when planning restorative or orthodontic treatment.
Crown lengthening
Margin position, ferrule, bone level and soft-tissue architecture may determine whether a tooth can be restored predictably.
Furcation involvement
Bone loss between molar roots changes prognosis, cleansability and the long-term value of complex restorative treatment.
Peri-implant tissue breakdown
Implants also require periodontal surveillance, with attention to inflammation, recession, cleansability and supporting bone.
Restorative & functional considerations
Existing restorations and tooth structure need active surveillance.
Failing amalgam restorations
Open or deteriorating margins, recurrent caries and cracks in heavily restored teeth may alter the restorative prognosis.
Composite with recurrent caries
A restoration may still look largely intact while recurrent disease develops locally at the tooth–restoration interface.
Stained or deteriorating margins
Marginal staining is interpreted alongside caries risk, marginal integrity, symptoms and radiographic findings rather than in isolation.
Cracked tooth
Visible coronal cracks require assessment of symptoms, remaining tooth structure, periodontal findings and the likely benefit of cuspal protection.
Bruxism / tooth grinding
Clinical signs of tooth grinding may include worn incisal edges, flattening and functional wear that can influence occlusion, sensitivity, restorative planning and long-term monitoring.
Clinical philosophy
“The mouth is part of the body — not a structure to be treated in isolation.”
Evidence-based treatment planning with the whole patient in view.
Oral health is influenced by far more than a single tooth. I consider periodontal inflammation, medical history, medications, function, parafunctional habits, diet, restorative history, aesthetics and the patient’s ability to maintain treatment before deciding how — or whether — to intervene.
Modern digital tools support that thinking. Intraoral scanning and serial records can provide a repeatable way to compare change over time, including tooth wear patterns that may be associated with grinding or clenching, movement in tooth position and changes in gingival recession. Technology is used to support clinical judgement, not replace it.
My aim is conservative where possible: preserve healthy tooth structure, stabilise disease, correct contributing factors and choose restorative or orthodontic treatment only when it meaningfully improves prognosis, function or maintainability.
Publications & research
Research-led clinical dentistry, from public health to periodontal decision-making.
My research interests sit where clinical dentistry, prevention and decision science meet: recognising periodontal risk earlier, improving recall and patient communication, using digital tools to monitor change, and making difficult periodontal–restorative decisions more reproducible for clinicians.
Current themes: periodontal surveillance, AI-supported risk communication, gingival recession, deep subgingival defects, clinical case reporting, preventive dentistry, fluoridation and interdisciplinary treatment planning.
ACCEPTED · 2026
The Regular Attender Paradox: Why Periodontitis May Progress Despite Routine Dental Visits
Karkare P.
British Dental Journal Team · British Dental Journal PortfolioAccepted for publication.ACCEPTED & ONLINE · 2026
Making Periodontal Risk Visible: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Recall Adherence
Karkare P.
Frontiers in Dental MedicineAccepted and available online.View articleUNDER REVIEW · 2026
Gingival Recession in General Dental Practice: An Evidence-Based Framework for Surveillance, Treatment Sequencing, and Referral
Karkare P.
Journal of the American Dental Association Submitted manuscript currently under peer review.PUBLISHED ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Western Australian schools' access to dentally optimal fluoridated water
Desai P, Kruger E, Trolio R, Tennant M.
Australian Dental Journal. 60(1):112–118.Original research examining access to dentally optimal fluoridated water in Western Australian schools.SUBMITTED · 2026
Complex odontoma: a clinical case report
Karkare P, Younessi J.
Case reports in oral surgery Case report.CURRENT RESEARCH WORK · 2026
Managing deep subgingival defects at the periodontal-restorative interface: a clinical decision framework
Karkare P, 2026.
Current research work on clinical decision-making at the periodontal–restorative interface.ORIGINAL RESEARCH
National town-by-town mapping of fluoridated drinking water in rural and remote mainland Australia
Desai P, Kruger E, Tennant M.
Original mapping work examining fluoridated drinking-water availability across rural and remote mainland Australia.For referring dentists
Collaborative periodontal–restorative assessment with clear communication back to the referring clinician.
Referrals are welcomed for focused assessment, treatment sequencing and management of restorative cases in which periodontal condition, tissue position, margin location or long-term cleansability may affect prognosis.
Appropriate referral questions
- Is periodontal stability adequate before crowns, bridges, veneers or implant restoration?
- Can a deeply carious or fractured tooth be predictably restored and maintained?
- Does the case require restorative crown lengthening, orthodontic extrusion or specialist management?
- Are recession, mobility, gingival asymmetry or plaque-retentive restorative factors affecting the plan?
- Would coordinated periodontal stabilisation and restorative sequencing improve prognosis?
01Send the referral, relevant radiographs, photographs and treatment question.
02A focused assessment and provisional sequencing plan are completed.
03A written summary is returned, including findings, options and any specialist referral recommendation.
04The patient returns to the referring dentist for agreed definitive care unless otherwise requested.
Scope and collaboration: Advanced periodontal surgery, regenerative treatment, complex mucogingival surgery and specialist-level management are referred to a registered periodontist. The referring dentist’s role and patient relationship are respected.
Teaching, mentoring & clinical leadership
Experience beyond chairside dentistry.
Alongside clinical practice, I have contributed to dental education, mentoring, quality improvement and practice accreditation — experience that has strengthened the way I approach clinical systems, communication and patient care.
Certificate III & IV Dental Assisting trainer
Experience delivering Certificate III and IV Dental Assisting education, workplace learning, mentoring and practical skills development, including establishing work-based training partnerships with private dental practices to support Certificate III and IV Dental Assisting students.
Clinical Tutor — Newcastle University
Clinical tutor for Oral Health Therapy students, supporting supervised clinical learning, patient care, treatment planning, clinical communication and professional development while helping train the next generation of oral health therapists for rural Australia.
Practice accreditation & quality improvement
Experience supporting QIP and NSQHS accreditation across dental practices, including clinical governance, infection prevention, sterilisation systems and practice workflows.
Patient access
Private health funds and flexible payment options.
Patients with private health insurance are welcome. Rebates, preferred-provider arrangements and out-of-pocket costs depend on the individual policy and the practice location at which treatment is provided.
Health funds commonly presented
Bupa
HCF
medibank
nib
ahm
Australian
Unity
Unity
CBHS
HIF
QantasHealth Insurance
Payment options
Afterpay
AMERICAN
EXPRESS
EXPRESS
Major cards
accepted
accepted
Brand names are displayed for patient information only and do not imply endorsement or a preferred-provider relationship. Health-fund claiming and payment availability can vary by practice and should be confirmed when booking.
Contact
Contact, referrals & collaboration.
Patients can use the enquiry form below. Referring dentists and professional contacts may continue to use the direct email link and may attach radiographs or records.
Patient enquiry
Send an enquiry
Please provide the patient’s name, email, preferred contact details and a brief outline of the enquiry.
Practice address
134 Longueville Road
Lane Cove NSW
Phone