Dr Steward Gracian is a dentist turned social entrepreneur with a decade of experience in various clinical and non-clinical roles. Dr. Steward Gracian’s journey from a dentist in Chennai to the remote Kalahandi district in Odisha unveiled a glaring disparity in oral healthcare. While serving as the sole dentist for a vast population, Dr. Gracian witnessed firsthand the immense challenges faced by dependent and disadvantaged individuals, particularly the elderly and disabled, in accessing essential dental services. These experiences made him realise that there was a critical need for innovative solutions tailored to those who struggle with daily oral hygiene due to physical limitations and logistical barriers. This realization led to the inception of SocioDent, a pioneering initiative aimed at merging social impact with dentistry to bridge the gap and improve the quality of life for underserved communities.
SocioDent is a Chennai-based startup founded by Dr Steward Gracian, focused on dental innovations with a vision to redefine oral healthcare through product and service innovations. Their primary focus is on an Assistive Oral Care Device, a patented mouthpiece-based oral hygiene device currently in the validation stage. In a conversation with Tech Achieve Media, Dr. Steward Gracian, Founder and CEO of SocioDent, shared the vision behind the startup and its future plans.
TAM: You’ve been a dentist all your life. What were some of the gaps or pain points you saw that led you to come up with something like SocioDent?
Dr Steward Gracian: I graduated from dental school in 2014. After that, I worked in a corporate building in Chennai. However, I came across the Youth for India program, which led me to the Kalahandi district in Odisha.
That’s where I started working on my own project for the first time. I developed a project called Health Promoting Schools. In this initiative, we conducted peer awareness programs, focusing on health, particularly oral health, as I am a dentist. During this fellowship, I began to think about how to combine social impact with dentistry, which led to the concept of SocioDent. SocioDent stands for social impact in dentistry. I then explored ways to implement this idea.
I was fortunate to join another program focused on aging and health. Through this, I identified a significant pain point: the oral health of elderly people and individuals with disabilities often suffers because caregivers have numerous other responsibilities. This issue is prevalent even in hospitals. To address this, we innovated a mouthpiece brush, which is now a patented Indian product. We have worked on multiple prototypes and are currently validating the product.
Our journey began with the SBI Youth For India fellowship, where we first thought about combining social impact and dentistry. We later received support from government grants and recently obtained a grant from the SBI Foundation for our startup product development.
The main pain point I identified is that the oral hygiene of the elderly and people with disabilities, who rely on others for care, is often neglected. This neglect leads to various complications, not just dental but also general health issues. It causes psychological distress and affects their quality of life. This realization inspired me to develop SocioDent.
TAM: Tell us a little more about SocioDent and how it works?
Dr Steward Gracian: So, it’s a mouthpiece brush designed for people who have limited use of their hands and lack dexterity. We have created a mouthpiece with pores and channels, accompanied by a small portable enclosure unit on the outside. This device delivers cleaning solutions.
The mouthpiece dispenses mouthwash, which we regularly use, along with compressed air. This combination forms a mist that sprays on all the teeth for two minutes for the upper teeth and two minutes for the lower teeth. Additionally, there is an inbuilt suction system that continuously collects the sprayed liquid along with any waste.
This is the overall mechanism of the device—a mouthpiece brush. We plan to add bristles in the next version, but the first version uses a spray to clean all the teeth at a certain pressure. It’s similar to a product called Water Floss, which sprays water on the teeth, but our device is hands-free. So, this is a hands-free device designed for those who need assistance with oral hygiene.
TAM: So, with a device like this, how do you plan to make it available to people in rural areas? They might not have easy access to such technology. Considering this, what are your plans for distributing the product in those regions?
Dr Steward Gracian: We are based in IIT Research Park, Chennai, where many assistive technology startups are being developed. Our goal is to create a high-quality product. To make it accessible, especially to those in rural areas, we are exploring partnerships with organizations such as CSR initiatives and foundations like SBI. These partnerships can help us reach end users who may not be able to afford the product at full price, allowing us to provide it at a subsidized rate.
Our primary targets are the elderly and individuals with disabilities in rural areas. Many of them are already supported by disability organizations and NGOs, with whom we are connected. Through these organizations, we will deliver our product to the end users. We plan to integrate our device with awareness campaigns and additional services to ensure it is well-received. By combining it with oral health awareness programs and other treatments, we aim to offer a comprehensive solution rather than just a standalone device.
TAM: Have you conducted any pilot testing with this product? If so, what feedback have you received from the end users?
Dr Steward Gracian: We have showcased our product to many end users, including at various disability forums. The feedback we’ve received has been very positive, indicating that there is a real need for such a device. One notable instance was when a parent of a child with a disability reached out to us. They had been managing cleaning routines for 20 to 25 years and were excited about the new solution we offered.
The main feedback so far is that users want the device to be more compact, portable, and user-friendly. We are currently focusing on improving the design and usability based on this feedback. Additionally, we have recently been granted an Indian patent for the device. Our next steps involve enhancing its user-friendliness and preparing it for commercial release.
TAM: Do you foresee any challenges in achieving your goals with this product?
Dr Steward Gracian: Yes, we anticipate a couple of challenges. First, while oral health awareness is increasing in urban and semi-urban areas, rural regions still have many myths to overcome. Promoting oral health in these areas remains a significant challenge, as there is a need to raise awareness and acceptance of investing in oral health.
Secondly, as a hardware product, we face challenges related to development, manufacturing, and commercialization. This process is resource-intensive. As a startup, we need to make the best use of our available resources to advance through each stage of development. So, these two main challenges are increasing awareness and managing the costs associated with bringing the product to market.
TAM: What can we expect from you next? Are there any plans beyond this product? What are you working on for your end customers?
Dr Steward Gracian: Our primary focus has been on serving people, particularly dependent and disadvantaged individuals. Our vision is to improve oral hygiene for the elderly and disabled, who often lack proper dental care services. For example, in Chennai, where I am based, many disability groups face significant accessibility issues when visiting dental clinics and often don’t know which clinics to visit. Our goal is to add value by enhancing their oral health care.
The product we have developed is just one part of our approach. We plan to expand further by offering home care services specifically for this group. While home care is available for many people, we want to tailor it to meet the needs of the elderly and disabled.
Additionally, we are exploring how to integrate artificial intelligence and mobile apps to help individuals monitor their oral health. For instance, we are looking to partner with companies that provide AI-based scanning and phone apps so users can assess their oral health status and be prompted to seek treatment when necessary. We are also collaborating with NGOs to send dental volunteers to underserved areas. These parallel programs aim to extend the reach of dental care and address gaps where it is currently lacking
TAM: Message that you would like to convey
Dr Steward Gracian: One crucial message that we aim to convey is the importance of oral health and the urgent need to prioritize it from the very beginning. Currently, many people seek dental care only at the last stage, when treatments like implants become prohibitively expensive. The focus should be on primary oral care to prevent such costly interventions later on.
During my time in the Kalahandi district of Odisha, I was the only dentist serving a block of 100,000 people, without any formal setup. My role was limited to providing basic awareness and issuing prescriptions, as patients had to travel 60-70 kilometers downhill to see a dentist. This often resulted in lost interest and worsening oral health due to the logistical challenges and delays.
Our goal at SocioDent is to highlight to the public and government stakeholders that oral hygiene needs to be a priority. For instance, children frequently miss school due to dental issues, which can be prevented with early and accessible care. While establishing multi-specialty clinics in rural areas may take time, setting up simple dental setups and enhancing awareness at the primary level can make a significant difference.
The current disparity is evident: most dentists are concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural regions underserved. This gap can only be bridged with the support of larger stakeholders like the government and NGOs. By coming together, we can address this critical need and ensure that everyone, regardless of location, has access to essential dental care.
