Sydenham Family Dental | Biological & Comprehensive Dentistry
Friendly and Experienced staff
Our Team
Dr. Yasin Polara
B.D.S., D.D.S.
Dr Yasin Polara was born and raised in a small town of India. He started his journey of dentistry in year 2000 at one of the prestigious universities of India, where he received Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree (B.D.S.). After working for few years as a dentist in India, Dr. Polara immigrated to Canada, where he upgraded his dental education by successfully completing advanced dental placement program (D.D.S.) at University of Alberta. He was honored with “Excellence Performance Award” for his exceptional performance by the University of Alberta’s Faculty of academic standing.
Dr. Polara strongly believes that learning is life long process! After finishing the dental education he has upgraded his knowledge by receiving extensive training in Sedation dentistry, Orthodontics – Invisalign, Dental Implants and Oral surgery.
Before moving to Kingston, Dr. Polara has served the community of Brockville for over 4 years and community of Prince Edward County for over 2 years, where he practiced all the aspects of Dentistry. He has built his practice on the pillars of Trust, Compassion, Respect and Excellence. He believes in minimally invasive dentistry where the focus is on preventing dental disease, promoting the oral health, maintenance of the patient’s dentitions. He has a passion for excellence, and provides dental care in a way that creates a comfortable and stress-free experience for his patients. Being a caring father, Dr. Polara enjoys working on kids. His gentle, caring touch and pleasant personality make children very comfortable around him.
Dr. Polara is currently living in Kingston with his lovely wife Iffat and their three sons. Both Dr.Yasin Polara and his wife Iffat believe in giving back to the community. They enjoy traveling, spending time with family and friends, and keeping up with their three active boys and busy life. Book your appointment today, Dr. Yasin Polara would love to meet you and your family.
Dr. Rani Ranabhatt
D.D.S.
Sydenham Family Dental welcomed Dr. Rani Ranabhatt in November 2023. She received her Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2013 and Masters of Dental Surgery in 2017 at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow, India. Dr Rani then relocated to Canada and graduated from the University of Toronto in 2023 with a degree ins Doctor of Dental Surgery. With all her dental experience over the years, she has a keen interest in general dentistry, prosthodontic treatment and dental implants. Dr. Rani is committed to continuing education and keeping up with the latest developments in Dentistry. She is a member of the Ontario Dental Association. Dedicated to serving her patients and her community through preventative and patient-focused care, she caters to each patients individual needs. Along with her warm and welcoming demeanour she has a very calm and gentle chair side manner. Outside of her work duties, Dr. Rani loves travel, gardening, hiking, cooking and spending time with her husband and their young son.
Dr. Robert Clinton
Dr. Robert Clinton, a graduate of Dalhousie Dental School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has taken thousands of hours of continuing education. He realizes the significant role dentistry can play in improving the quality of life of his patients. He achieved the prestigious Mastership Award from the Academy of General Dentistry, which represents lecture and practical continuing education in the 16 dental disciplines. He has achieved Fellowship status at the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies and is an accredited member of the IAOMT (International Association of Oral Medicine & Toxicology). Dr. Clinton believes that dental diseases such as decay and gum disease, as well as crooked, crowded teeth are largely preventable, primarily brought about by poor dietary and developmental conditions.
Education
1982 – B.Sc. (Honours – Life Sciences)
– Queen’s University
1985 – M.Sc. (Neurophysiology)
– Queen’s University
1988 – DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
– Dalhousie University
Affiliations
- Master – Academy of General Dentistry
- International Association of Oral Medicine and Toxcology – Accredited member
- Fellow – Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies
- International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics
- KDDS, ODA, CDA
Dr. Clinton was licensed with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons as a General Practitioner in 1988.
Iffat Mukhi
Practice Manager, BS, RN
Iffat is the Office Manager who is trained and qualified as a Registered Nurse. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2010 with Honours and worked as a Leukemia Nurse at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas before she joined our team in 2013.Iffat is responsible to make sure that the practice runs seamlessly and that both staff and patients are happy and her experience as a registered nurse and administration means that she is well placed to answer any questions/concerns patients may have. She prides herself in providing the highest level of support to the dentist and patient in surgical and sedation procedures. She loves her job as it means she get to work with great people on a daily basis. In Spare time she loves spending time with her family, travelling, going shopping, and relaxing at home.
Kim
Office Manager
Kim was born and raised in the South Frontenac area. She graduated with honors as a Dental Assistant in 1992. After a short period of chair side assisting, transitioned to an administrative role where she has thrived for over 30 years. Kim joined our Kingston location in 2019 and became part of the Management Team in 2023. Outside of the office, she enjoys travel adventures with her husband and quality time with her children and grandson.
Marie, RDH
Hygienist
Marie has been with Sydenham Family Dental ever since the practice opened its doors. For over 30 years our “original hygienist” has been involved in the evolution of the practice to one with a biological perspective. She oversees the biological periodontal program which integrates the best clinical practices from both traditional and biological dentistry. She also has training in all areas of dentistry, from the Las Vegas Institute including sleep medicine, to several courses with the IAOMT
(International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology).
Marie is a Registered Dental Hygienist, specializing in orthodontics and myo-functional therapy (IAOM). She can offer airway alert programs for the children in our practice, and aid in early functional appliance therapy, including the ALF appliance. Adults can benefit from myo-functional therapies to restore proper breathing techniques, which help with improved sleep and overall health. Nutrition will be highlighted for all programs that are offered. Her love of the out of doors and her many horticultural pursuits help her connect with many of our clients who appreciate our integrative approach to dentistry. Marie has completed her certificate in horticulture with the University of Guelph and is a Certified Master Gardener. She enjoys spending time with her family, learning to play piano, managing her various garden projects and educating with her MG organization.
Alex, RDH
Hygienist
Alex recently returned from out west, after practicing in British Columbia for the past 9 years and joins Sydenham family dental as a Dental Hygienist & Myofunctional Therapist with training in Buteyko breathing. Alex brings with her, experience she acquired from traditional & speciality practices, which has also helped her to realize that Sydenham family dental is filling a unique niche in the dental community. She realized that many patients were discouraged with typical “drill and fill’ regimes and wanted to know how their dental health impacted overall health and vice versa. Alex went on to train with some of the best airway and myofunctional therapists and brings these perspectives to the practice helping patients and parents understand how many of these factors impact growth and development of the oral complex (and overall) health including their impact on breathing, airway, orthodontic development and sleep issues. Interestingly, these areas of interest also compliment her other major passions, functional fitness & nutrition. The whole field of exercise physiology is impacted by oral and airway health. She is in a unique position to help athletes improve performance with her breathing and myofunctional therapies. She lives in the area with her, French bulldog, Bella, who enjoys country living as well.
Vishnu, RDH
Hygienist
Vishnu graduated as a Registered Dental Hygienist in 2024 from Algonquin College and joined our team immediately. He is a passionate advocate of oral health and preventative oral care, he envisions his clients to be able to attain stable, long-term oral health. As an everyday learner and a “people person”, Vishnu takes pride in providing quality services and building lasting relationships with his clients.
Sarah, PDA
Treatment Coordinator – Neuromuscular Assistant
Sarah has been with the practice for over 20 years. Although she is very versatile and can wear many hats, her primary role is to integrate new patients into the practice. This is a very in depth process, one that includes reviewing patient’s record’s, photograph’s, analyzing plaque samples under a mircroscope, and co-ordinating patient needs . Sarah has a very welcoming way about her and makes patient’s feel comfortable and at ease in a new environment. She has taken many continuing education courses over the years and is one of the most experienced neuro muscular dental assistants in Canada. She has worked with sophisticated instrumentation used to record information that can help patients resolve years of head, neck and facial pain as well as now determine the ideal position for sleep appliances and restorative work. When not at work she likes to spend time with her family and furbabies, going for walks, or just reading a good book on her back deck.
Shelley, CDA
Clinical Coordinator
Shelley was born and raised in Chapleau, Ontario, a small community in Northern Ontario and graduated from Cambrian College, in 1987 as Level 1 Dental Assistant. She began working with us in early 2000 and stayed on for a couple years to then decide she wanted to stay home and raise her 2 boys. We were fortunate enough that she came back to us in 2011 as Clinical Assistant along with training and experience in alternative therapies (reflexology, aromatherapy and nutritional counseling to name a few) which nicely compliments our biological approach. To date with her experience and meticulous organizational skills she helps manage the clinical aspects of the practice but is also multi trained in all areas of the office. Over the years with our office she has received training with Las Vegas institute, IAOMT ( International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) and gained useful knowledge by attending Collaborative Cures Conference in 2019 in Nashville ( collaboration between medicine and dentistry) which she applies everyday professionally and personally. Because of Shelley’s positive energy and her demeanor, her calmness puts patience at ease and you can always hear her whistling in the office. In her spare time she loves to hang out with family, friends, snuggling her grandkids, gardening and traveling.
Jann
Dental Administrator
Jann is a new member of the Sydenham Family Dental team but not new to the dental field. She studied Dental Assisting and Office Administration at Career Canada College in Toronto and has attended many Dental Conventions over the years. After more than two decades of working in the Greater Toronto Area, Jann has made Kingston her new home. She is a very friendly individual who loves playing with her dog, going for long walks, gardening and travelling locally and internationally.
Annie
Practice Administrator
Annie has worked at the office since 2008. She first started out working as Dr. Clinton’s chairside assistant for 5 years. After her second son was born she transitioned into an administrative role and has enjoyed spending her time helping patients navigate treatment plans and keep the flow of the office running smoothly. She is the first point of contact when you call to set up a visit with us! In her spare time, Annie enjoys watching her sons play a variety of sports, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Tina
CDA/Dental Administrator
Tina graduated as a Level 2 Dental Assistant in 2013 and works in both our Sydenham & Kingston offices. After a brief hiatus to raise her children, Tina is back in the dental field with passion. When she isn’t busy helping us keep things running smoothly, she enjoys spending time with her four children, watching documentaries and helping friends and family.