Nick, although raised in Nairobi , was born in New Delhi. His family’s connection with Kenya started when his grandfather who had studied engineering and English at Lahore University in the 1890’s, was recruited by Sir George Whitehouse and Colonel Patterson as station head railmaster, overseeing engineering construction of the Uganda railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria for the East India company during the scramble for Africa. Nick moved to Edinburgh to study dentistry in 1965. Meanwhile his sister had qualified as an optometrist in London and moved to the US to continue her studies and undertake research. Dr. Indra Mohindra went on to break new ground in her profession and became a Professor at the New England College of Optometry. Indra developed a new technique which is taught in all optometry schools and is known as the Mohindra Technique. Indra has always felt deep gratitude to the US, the country which she made her home and who accepted and embraced her as a young female Asian immigrant to reach the top of her profession.
The Mohindra Doctors, a Sibling Legacy of Medical Breakthroughs
After qualifying as a dentist in 1969, Nick moved to London to work as an associate, but his long term plan was always to own his own practice. After marrying Fran and gaining some experience in his profession, they moved to South Wales where Nick had bought his first practice. He was shocked at the high number of his patients who had dentures and gained valuable experience in this field, which was to stand him in good stead in the future.
In 1973 plans were in place to buy multiple dental practices but life cannot always be predicted and trouble lay ahead.
1975 saw the birth of Nick and Fran’s first son Kieron. Kieron was born healthy but was diagnosed with serious kidney disease in 1977. Treatment began at Great Ormond Street Hospital but sadly the prognosis was kidney failure. At that time there was no dialysis available in South Wales for children, so Kieron had to be hospitalised for 2 years at Great Ormond Street for specialist treatment.
In 1980 Nick sold the dental practice in Wales and bought a practice in Kent within the catchment area for Guy’s hospital where dialysis treatment would become available for his son. Kieron’s illness understandably had a big impact on family life, changing views on life and work. Nick had seen up close how doctors had pushed boundaries for Kieron, driving medical progress to ultimately save lives. He was moved to do the same in his own profession, to break new ground and really make a difference.
Nick began to treat patients with facial pain and quickly developed a theory about reduced facial height. His first paper was published in 1996 and in 1998 the Daily Mail featured an article from Nick about dentures that make you look younger. The practice was flooded with enquiries from patients interested in the treatment.
Breakthrough technique for making facelift dentures. Start of Oralift journey. (growkudos.com)
Nick sold the Ashford practice in 1999 and bought premises in Wimpole Street, London to continue his work and be more central for patients. During this time dentate patients were treated with the same technique. In 2002 a second paper was published showing that patients can look 5 to 20 years younger with the treatment.
It was during this time that Nick discovered that patients started to look better just by wearing the device he was using to increase the vertical dimension of occlusion before any dental work was done – Oralift was born, trademarked and patented!
Review of patients treated with the Oralift appliance. (growkudos.com)
Although the road was long and hard, Kieron did go onto have a successful kidney transplant in 2004.
Nick started training dentists in the technique to increase vertical dimension of occlusion and the Oralift technique. Although the response from the UK was lukewarm, more interest came from overseas however and in 2015 a Korean distributor saw the Oralift treatment in a London clinic and was very interested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5008328.stm
Fast forward to 2021…
Nick and Fran have now developed the Oralift treatment to sell worldwide and started working with both Newable and the Department of International Trade. The treatment is now available for people to do themselves, to do with the support of the Oralift App, or under the supervision of a trained Oralift professional. Future plans include further research, product development and clinical trials.
Oralift has gained international recognition from cosmetic surgeons and was classed as ‘ground breaking’ by the Cosmetic Surgery Guide. Oralift is a registered Trade Mark and is patented worldwide. US Patents 7156774 & 7416516 & EU Patent 511440 apply, Brazil Patent pending.
