When Anjana Gupta was just five years old, she told her mother that she was going to be a dentist. Talk about destiny. Saying, “I was born to do this, and I am thankful every day that I get to do a job that I love,” Dr. Anjana Gupta is now fulfilling her lifelong dream of owning her own dental practice, as she takes the reins from Dr. Lisa McShane who is retiring on August 1st after 30 years of providing dental care to the community of Michigan’s Great Southwest.
McShane, who bought the practice with her husband Jim Tarantino from Dr. John Duda in 2007, is calling it a career soon with plans to enjoy the rest of the summer in Northern Michigan and, she writes, “hopefully next winter in Atlanta, Georgia.”
In a letter telling her patients of the impending retirement, Dr. McShane writes, “Congratulations to Dr. Anjana Gupta on acquiring the best dental practice in Berrien County. Dr. Gupta has worked extremely hard in establishing herself in our area and in this office over the past nine year, most recently answering emergency phone calls and seeing emergency patients during the Covid-19 quarantine.” She adds, “Dr. Gupta, along with Dawn and Corin, risked exposure daily to keep our patients free from pain until we could open for business ‘as usual’ once again.”
Dr. Gupta is originally from Elkhart, and graduated undergrad from Indiana University in 2003, then went on to the Indiana University School of Dentistry from which she graduated in 2007.
Reflecting back on her time, Dr. Gupta says, “It’s hard to believe I have practicing for 13 years now. I feel like I am in the sweet spot in my career, old enough to be seasoned and young enough to get after it.” She adds, “I got married to my incredibly supportive husband, Seth, in 2017 and we had our first child, Alice, in May 0f 2019. She is, of course, now, the love of my life. I never thought dentistry would be #2 in my life, but that is okay, because she is the best! It has given me a new perspective on life, learning that work-life balance as a working mom, and feeling grateful is an understatement.”
As she preps for and watches the departure of Dr. McShane, Anjana says, “Lisa was not just my business partner and senior dentist; she is one of my best friends. She has been my mentor, my friend, my confidant, and the best ‘aunt’ that Alice could ever ask for.”
Dr. Gupta joined the practice part-time in 2011, and quickly became a daily fixture in the busy office. The two became business partners in 2017. As Dr. Gupta says, “When I moved to St. Joe, I fell in love with the office, the staff, the patients, and the community. It was an easy decision for me and my husband to settle down here, call this place our home, and raise our children here.”
Regarding the long-running practice, Anjana says, “Lisa built a beautiful practice with an incredible staff and wonderful patients. I feel lucky that I get to inherit it all! Even though Lisa will be traveling up north and to Atlanta in her retirement, I know we’ll still get to meet up for dinner at our favorite spots and talk shop and life. Her advice over the last 10 years has been a blessing and I will treasure it forever. She will be missed! But I couldn’t be more excited for the future of the practice, which will eventually be known by the community as ‘Smiles on Niles!'”
As Dr. McShane closes out her stellar career, she tells patients in her dispatch, “No need to worry, all your favorite dental professionals will continue to provide the absolute best in dental health care that you have come to expect from us. I was truly blessed to have worked with these exceptional women (and many others over the years) during my career. They were not only my staff or coworkers, they are my best friends. I know I am leaving you in the most capable of hands.”
The dental office for Dr. Gupta and her team is located at 2800 Niles Road in St. Joseph and can be reached by phone at 429-2511.
