For Nitam Narkhede, art, dentistry and life are not separate paths; they flow together naturally, each informing the other.

Creativity is not something she switches on or off; it is instinctive, embedded in how she sees, works and lives.

Aesthetic dentist, founder and owner of (Elite Smile Studio) dental practice, painter, dancer and designer, Nitam’s creative language spans disciplines, yet is unified by a single principle: balance, beauty and intention.

A Creative Beginning

Nitam’s journey with painting began in early childhood in India. Inspired and encouraged by her mother, she entered art competitions year after year and kept winning time after time. Her talent was so evident that her art teachers urged her parents to send her to art school, believing creativity to be her natural direction. Life, however, took her elsewhere. Dentistry entered the picture. Not as a departure from art, but as another expression of it. Years later, during pregnancy, a request to help with a large‑scale painting project reignited her practice. Oftentimes, painting side by side with her husband, she returned to oils on canvas and never truly left again.

Painting as Meditation

For Nitam, painting is both therapy and meditation.

“Even when I’m exhausted,” she says, “once I sit down to paint, everything settles.”

She often works late into the night, immersed in oil paint, warmth rising from a heater beside her canvas, before returning to dental practice the next day; energised rather than depleted. The act of painting restores equilibrium: stillness, focus, flow. This rhythm speaks to how seamlessly creativity is woven into her life. It’s not scheduled, but lived and breathing in every moment.

Dentistry as an Art Form

In Nitam’s world, dentistry is inherently artistic. She describes clinical practice as a place where design, precision, balance and confidence come together daily.   From fine motor skills to compositional judgement, the same artistic sensibilities that guide her painting inform her dental work.

“At Elite Smile Studio,” she explains, “we don’t just restore teeth — we create harmony.”

Her background in interior design, studied through the British College of Interior Design, further shapes her practice environment. Nitam led the design of the practice from the colour, space, flow and mood, considering everything holistically and making the studio itself an extension of her artistic philosophy.

“The vibe of the practice is more like a spa, rather than a traditional dental practice.” She explains.

Creativity Beyond the Canvas

Nitam’s creative expression is multidimensional. As well as aesthetic dentistry, painting and interior design, movement and rhythm also play an important role.

Nitam enjoys learning classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam, a deeply meaningful experience that blends heritage, discipline and joy. 

Supporting Charities

Nitam often donates paintings for auctions, which have raised thousands of pounds for various charities. She takes part in the Great North Run every year and engages in community fundraising. We’re delighted she has chosen to donate 3 pieces to The Smile Within exhibition in support of Bridge2Aid and the BDA Benevolent Fund.

Featured Artwork: Aplomb (A Ballet Pose)
Minimum bid: £100

• Original oil painting on canvas
• 29.7 x 21cm
• Framed

Aplomb in ballet represents perfect balance, control, and effortless grace.

In dentistry, this same poise is essential, where precision, stability, and confidence guide every movement. Like a dancer holding form with strength and elegance, a clinician restores harmony and beauty with skilled hands. This painting reflects the delicate intersection of art and science, where true mastery lies in balance and composure.

Featured Artwork: Nurturing Smile
Minimum bid: £100

• Original oil painting on canvas
• Approx. 42-49 x 29.7cms
• Framed

Nurturing Smile captures the quiet power of warmth and care, where a smile blooms gently, like flowers in soft light. It reflects the essence of dentistry beyond technique: the ability to comfort, heal, and restore confidence. Just as nature nurtures growth with patience and balance, a clinician shapes smiles with empathy and precision, creating beauty that feels as natural as it looks.

Featured Artwork: Elysium
Minimum bid: £100

• Original oil painting on canvas
• Approx. 25 x 18cms
• Framed

A tranquil escape unfolds in Elysium, where nature is caught in a moment of quiet harmony. A gentle stream curves through the composition, its cool blue tones shimmering as it cascades softly over rocks, inviting the eye to follow its rhythmic flow.

On either side, autumn breathes life into the landscape—trees ablaze in rich crimsons, warm ochres, and fading greens create a tapestry of seasonal transition. The striking white birch trunks stand tall in the foreground, their elegance contrasting against the fiery foliage, adding both balance and depth. Light filters delicately through the canopy, suggesting a serene, almost sacred stillness—an untouched sanctuary where time slows.

Elysium evokes a sense of peace and refuge, a place where nature’s beauty feels both vivid and restorative—an idyllic realm that exists somewhere between memory and imagination.

Any of these three original artwork pieces would sit beautifully within both clinical and personal spaces, offering calm and reassurance.

Wellbeing, Effortlessly

Looking after wellbeing is not a separate task for Nitam. It is embedded in how she lives. Whether painting, dancing, designing, gardening or walking, creative expression replenishes her energy rather than draining it. Art is not something she “does” to recover from dentistry; it is what allows dentistry to remain joyful, sustainable and meaningful. That ease, that natural integration, is what makes her work feel so resonant.

A Natural Fit for The Smile Within

Nitam’s contribution to The Smile Within reflects everything the exhibition stands for: creativity as resilience, balance as wellbeing, and artistry as a shared language within dentistry.

Her work reminds us that when art is allowed to live alongside professional life, not outside it, both are enriched.

More About Nitam

Nitam has three pieces of artwork featured in The Smile Within exhibition and will be attending in person.

You can find out more about her by connecting to her social media channels or visiting her website:

Elite Smile Studio LinkedIn Instagram      YouTube   TikTok

Art By Nitam   Instagram   Facebook

Meet the other Artists

Below is a selection of other featured artists. Click on the links to see their artwork submissions, each deeply connected to mindfulness and mental wellbeing.

Join us at The Smile Within art exhibition in May and make a difference, one pledge, one piece of art, one smile at a time.

We look forward to seeing you there.

An online bidding site is now live. You can bid on artwork online, as well as at the event.

Online bidding ends at 3:45 pm on 16 May. The winning bidder can collect their artwork on Saturday, 16 May, from the stand after 4pm. If you (or a trusted friend) are unable to take your piece with you, we’re happy to arrange delivery. Please note that postage and packaging costs will be added and confirmed after purchase.