Moama Dental Clinic received the Kagome Health and Wellbeing Award and the Telstra Business Professional Service Business Award — a double which left Dr Shenai genuinely lost for words.
"Honestly, not at all," he said when asked if he expected the wins.
"Two years ago, we won this award. This time, I don't know — I was late for the interview, I went to the wrong place. Everything was against me this time," he laughed.
"I was not prepared to win one, let alone both, and then the second award was won I said "this can't be happening."
But for Dr Shenai — who took over Rochester Dental Clinic in 2011 before opening the Moama Dental Clinic branch with his wife Ketki in 2016 — the awards serve as a validation of their patient-first philosophy.
"When you get recognition, it's like a pat on the back saying you're doing good for the community and the patients, to keep doing it," he said.
At the heart of both practices is a genuine commitment to making every patient feel at ease — replacing the dread so many associate with dental visits with comfort and confidence.
"We've had this vision of being the ‘Disneyland of dentistry’ for the past 16 years," Dr Shenai said.
"I wanted to change the whole perception dentistry is painful, clinical, serene, where people walk in and say, 'oh, I hate the dentist.'
"And I think we've been pretty successful with that."
He explained reducing anxiety begins well before a patient sits in the chair.
"It starts from the first phone call," he said.
"There's always a smile on the phone ... as soon as someone is happy and talking to you in a good mood, the person on the other side can sense it."
Delivering professional care within a wellness-focused setting means going beyond clinical efficiency — it means making every patient feel genuinely welcomed and valued as a person.
"Dentistry is something you would do no matter what," Dr Shenai noted.
"Trying to make it more hospitable, something that would make you feel more comfortable... and recognising we are humans at the other end — if someone is scared, you need to be empathetic."
Beyond creating a warm environment, Dr Shenai is committed to bringing modern, cutting-edge technology to regional communities, steering clear of old stereotypes.
"The perception 'oh, it's just a country pumpkin dentistry' is not there anymore," he said.
"All my dentists keep studying and doing courses overseas or in the country, bringing state-of-the-art technology back to the countryside."
Today, the team works with 3D printing, same-day crowns, full mouth implants, and digital stencils — services typically reserved for major capital cities.
Even as staff shortages continue to challenge regional healthcare across Australia, Dr Shenai was quick to credit his devoted team for ensuring patients never feel the weight of those pressures.
What began as a modest two-surgery clinic in Moama in 2016 has grown into a thriving six-chair facility — a remarkable expansion driven by the community's trust and an ever-growing demand for quality regional dental care.
"Our vision is quite clear that we are going to keep growing," Dr Shenai said.
"In another two years, we'll be up another four chairs... it's going to be the biggest clinic in this area. That vision is just going to keep growing."
