Orthodontics is undoubtedly one of the most prolonged dental treatments a patient can undergo. When a patient has underlying oral abnormalities, this already lengthy process extends even further, as these issues must be addressed in tandem with the orthodontic planning. Dr. Benjawan Kanjanaplang, a specialist orthodontist at BNH Hospital, oversees every step of her patients’ oral health journeys. Her goal is to identify the perfect timing for treatment to achieve the best results, ensuring the patient experiences the least amount of discomfort in the shortest possible time. The extended duration of these treatments allows her to build close bonds with her patients, ultimately turning dental fear into the joy of seeing a kind dentist.
Here is the story behind the kind-hearted doctor—a glimpse into her life that might just make you feel even closer to her the next time you sit in her dental chair.
Her Father's Daughter
“After our exams finished, my father would pick us all up from school. We would get into the car, and to our surprise, he had already packed our luggage in the boot. He would take us on spontaneous road trips to the provinces without any prior warning.”
Dr. Benjawan fondly recalls her childhood memories with her father. He was a deeply hardworking businessman, yet he always managed to carve out time for his four children. Her mother, a dedicated housewife, seamlessly managed the household behind the scenes whilst assisting with the family business.
Her father wholeheartedly supported his children’s education without ever pressuring them to pursue specific careers. Always an academically gifted student, Dr. Benjawan chose to study Dentistry at Mahidol University. However, even as she reached her sixth and final year, she remained unsure of which specialty to pursue. Her only inkling was a desire to learn more about orthodontics beyond the undergraduate curriculum.
“I applied to study abroad and told my father this was the path I wanted to take. It was 1997, during the Asian financial crisis, and the exchange rate was astronomically high. I felt incredibly guilty asking him to fund my studies, but he simply told me to go. As I studied, I realised I had found my true passion and was on the right path. I feel incredibly fortunate that my father understood and gave me the opportunity; without him, I would not be where I am today.”
She first gained experience through a Certificate in Orthodontics at New York University before pursuing a Master’s degree in Orthodontics at the University of London. During that period, the number of Thai students in the UK had dwindled significantly due to the economic crash. Yet, her father—despite coming from a standard middle-class background—never once told her to scrimp. He simply wanted his daughter to reach her absolute full potential.
Living in London forced Dr. Benjawan to experience entirely new things as she learned to live independently. Having never scrubbed a toilet or cooked a meal before, she suddenly found herself doing it all.
“It was tough, but I was proud of myself.”
Upon completing her studies in the UK, graduates typically sat for orthodontic board examinations in either London or Edinburgh. Figuring she had already travelled all the way to Britain and was equipped with the knowledge, she applied for both. She even relocated to Edinburgh temporarily to prepare. Ultimately, she passed both exams, becoming a proud member of both esteemed orthodontic boards.
“On the day the results were announced, I knew I had passed, but it was the middle of the night in Thailand. I didn’t want to disturb my parents, so I didn’t call. I found out later that they hadn’t slept at all; they had stayed awake the entire night waiting for the results. I felt so deeply loved. I was thrilled to give them my success as a gift.”
Upon returning from the UK, Dr. Benjawan began her career at BNH Hospital. It was her first workplace, and she has never once considered leaving over the past two decades.
“BNH is a place with a deeply supportive and warm community. The management is excellent, and colleagues communicate, brainstorm, and help one another. Being here simply gives me peace of mind,” she says.
Mother of Her Child
Dr. Benjawan enjoyed a remarkably warm childhood with highly supportive parents and four close-knit siblings. She used to join her siblings and the neighbourhood children cycling along the main roads near Suea Pa, much to her parents’ dismay when they were caught. She also loved singing, and with her English skills still developing in her youth, her older brother—who was studying in Singapore at the time—would help transcribe the lyrics of her favourite songs.
Today, as a mother herself, her new family may not be as large as her childhood one—she has a single daughter—but she is determined to provide her child with the exact same warmth and love she received growing up.
“I was a full-time mum for five years. I wanted to give her my absolute time and be as close to her as possible during those formative years when we could really communicate and bond. I was very lucky that my husband understood and supported everything. Once she started school and began to need me slightly less, I gradually returned to working part-time.”
Her dedication during those first five years yielded beautiful results. Dr. Benjawan is incredibly close to her daughter, who openly confides in her about any problems. This openness allows Dr. Benjawan to gently weave in adult perspectives, helping her daughter understand the world through her mother’s seasoned experiences.
“In her childhood, I wanted her to receive information and values directly from me, rather than learning them elsewhere.”
As a mother, Dr. Benjawan exhibits the meticulous attention to detail typical of a dentist, yet she supports her daughter without an ounce of pressure—mirroring her own father’s parenting style.
“When it comes to my daughter, I give her my absolute all, but I do not burden her with high expectations to avoid unnecessary stress. My only goal is for her to be a good, happy person in this world.”
She strives to raise her daughter to be kind, generous, and willing to contribute to society. When Operation Smile—a charity providing cleft lip and palate surgeries—was raising funds, her seven-year-old daughter, who had seen the suffering of others through her mother’s stories and photographs, felt inspired to help. She volunteered to participate in the fundraising campaign.
“She came up with the idea herself, drew the grids, and created a drawing book to show me. I told her it was great and that I would handle the production. Many kind-hearted adults supported her initiative. Beyond that, she also regularly donates her hair to cancer patients.”
The family activities her father organised provided her with wonderful childhood memories, but they didn’t necessarily make her an ‘activities’ child. She describes herself back then as a bookworm who missed out on many diverse life experiences. Now, as a mother, Dr. Benjawan ensures her daughter experiences a wide array of activities—taking her to scuba diving camps, reptile camps, gibbon conservation sites, and elephant sanctuaries.
“When I was young, I studied incredibly hard because I wanted to make my parents proud. Now that I have the time, I take my daughter to do all the things I never got to do. It is wonderfully fun—learning about life and bonding deeply with my child.”
The Reason for Becoming a Dentist
Dr. Benjawan was always an outstanding student, but she did not choose dentistry because of family pressure or peer influence.
“I noticed that people working as dentists got to listen to music. Some doctors even sang along. It looked like such a happy way to work. Simply put, I thought it would be wonderful to work as a dentist whilst listening to music.”
And with that simple, joyful reasoning, she stepped into the world of dentistry.
In truth, Dr. Benjawan has always loved singing. During those childhood road trips, her family would play cassette tapes and sing along the entire way, looping the tapes over and over. As she grew up, she would sing alone in the bathroom, and occasionally, she would be invited on stage to sing at social gatherings. Her repertoire spans classic Thai artists like Bird & Heart, Nantida, and Bird Thongchai, to international icons like the Carpenters, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston, right through to the modern tracks her daughter recommends.
“I kept listening to her recommendations, and now we listen to the exact same music. It feels like I am a teenager again; it turns back the clock and brings me so much closer to my daughter.”
The Joy of a Dentist
“Orthodontics is like transforming a patient who refuses to smile into someone who is truly happy with their smile.”
Dr. Benjawan describes the profound joy she finds in her work. Orthodontics aims for both aesthetic beauty and chewing efficiency. The challenge lies not just in aligning teeth perfectly, but in resolving the patient’s underlying dental issues that affect functionality—such as front teeth trauma, root resorption, or gum disease. These complexities require a high degree of patient cooperation and multidisciplinary consultations.
“I had a patient with severely protruding teeth who didn’t want to smile. They had visited several clinics and were repeatedly told that jaw surgery was the only option. When they came to me, I saw they were at the perfect age for growth modification. The patient desperately wanted to avoid surgery, agreed to the treatment plan, and cooperated brilliantly. Ultimately, the treatment was a complete success—without a single surgery or tooth extraction.”
Despite being a specialist orthodontist, Dr. Benjawan thoroughly examines the entire oral cavity—checking for cavities, gingivitis, jaw issues, or teeth requiring restoration—before referring them to specialists in accordance with BNH Hospital’s Complete Care philosophy. Fortunately, the hospital houses specialists across all fields, ready to offer advice and take on cases immediately, preventing wider health issues.
Patients visiting the dentist often arrive with an underlying sense of anxiety. Dr. Benjawan counters this by engaging them in conversation, getting to know them until they build trust and their worries fade.
“As medical professionals, we must have compassion, treat them like family, and ensure they feel completely safe. We must clearly communicate exactly what we can achieve for them. Sometimes, I show them similar case studies, explaining the methodology, the expected results, and asking if this outcome would make them happy. Most patients truly understand what the journey entails. It becomes a two-way collaboration between the patient and the doctor to achieve the final goal.”
In orthodontics, if a patient cooperates fully—strictly following instructions, wearing their appliances for the required hours, maintaining excellent hygiene, and attending appointments—the results and treatment timeline are far more likely to go exactly to plan.
However, there are times when patients feel they aren’t seeing progress after a while. Orthodontic changes are gradual; observing oneself daily masks the tiny shifts. Sometimes, patients even forget what their teeth looked like originally. Showing them their ‘before’ photographs helps them appreciate their transformation and gives them the motivation to see the treatment through to the end.
“Most of my patients tell others that I am kind, gentle-handed, and very friendly, so there really is no need to be afraid.”
Because orthodontic treatment takes a long time, Dr. Benjawan gets the privilege of watching many children grow up, and many never forget her, even years after their braces come off.
“The patients at BNH are lovely. Sometimes, after the treatment is finished, they stay behind to chat. It feels as though they don’t just see me as their doctor, but as a friend they can confide in. It makes working here incredibly fulfilling. I once had a young boy who told me he wanted to be an astronaut. He visited me every month until his braces came off, went abroad to study aerospace, and when he returned, he still came to visit me with flowers and brought his younger sister to get her braces done.”
“When I treat a patient, I feel that I am the person behind their new smile and increased confidence. Seeing the sparkle in their eyes and their radiant smile when the treatment is complete is exactly what brings me happiness. It makes me love coming to work, and it makes me adore orthodontics.”
Dr. Benjawan speaks of the value of her profession with absolute joy. She aspires to be a better dentist every single day and to bring even more happiness to her patients. Even a simple chat about daily life after a clinical adjustment is enough to make her feel that she has successfully brought a moment of joy to the people she treats.
BENJAWAN KANJANAPLANG, D.D.S.
ทพญ. เบญจวรรณ กาญจนปลั่ง
Speciality
Orthodontics
Clinical Interest
Orthodontics
Clear Aligner Treatment
Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment
Craniofacial Orthodontics
Education
Master's Degree, Master of Science (Orthodontics), University of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Dental Degree, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Mahidol University, Thailand
Fellowship
Orthodontics, New York University, College of Dentistry, United States of America
Certificate
Certificate of Course Completion, The Aligner Intensive Fellowship, United States, United States of America
Language
English
Thai
Gender
Female
Schedule
Dental Centre
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 14:00 - 17:00 Available on week 1, 2, 4 of the month |
| Tuesday | 08:00 - 16:00 Available on week 1, 2, 4 of the month |
| Wednesday | 08:00 - 18:00 Available on week 1, 2, 3, 4 of the month |
| Thursday | 08:00 - 14:00 Available on week 3 of the month |
| Friday | 08:00 - 16:00 Available on week 1, 2, 4 of the month |
| Saturday | 08:00 - 19:00 Available on week 1, 2, 4, 5 of the month |
| Sunday | 08:00 - 13:00 Available on week 3 of the month |
This is the doctor's regular weekly schedule. Actual availability may vary — please confirm the available date and time when you make an appointment.