Today we’d like to introduce you to Sahar Shafi.
Sahar, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My family immigrated from Pakistan and being the first generation here was not easy for neither my parents, nor for my siblings and I. I grew up in a family full of physicians, so the expectation was to pursue a career in the health profession but I also quickly realized that the sciences were my strength in school. I did well in high school; however, my first year at UC Irvine left me with a 2.4 GPA. I decided to move back home to the Central Valley and completed college at California State University, Fresno where the class sizes were significantly smaller, and I felt more accountable for my work. I ended up graduating with a 4.o GPA, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
During college, at age 19, my dentist referred me to a Periodontal and Implant Surgeon to address an issue with my gums. I ended up having surgery, and I was fascinated. I realized that my procedure had the excitement of surgery, however, it did not involve the potential “life and death” situations that could be encountered in medicine. From that point on, I decided that my goal was to become a Periodontal and Implant Surgeon as well.
I attended UCLA School of Dentistry for four years, then completed a one year General Practice Residency, followed by one year of private practice as a general dentist, before I got accepted into a three year Periodontal and Implant Surgery Residency, also at UCLA.
Since then, I’ve practiced in a solo Periodontal practice in Beverly Hills, which I left to open up my own solo practice in Santa Monica until I realized that it was not my desire to be a solo practitioner. I enjoyed the collaborative environment of a group, which is when I shut down my private practice to join two incredible multi-specialty group practices in Santa Monica: Santa Monica Bay Dental and Santa Monica Dentists.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband, traveling the world, reading, yoga, and pilates, and most recently cooking. I’ve found time in the kitchen to be a great way to relieve stress. I also enjoy working with my husband on a side business that we own called ShayQ Bespoke, which is a men’s custom bespoke suiting lounge with a beautiful retail location in MidCity LA. My next big travel expedition will be with my girlfriends to the countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan! Fun fact about me: I have a gold crown.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I was on the journey, it felt rocky at times, however looking back on everything that I did to get to where I’m at today, I feel very fortunate. I was in graduate and postgraduate programs for nine years of my life, during which I missed many life events with my family and friends. I had to sacrifice time away from those I loved to get to this point.
I also had a situation about five years ago where my office manager embezzled from me while I had my own private practice. Not only was this traumatizing because I trusted her, but it was also embarrassing because I felt like I should’ve been smarter in order to avoid a situation like that. Through all of my experiences and hardships, I have learned a lot and have grown in ways I didn’t know were possible, so I don’t take anything for granted.
Santa Monica Bay Dental and Santa Monica Dentists – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I currently work as a surgeon in two multi-specialty group practices in Santa Monica.
As a Periodontal and Implant Surgeon, I perform surgeries that involve everything around the “periphery” of the tooth: The gums and the bone. This includes procedures like gum grafting, bone grafting, dental implants, sinus augmentations, periodontal plastic surgery, correcting gummy smiles, and so much more. We use state of the art technologies, and our materials are from reputable companies that have had extensive bioengineering histories. My approach is quite conservative, so I like to attempt nonsurgical treatment modalities first, where appropriate before I get too surgically involved.
I am most proud of the fact that I treat patients by the book. I do what I believe is best for the patient, 100% of the time. What sets me apart from others is that I take the time to make sure that my patients understand what is happening with their oral health. I have a lot of success with my procedures and yes I attribute a part of that to my surgical skill however how much the patient understands about their condition and what they do at home will also contribute to the success. You won’t get any gimmicks or short cuts with me. I have the privilege of going to work and helping people, and for that, I love my job. It also allows me to be artistic and creative, which is also something that I enjoy.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I had a big Hollywood actor come to me feeling helpless and hopeless, stating that he had already seen two other Periodontal and Implant surgeons who told them he was going to lose the majority of his teeth. The patient was overweight with many medical issues, including uncontrolled diabetes. His oral hygiene was significantly subpar, and he was a heavy smoker.
At our initial consultation, I explained to him how his uncontrolled diabetes fed his periodontal disease and how his periodontal disease contributed to his diabetes being uncontrolled. We discussed in great detail the effects of the overall inflammation in his body and how that was affecting his oral health. I also explained the destruction that cigarette smoking was creating in his mouth and other parts of his body.
I recall feeling quite intimidated as I was early in my career at the time and here I was telling this man, who had experienced so much in life, how his body worked and all of the parts of his everyday lifestyle that he would need to change. I worked closely with him for two whole years, and in that time, the patient was able to maintain all of the teeth in his mouth, transformed the oral hygiene, quit smoking, lost 100 pounds, got his diabetes under control and was able to get off of his insulin injections.
I’ve had MANY patients with very similar experiences and every time something like this happens, it makes me so proud. It’s proof of the difference that I can help make in people’s lives.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2730 Wilshire Blvd Suite #410 Santa Monica, CA 90403 (Santa Monica Bay Dental)
2730 Wilshire Blvd Suite #201 Santa Monica, CA 90403 (Santa Monica Dentists) - Website: santamonicabaydental.com and santamonicadentists.com
- Phone: 310-453-8606 (Santa Monica Bay Dental) and 310-828-1513 (Santa Monica Dentists)
- Instagram: @santamonicabaydental and @santamonicadentists
Image Credit:
Antar Hanif @iAMSHOOTER
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