Dr. Sepehr Rahmany was born in Iran, but left at age 3 just before the revolution in 1979. As a young child, his family first moved to Toronto, but most of his formative years were spent in Ottawa. Being raised in a tiny town outside of Ottawa, he grew up in an area of the country where he was truly immersed in small-town Canadian culture as well as being exposed to his roots as a Persian-Canadian. Having exposure to such vastly different cultures has allowed him to be able to relate to people from all walks of life.
An Interview with Dr. Sepehr Rahmany
a Seasoned Dental Professional at Skyline Dental Centre
Can you share a bit about your journey into dentistry?
What initially sparked your interest in pursuing this career path?
I grew up in an immigrant family where educational achievement was considered a very high priority. I was fortunate to have many older cousins who were excellent examples of educational and professional success in healthcare, and they served as amazing role models for me. Growing up as a Baha’i, finding a profession which could be of service to humanity was always emphasized. Dentistry was the perfect merging of my interest in art as well as the health sciences. I volunteered as a high school student in a large dental office in Ottawa, and knew that this was what I wanted to do as a profession.
As a dentist, what aspects of your work bring you the greatest satisfaction or fulfillment?
For me, the extensive training that I have received since completing dental school over the past 20 years in implant dentistry and surgery have constantly motivated me to challenge myself to grow as a clinician, being able to deliver treatments that are truly life changing to my patients. Dentistry has given me the opportunity to be able to travel the world to provide volunteer services for the less fortunate in 3rd world countries, giving them an improved quality of life. Here at home on a regular basis, giving a patient a beautiful new smile, watching their joyful reaction as they see it for the first time, providing implant patients with new teeth to chew with when they were missing their teeth for years, taking patients out of severe pain and discomfort, and seeing their relief and peace of mind once their pain is resolved. These things bring me the most joy.
What do you consider to be the key factors that have contributed to your success as a dentist?
In order to have success as a dentist, you have to understand that you are in the business of building relationships with people. Because we see patients every few months for many years, we get to know them, their families, their hopes and dreams. I’ve had the privilege of watching my patients grow up from children to adults, I’ve watched them get married, divorced, graduate, build successful businesses, I’ve been there for the ups and downs of their lives. You have to have genuine interest and truly care about who they are as people. Communicating well with your patients, understanding their expectations, making sure that they understand what you are about to do for them, learning as much as possible about the “person behind the teeth” is the most important aspect of our profession.
In terms of technology, are there any specific tools or equipment that you utilize in your clinic that you believe set you apart from other dentists?
I wouldn’t say this necessarily “sets me apart”, but adopting the digital evolution of dentistry has completely changed the way we are able to deliver care to our patients. Utilizing cone-beam 3-D technology and intra-oral scanning has greatly improved our ability to deliver care with precision and planning. We are able to perform surgery, cosmetic dentistry and even orthodontics with so much more precision and predictability than ever before through embracing the advent of these technologies.
For individuals considering dentistry as a future career, what advice would you offer? Are there any specific qualities or skills that you believe are essential for success in this field?
Dentistry is a constantly evolving field. One must embrace a lifetime of learning and improving. Staying current and striving to improve your clinical skills is incredibly important. But more importantly, one should take a genuine interest in learning about people. In my 21 years of clinical practice, I’ve met tens of thousands of people, with vastly different personalities, emotions and characteristics. With such a diverse exposure to different people, I’ve had the opportunity to train extensively on developing effective communication skills in real time. This is probably the most important skill to learn in your career. It’s hard work, but it’s so fulfilling. Besides having a loving family, to be able to love what you do is the greatest gift in life.
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