FYI

Each quarter, we highlight dental professionals and office staff who have been nominated by their peers in recognition of their exceptional work for both their patients and their communities. We’re proud to announce our latest winner, Dr. Samir Abbas.

Dr. Abbas’ practice is in Georgia. We talked to him recently about his life, career and commitment to serving patients.

Tell us about yourself and how you got to where you are today.

I am a general and cosmetic dentist in Marietta, Georgia. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the biology and physiology of the human body, and initially thought I wanted to pursue medicine. I attended medical school overseas before moving to the United States at age 19.
 
Before committing to medical school in the U.S., I took a course called Introduction to Medical Professions, which gave me greater insight into the responsibilities of various healthcare careers. I was drawn to dentistry because it combines biology with hands-on work, along with the immediate gratification of restoring someone’s smile.
 

Why did you decide to become a dentist?

One of the classes I took at University of Florida was called Intro to Medical Professions. They would interview professionals from each profession and tell them to walk them through a typical day. Dentistry was one that stood out to me because of the work-life balance and being able to work with my hands. Plus, there was the instant gratification I got from helping patients and seeing the results right there and then.
 
I started shadowing dental offices and spending time in dental clinics. I became a volunteer assistant at the student adult clinic at the University of Florida. Then I was like, well, you know what? I should have picked dentistry.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Typically we start early in the morning. We have our morning huddle where all of our team members work together and we go through the schedule of every single patient. We'll talk about the important points of what we need to cover for that day and then we'll discuss whatever is new and pertinent for that day. Then, we start the procedures, usually seeing the bigger cases in the morning.
 
We also spend a lot of time with our patients, educating them and trying to focus on prevention. We like to be proactive rather than reactive.
 

Can you tell us a little bit about your volunteer work and involvement in the community?

I enjoy helping people. I've gone on a mission trip with a group of 20 dentists and students to Jamaica helped people in need. In Jamaica, people often wait for mission trips so they can be treated. They wait more than six months to a year. It was very empowering to be able to be part of their treatment. We helped about 400 people.
 
At home, I try to help patients facing barriers to care. I participate in a free dental day that happens around the area. We treat patients who need to get procedures done. I've done it for the past four years. The line of patients literally wraps around the building.
 

What do you think the future holds for the dental industry?

I think there's going to be more AI tools available to dentists. When I say AI tools, I don't mean robots that do what we do. But I do believe that we will have a lot more helpful tools. Like for example, we already have some diagnostic tools that read our x-rays and annotate them for us.
 
Instead of using impression materials, we have scanners that streamline the process and we're getting better fitting processes. Digital dentistry is just great. We can design patients’ smiles and take into consideration other issues like their airways and the overall totality of the body's health.
 

So, what do you like to do in your free time?

I'm married, and I'm a father of two now. I love to spend time with my wife and two daughters. I  can't wait to go home and spend some time with them after a long day at work.
 
Besides that, I enjoy fishing, playing soccer and spending time outdoors in general. I enjoy anything that involves going outside, like cycling, hiking and even snowboarding with my friends. We go on fishing trips.
 
And then there's the gym, I like to spend time at the gym every now and then as time permits. Obviously, there was more time before I had my kids, but I still enjoy a gym session whenever I'm able to attend one.
 

What's some advice you would give to recent graduates of dental school when they're starting out?

I would say try to spend as much time as you can learning from mentors. Go shadow them and work with them and If you can get into a residency, do it.

I can speak from personal experience. I did my residency at Veterans Affairs in Augusta, Georgia, at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. It was an amazing experience where I got to work with specialists and hone my skills. It also gave me confidence. Residency gives you the information needed to tackle the increasing demands of the profession of dentistry.
 
Even after you complete your residency, do as much continuing education as possible to stay on top of things. There's always these evolving technologies. You want to be part of that. You want to be able to utilize the latest and greatest technologies.

Thank you, Dr. Abbas, for taking the time for an interview and for all that you do for your patients and your community. Congratulations on being chosen as a Smile Star.

You can visit Dr. Abbas’ practice’s website for more information.

Do you know someone who should be a Smile Star? Email us at smileaward@delta.org with their contact information and the reason your nominee should win this award or complete the Smile Star Award nomination form.