About Our Scarborough Dental Care Office
Staff Biography: Dr. Fadavi
My Journey in Dentistry
I believe I was destined to be a dentist. When I was a child, I used to sneak off to our family’s storage room, scrape out some drywall from behind a stack of boxes, then go to my room and pack my doll’s mouth with it, pretending I was filling a cavity. When I got older, it was clear to me what I would do with my life. Becoming a dentist is what I was meant to do.
Before putting down roots in Toronto, my husband and I followed our various postgraduate and work opportunities to numerous cities across Canada. In Kingston, Ontario, where my son was born, I had my first professional Canadian dentistry experience, working as a dental assistant at Altima Dental Centre. It was here where I first learned leadership and management, both essential components to running a dental practice. I also learned hard work was key to success; I travelled every day to nearby Napanee (Avril Lavigne’s hometown) to work in Dr. Karen Nasbit’s Dental Clinic.
In 2005, after ranking first among all foreign dentists (91% National Dental Board of Canada), I graduated from the School of Dentistry at the University of Toronto and started practicing as a dentist in Canada. After graduation, I lived for several years in Newfoundland and Labrador, where I was able to put my management skills to work by practising at Avalon Dental, an extremely busy and large dental clinic, on average working 12 hours per day.
We also got to experience living in a multi-cultural society; when I arrived in Montreal, I immediately started practicing dentistry and took intensive French courses at the same time, which helped me care for our Francophile patients. I now have strong skills in the language. I also took sign language courses at St. Lawrence College in Kingston.
Such work and experiences have given me the leadership, managerial and communication skills that I use to this day in my own practice.
In addition to my experiences living in Toronto, Kingston, St. John’s, Montreal and East Lansing, Michigan, I’ve enjoyed travelling to various North American destinations. My son and I accompanied my husband to a conference in Honolulu, and I have also visited New York several times. My cousin’s wedding in Boston was my most recent favourite, even though the zipper on my dress, a beautiful floor-length gown that I deliberated over for days beforehand, broke a few minutes prior to the wedding.
I have learned that when we grow, even our core interests can change. For example, in the past, my favourite food was Persian Green Herb Curry (i.e. Ghorme Sabzi), but I have since become obsessed with stuffed peppers. I also love to stay at home and cook exotic dishes for family and friends, much to the chagrin of my son who is a burger and mashed potato person.
Before starting my own practice, I strongly felt it was time for me and my family to return to Toronto and put down roots. I am taking great pleasure in watching my son grow with his friends and knowing my husband is satisfied working in the one city where he’d always wanted to be. We miss our friends from Newfoundland and Quebec, but we maintain close contact and keep them as close parts of our lives.
I feel fortunate to be able to take part in my son’s life; our learning and guidance has been a two-way street. For example, he follows several professional teams closely, and though only 12, he competitively plays basketball and hockey himself. Because of his passion, I’ve become an expert at predicting the winning team and cheer that much louder when we go to professional games, usually the first and sometimes only attraction we visit when we travel. Evan’s favourite arenas are the Air Canada Center, Bell Center, Staples Center and Madison Square Garden (it was important to him that I write the arenas’ names!).
My son’s enthusiasm for sports has also helped me in my practice; I’m better able to connect and calm my younger patients; chatting with them about their favourite sports heroes or teams often puts them at ease. I’ve even learned some games including Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Kids like it because it’s fun to play, but what they don’t know is it builds their problem solving abilities.
Before opening Dental Care For You, I worked in mobile dental services, which is a dental service that takes self-contained medical units to the homes of the elderly, housebound, or those with emergency needs. My interest in mobile dentistry started when I felt a call to work with the elderly. When I began my new life in Canada, I had to leave behind my family and friends, many of whom were aged or passed away during that time. As I wasn’t able to be there for them, I felt a great need to give back to this vulnerable community in a way that would be satisfying and rewarding. I am pleased that such a service exists to serve these patients, and I feel honoured to be able to work with them.
It is my continued mission as a dentist and member of my community to ensure these people are served; all people- those who come to me, and those to whom I come- deserve to have access to quality dental health care. I’m proud to make this a strong part of my practice at Dental Care For You.
Author: Samar Fadavi
Dr. Fadavi is a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the School of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Dr. Fadavi is a member of the Ontario Dental Association, Canadian Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
