SPEAKER_02 0:30

My name is Dr. Nada Shihadi and I'm a general dentist. So I work in two different locations in a DMV area. I usually do um bread and butter dentistry and also I do more than that, like uh veneers, like a lot of cosmetic stuff and correcting patients' bite.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

It's really exciting. I can't wait to learn more of just everything you do. So

A Dentist’s Unexpected Journey

SPEAKER_00 1:01

kind of take me back to how you got started in all of this. Tell me how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Okay, so I graduated in uh Emirates, University of Sharjah, and I got my dental degree from there. And after that we moved to the US and it wasn't planned at all. So I didn't have this in my head like I because if I knew that we're moving here, I would have like prepared for my wards and all of these steps, but it wasn't planned, so it was a lot stressful for me because and like going to a place that you don't know anything there, and it's different. It's a different place and different uh everything is different, the vibes and the lifestyle. And so I ha I moved with my uh so my family, they moved here and me and my husband we came and I had a baby. She was one year old. So I felt that I had to start start all over again. And that was very hard for me. Uh also having a baby there. So I was excited because when we moved here, I I graduated in 2013 and we moved like in 2015. So I was still excited about being a dentist, and I'm still, you know, starting my first steps in the in my career. But then when we moved here, it was like a shock for me. Oh my god, I have to start all over again. But I did it with my family support. They really supported me in continuing my education and um getting my equivalencies. You know, I had to do many steps for getting my equivalencies here. And my husband for sure, he really supported me in my education and um getting my degree from here. So I got my degree from uh University of Maryland. I did my residency program, which is the UGD program. And after that, um, I started working. So I worked in multiple offices in the DMV area.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Wow. Awesome. It's an amazing what kind of journey you had to get here and go through all the motions. And you did it. Yeah, you're thriving. So congrats. That's amazing. Thank you. Thank you. You know, you often say dentistry is art. Can you explain what that means to you and how artistry plays a role in procedures like fillings, smile transformations, and overall patient care?

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Of course, the most important thing is to listen to the patient and see what are uh what are their concerns and educate the patients about the importance of uh their oral health and oral hygiene. Um, but when it comes to dentistry, like the work that we do, it there's a lot of art in it.

Dentistry As An Art Form

SPEAKER_02 3:59

Because especially when you're working in a highly aesthetic area, like the front area, so you have to make sure that the teeth look natural. So your work has to be very, very, very high quality and um very attention to details. So it needs artistic skills. So that's why a lot of like dentists, if you look at their background or their lifestyle, they have some artistic touches or they they have like uh or they love art. And a lot of dentists, I noticed that a lot, they're pianists as well. So because they use both of their hands, and uh when they played the piano, of course, they use both of their hands as well. And that's another thing I didn't mention about me. So uh when I was a child, I used to take piano classes. So I enjoyed playing music and I enjoyed drawing and coloring. So I really enjoyed art. And that's what also made me pick dentistry.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

That makes a lot of sense. Having that creative background mixed with just being a super hands-on person. I think that is literally the perfect career for somebody like you.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

You should you should love using your hands to become a dentist because all the work is with your hands.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Absolutely. And this beautiful art you create for people. And you know, your approach goes beyond just teeth. You consider the entire face when creating a smile. How do facial balance, harmony, and proportions influence the way you design and transform smiles?

SPEAKER_02 5:43

So when we look at the face, especially when we're doing uh creating a smile, uh, we should consider the eye color, um, the face shape, and of course the gender, female or male. Uh so this gives us um the the touch

Designing Smiles For The Whole Face

SPEAKER_02 6:03

or the design that we're gonna do for the teeth. So if it's a male, then you would see the teeth would be a little bit sharper and more like defined. But for female, they're a little bit smoother, and it depends also on their face shape. So this is why it's really important to look at the whole face when we're designing smiles, and of course, listen to the patient what they what they want, but not all the time, because sometimes patients ask for crazy things. So we have to like um advise them and explain to them like how things work.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Absolutely. Kind of guide guide them on their way to get them those achieved results that um the expert knows about. Awesome. And you are certified in Invisalign as well, as we were talking facial aesthetics, two specialized areas that each require a high level of precision and expertise. What do you enjoy most about offering services like this? And how do you how do they allow you to serve different patient goals?

SPEAKER_02 7:06

All right, so for talking about Invisalign first, so Invisalign is a plus because a lot of patients, like when you tell them, oh, you need to correct your bite, and they're like older patients, they would tell me, like, no, I'm not gonna get braces. What do you mean I'm old for getting braces? I tell them, no, it's it's not braces. We're doing clear aligners, which is like Invisalign. Um, so this is so they they're like the sometimes they would be like, you know, surprised, like, is that clear thing gonna correct my bite? Does it really

Invisalign And The Power Of A Balanced Bite

SPEAKER_02 7:37

work? And yes, it does work, and it's you know, the same results as having braces. Uh Invisalign, it more depends on the patient, like how disciplined they are in putting them on and keeping them on, but at the end, it's gonna give us the same results. And also I explained to the patient, like correcting your bite is not just for aesthetics, because it's really important to have a balanced bite. If you don't have a balanced bite, then um that's gonna like ruin your whole smile, your whole bite as we age, because um, the forces that are applied on the teeth, if they were not balanced, then a lot of trauma is gonna happen to the teeth, like chipping, fracturing, or like um our teeth can wear down as we age, and then we're gonna start losing the vertical dimension of our jaws. And this is how all starts from the unbalanced bite. So that's why it's really important I educate my patient that it's not just about aligning your teeth. If you have crooked teeth, no, it's it's more than that.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

It's a whole long-term plan, right? About how we're gonna age and change over time.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Yeah, it's like I tell them like you're investing in your teeth. You're investing, so you wanna make sure that your teeth are gonna live longer with you.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Absolutely. One of the best things to invest in for overall health. And you've been practicing dentistry for over a decade now. How has your experience over the last 10 plus years refined the way you care for and communicate with patients?

SPEAKER_02 9:09

So, of course, now a lot of uh technology is um like we're using a lot of technology and high-tech uh equipments that helps us a lot in giving the best treatment for our patients. And also it makes it easier for us to, you know, communicate with the patient and explain to them um the treatment plan and

Tech Upgrades And AI In The Operatory

SPEAKER_02 9:31

what they need and what they have. So it's a big difference. Like when I started practicing dentistry and now comparing the equipment that we used to have and what we have now, um, and it makes it makes it easier for both of us, for the dentist and the patient.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Absolutely. Things are getting so advanced, and it's just making it, like you said, on everyone.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Yeah, and that's why we we're using AI now in dentistry as well. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

And getting into that, dentistry is evolving rapidly, and AI is becoming an innovative tool in your field. How is AI changing the way dentists diagnose conditions and help patients better understand their treatment needs?

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Well, definitely AI is not replacing dentists. They still need us to work and use our hands to do our work, but um, having AI in dentistry makes it easier for us to um and like give us like a more precise diagnosis for the patient. And it makes it easier for us to explain to the patient and pinpoint for them, you know, the problems, like especially on x-rays, like patients cannot read x-rays, right? Like it's hard for them to see. I don't see where's the cavity, like, but when we have AI, it pinpoints and highlights the problems that the patient have on an x-ray. So it's easy for the patient to know, like, oh, they have a bone loss here, they have a uh they have cavity there. So that's how it's easy for the patient also to understand and know what their needs or what they have.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Wow, that's really interesting. Yeah. Really, really cool. And, you know, patients often describe you as gentle, calming, and incredibly attentive to their comfort. Why is pain-free and anxiety-conscious care such an important priority for you? Because nobody likes to go to the dentist.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

I get that a lot. Like they they tell me um they're not happy to be at the dentist's office and they're really scared from the dentist. They had maybe bad experience before. But being transparent with the patient and like communicating, I feel this is something really important is to have this communication with the patient.

Anxiety-Conscious, Pain-Minimizing Care

SPEAKER_02 11:46

And it's gonna make them feel relaxed. And this is my goal. Like, I want my patient to feel they are relaxed. They're not anxious to be at the dentist. And I want them to enjoy, to have a good experience going to the dentist. And that's what I really focus on is to ease pain on my patients. And I'm blessed to have a gentle touch when I, especially when giving the shots. But I feel this is something like it's a blessing to have. And that's why I get that a lot from my patient, that they feel very relaxed. And if they were anxious, they're not anxious anymore. I try my best, you know, and sometimes also it's it's good to use other tools. Like we offer them, like if they want to use like laughing gas, we can do that for them as well. The main thing is just I want my patient to be relaxed. Absolutely. It makes work easier for us too. Like when the patient is relaxed, we'll be relaxed as well. But when the patient is tensed, like we will sense that. And it's gonna make it hard for us also to get the work done.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Absolutely. I can imagine with children too, it can be you really just want to provide that comforting, calming experience. So I think it's great. And like you said, there's a lot of good options, laughing gas, things like that to take advantage of. Trust is essential in dentistry. How do you build a sense of calm and confidence with patients, especially those who may feel nervous or hesitant about dental procedures? I know that kind of goes into what we were just talking about.

SPEAKER_02 13:20

Yeah, as I mentioned, so the main important thing is to communicate with the patient and be honest and listen to them. Like it's really important to listen to the patient. And some patient they like they mention to me, they tell me like um, they complain about like

Building Trust Through Clear Communication

SPEAKER_02 13:41

when when doctors they don't listen to them. Like, I I told my doctor that I I can't, I don't know, or I'm in pain and the doctor never stopped, or blah, blah, blah. And so I always try to like like give the patients heads up and tell them what I'm gonna be doing. And if they feel any pain, just raise your hand, I'll stop immediately. Like, you know, these kind of steps, like when you mention to the patient, it will let uh make them more relaxed and they will trust you.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Absolutely. I think that that's amazing. You're able to kind of provide that like almost sense of relief that they know they're gonna be okay. And what are your future goals looking ahead?

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Uh, so my goal is to make modern dentistry available to everyone. And because everyone deserves a healthy smile, and everyone deserves to have a Hollywood smile. So it's not, it's not just only for celebrities, you know, it's uh everyone deserves to have that healthy, beautiful smile. So having modern dentistry available for everyone and having this luxurious experience

Vision: Modern, Luxurious Dentistry For All

SPEAKER_02 14:48

going to a dental clinic with all the high-tech equipment and uh modern equipment and everything has to be like available to everyone.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

I love the point you made about everyone deserves to have a beautiful smile. Um, because sometimes we can get caught up in looking at celebrities on TV and think that we can't get that, but we most certainly can. Yes. Um I think it's amazing. Definitely that you're be able to offer that. And you strongly believe that oral health is deeply connected to overall health. Can you explain why the mouth plays such a critical role in the body's general well-being?

SPEAKER_01 15:31

So remember, everything starts from your mouth.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

You use your mouth for eating, for speaking, for smiling, everything. So this is the first point that is connected to your whole body. It's really important to take care of your oral health because when, for example, if

Oral Health As A Window To Whole-Body Health

SPEAKER_02 15:53

you start losing your teeth because you're not taking off your oral health, you're having lots of cavities and you lose your teeth, then what happens is you're gonna your bite is gonna start to get messed up because of the spaces that you're gonna start having, and then your jaw also is gonna start to collapse because there's no teeth, and it's gonna affect your digestion, it's gonna affect the way you look, and it's gonna change the whole thing. Like your whole face is gonna change. So it's really important to take care of your oral health and to be to have your teeth there and to be able to digest food properly. Because if you're not digesting food properly, then it's gonna mess up your guts and everything. So and the other thing is that it's really funny, like how we know if the patient has some kind of like vitamin deficiencies or any other health problems from their mouth. Because everything shows in the mouth.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

Yeah. It's another thing that's just so fascinating. All the small things that we do during the day really do add up. And I think it is such a great reminder and advice for everyone of all ages to be mindful of just what you're consuming and how the quality of how you're taking care of your body and your teeth.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

And that's why it's really important for every dentist to educate their patients about how important taking care of their oral health and uh their oral hygiene.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

Absolutely. Well said. And as someone deeply passionate about both dentistry and facial aesthetics, what do you hope patients feel, not just about their smile, but about themselves after working with you?

SPEAKER_01 17:31

So I f of course I want them to feel confident about themselves, happy.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

And yeah, that's my mo main goal is I want them to always be confident about their smile and how they look. And because you know, some small details that we do in the smile or on the face in general,

Confidence, Details, And Preventive Visits

SPEAKER_02 17:51

will make a big difference. Like really, like the smallest details, especially in the teeth, it will make a big difference.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

Beautiful. It's all in the details, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Yes, it's all in the details.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

As we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't touched on today?

SPEAKER_02 18:10

We mentioned everything, and it's really important for me that the patient visit their dentist regularly and do not ignore your teeth if you see that you have a cavity, or even if you don't have a cavity, just go to your dentist regularly and do the checkups because it's really important to catch things early before they get bigger and you know, it get worse and worse.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Perfect. Mm-hmm. Words of the wise. Thank you so much, Dr. Shahade, for joining me on the podcast. Thank you. Thank you. And sharing your story and knowledge with us. I wish you the best of luck in all that comes your way in the future.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

Thank you for having me here as well.