Leading the way

Dr. AUZZIE REYHAN

Two years after graduation, Dr. Auzzie Reyhani is already molding the next generation of dentists through teaching and outreach opportunities

There’s a lot of teeth talk around Dr. Auzzie Reyhani’s, DDS ’12, dinner table on Friday nights, as her family sits down for their weekly meal together. Both her sister and brother-in-law are dentists, a family connection that first attracted Dr. Reyhani to the profession. “Shadowing my sister in her office and learning firsthand about the impact that dentists can have on a patient’s quality of life is really what inspired me to commit to dentistry,” she said.

Student involvement and improving lives is why Dr. Reyhani chose to study at Schulich Dentistry. She worked with the Dental Outreach Community Services (DOCS) program in her final two years at the School, gaining invaluable patient care experience. “Schulich Dentistry really gets you involved early on and I know a lot of schools don’t do that,” she said.

Dr. Reyhani also spent three weeks providing oral health care to the residents of Sioux Lookout in northern Ontario as part of her Graduate Practice Residency at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital. A lack of understanding about oral health meant many patients waited until emergency situations before seeking treatment.

These experiences led to the creation of DocsKids, inspired by the DOCS program. The initiative launched in September and provides preventative oral health care education for children 18 years and younger in the London area.

With the help of first- and secondyear student volunteers from Schulich Dentistry, participants learn about sugar content, the consequences of smoking and tooth extractions. The emphasis on interactive activities helps get the health message across and sessions are kept to 45 minutes to work with short attention spans.

“Our goal is to educate the kids and provide them with the tools and the foundation to be able to make the decision to brush every night, floss every night,” - Dr. Auzzie Reyhani.

The program also benefits dental students by giving them experience in community outreach and patient care. “Learning how to explain the significance of preventative oral health care, that’s a huge learning curve as a student,” said Dr. Reyhani.

 Dr. Reyhani

Dr. Reyhani is hopeful DocsKids will expand to other schools across Canada. She will continue working in dental outreach and envisions a career serving the community. “That’s what matters to me,” she said. “Those are the times the patient gets out of the chair to give you a hug and truly appreciates and thanks you for what you’ve done.”

The instruction and guidance Dr. Reyhani received at Schulich Dentistry also encouraged her to pursue teaching. She holds part-time clinical instructor positions at both Schulich Dentistry and the University of Toronto, working in private practice the remainder of the week.

Dr. Reyhani’s interests for the future lie in orthodontics. She will be starting the University of Toronto’s Graduate Orthodontics program in June. “I’ve never been so passionate about something before,” she explained. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be given this opportunity.” She’ll soon have lots more teeth talk to contribute on Friday night family dinners.