Meet family dentist who designs smiles in Dubai
Dr Leila Hariri traces her success story over 21 years in the UAE
Dubai: As someone who is in the business of creating smiles, among other things, Dr Leila Hariri derives immense satisfaction from what she does. Coming from “rainy Seattle”, the 48-year-old family and cosmetic dentist of Iranian origin credits Dubai for giving expression to the entrepreneur in her.
“I first came here 21 years ago when my husband was visiting from the US. We just fell in love with Dubai and decided to relocate,” she recalled.
“No place on earth can give you the kind of lifestyle or comfort that Dubai does,” she said, adding how she was grateful that her two boys, aged 18 and 17, were born and raised here.
Dr Hariri said she was always fascinated by the concept of well-being. “When I was 10, I remember I was in my high school library when we were asked about our career paths. Initially, I wanted to be a psychologist, but my parents were keen that I pursue medicine. I eventually opted for dentistry as I believed that it would provide better work-life balance.”
An American-board certified dentist from the University of California, Dr Hariri today prides herself with being the founder of the multi-specialty Leila Hariri Dental Clinic in Dubai that she set up in 2019. She said the entrepreneur in her surfaced 15 years after she worked with other leading dental clinics in California and Dubai.
“I had been dreaming of having my own place for quite sometime, and it was my patients who gave me the necessary push,” she said.
But shortly after she set up shop, COVID-19 struck.
“It was a time of great learning for us. I made sure I kept in touch with all my patients by calling them or writing to them to check on their dental health. The personal touch made a difference, and it was not something the patients forgot when things returned to normal,” she said.
Although Dr Hariri is a family dentist who caters to a variety of cases along with her team of eight specialists, her smile makeovers are widely talked about.
“They say the eye is the window to the soul. But my patients tell me it is the teeth that they see first in a person. The smile is super important because it defines a person’s look and gives them the confidence,” explained Dr Hariri.
She claimed there is a huge demand for smile makeovers in Dubai, the process taking around two weeks to complete end-to-end.
It begins with an initial appointment to assess what exactly the patient wants. Study models with photos of all the teeth are arrived at, following which Dr Hariri has a session with the master technician to see what can be realistically done. Subsequently, a mock-up with wax in the mouth is presented to the patient. “We go over this a few times and it is only when the patient is 100 per cent convinced that we actually touch the real teeth, covering them with veneers, crowns, implants as the case may be,” she explained.
According to Dr Hariri, a full top-to-bottom smile makeover could cost around Dh100,000, and it is only done when a genuine need for it is felt.
“There is a huge demand for smile makeovers, especially from women in their 30s and 40s, but unless we are fully convinced about its necessity, we do not recommend it. We also make it a point to give the full treatment plan and cost estimate to the patient before we get started,” said Dr Hariri.
She said even with a bit of whitening, one can get a natural beautiful smile. “Patients trust me enough to decide on whether we should go down this route or for a full mouth rehabilitation,” she claimed.
She admitted that dental procedures are very expensive and that there is a need for insurance to cover certain essential treatments, preventative or otherwise. “At the end of the day, everyone should have access to good treatment.”
Dr Hariri said she makes it a point to listen to her patients’ feedback. “When they can’t talk, they don’t say anything. When they can, they invariably talk of how passionate I am with my work. Some of my patients have been coming to me for nearly 20 years, from well before I had my boys, and we sometimes enjoy our coffee mornings together,” she added.
On the personal front, she said she derives much strength from her husband and parents. “I am blessed to have them around, my mum constantly helps me to be a better version of myself.”
A fashionista in her own right, she believes in being well turned out. “It creates the first impression, so it helps to look your best,” she said, adding how a couple of youngsters have been inspired enough to tell her that they want to be like her – a professional dentist with a great sense of fashion.
Part of the regime also requires her to be fit – physically and mentally. “I do a lot of walking, swimming and weight lifting. I also love to read and meditate,” she added.