Today we’d like to introduce you to Afreen Sayeed.
Hi Afreen , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was an ambitious sophomore at St. John’s University in New York, deeply immersed in healthcare sciences, theology, philosophy, and ethics. I was curious about everything I was learning and knew that education was something I could not let go of. There wasn’t one particular moment when I knew dentistry was what I wanted to pursue. Rather, it was a quiet accumulation of experiences that gradually led me there.
One moment that has always stayed with me happened during a visit to an orphanage in India. I met a teenager who was incredibly warm and animated as we talked. As she smiled, I noticed that one of her front teeth was chipped and several of her other teeth were discolored. Yet her smile was completely unguarded, radiant, genuine, and beautiful.
That moment made me realize how powerful a smile can be. A smile is one of the most personal things we can offer another person, and it can be such an important part of how we express ourselves and connect with others. I realized that dentistry gave me the unique privilege of helping people care for something that is not only important to their health, but also deeply representative of who they are.
Getting to dental school was its own journey. After five years in an arranged marriage that brought tremendous difficulty and hardship, I made the decision to choose my education, my self-respect, and my dignity. In 2006, I began dental school as a divorced, single mother of two little girls, just three and four years old. Pursuing dentistry became more than a career choice, it was the path I chose to heal, cope, survive, and ultimately, by the grace of God, thrive.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a woman and a small business owner in a traditionally male-dominated field has definitely had its challenges. From navigating different personalities and cultural biases to facing situations that tested my confidence and pushed me outside of my comfort zone, the journey has not always been easy.
I strongly believe that with every difficulty comes an opportunity for growth. Over the years, I’ve learned to trust my abilities and the work I’ve put into building my practice. I’ve also learned that I don’t always have to prove myself through words; the care I provide, the relationships I’ve built with my patients, and the practice I’ve created can speak for themselves.
Each challenge has shaped me in its own way and helped me become a stronger, more confident version of myself. Most importantly, it has taught me to remain hopeful, resilient, and true to who I am and the kind of dentist and business owner I want to be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a restorative and cosmetic dentist with an emphasis on correcting malocclusion, orthodontic and clear aligner therapy (Invisalign), occlusal splint and injectables therapy to manage TMD, implants and surgery. Outside of dentistry, I have a passion for creating recipes for my food blog Dawat Dil Se which means “entertaining from the heart” in Urdu. I chose the name in part because “DDS” is woven into it, a nod to my professional degree, Doctor of Dental Surgery, and to the importance I place on learning and education.
At first, dentistry and food may seem completely unrelated, but to me, they come from the same place of wanting to make others smile and feel welcome, comfortable, and cared for. When I cook for someone, I think about what they enjoy and how I can make the experience special. I bring that same warmth and thoughtfulness into my practice every day, especially because I know many patients come to the dentist with anxiety, fear, or past experiences that have made them uncomfortable. I want my practice to feel different. I take the time to listen, have a conversation, and create an environment where patients feel at ease and never judged. The warmth I bring to my home and my cooking is something I carry with me into the way I care for my patients.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success is being able to look back and know that I’ve grown, not just in my career, but as a person. It’s having a pure heart and strong character, especially when life gets difficult. It means choosing integrity, honesty, compassion, and transparency, while having the humility to recognize where I can do better and the desire to keep improving.
I don’t measure success by comparing myself to anyone else. I see it as a constant conversation with myself: Am I learning? Am I doing right by the people around me? Am I becoming a better version of myself? At the end of the day, it’s you against you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samfarfamilydentistry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samfardentistry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samfarfamilydentistry/
