Dr. Ahmed Al Kaffas

Doctor Ahmed Al Kaffas is one of the most popular dentists in Egypt, and his specialty ‘Cosmetic Dentistry’ is what most of us seek and need to have a better look and brighter smile, so don’t be frightened when you visit him, you won’t feel any pain, on the contrary, you will be delighted and feel more confident about your look.

 What drew you to dentistry in the first place?

I have always wanted to be a doctor but didn’t know in which field exactly, I was perplexed between all the specialties. In the end, I chose dentistry because it has a more artistic lateral than the other specialties.

What is the most important feature or skill a dentist should have?

The most important feature a dentist should have, especially those who works in cosmetic dentistry is to have a good vision and has the ability to see beyond. Patience is also an important feature a dentist should have to allow him to deal with all types of patients and their concerns.

What were the challenges you faced at the beginning of your career? How did you overcome them?

The challenges that face all dentists at the beginning of their career is to balance between learning and gaining the experience they need, and earning money because learning will require them to spend a lot of money on the tools and the equipment they will need. I managed to overcome this by working for approximately 16 hours a day, 8 hours was dedicated to learning, and the other 8 was dedicated to working. I had that routine for a long time, learning from others, signing up for courses, and working to get the money I need to learn everything I want.  

Why did you choose ‘Cosmetic Dentistry’?

I chose cosmetic dentistry because it is the only specialty in dentistry that is related to the happiness of the patients more than their pain. Patients don’t come because they have a specific pain, they usually come to improve their appearance, or to modify the shaping of their teeth. The relationship between doctors and patients doesn’t have to be related to pain like it is in the other specialties, however, in cosmetic dentistry, it is highly concerned with the satisfaction of the patients when they see the end result of our work, how beautiful and bright their smile has become, and that is the happiest moment for me.

Was ‘Capital Dental Clinic’ a dream you had since you were a student?

Things were vague to me as a student, I wasn’t sure what I want to do, but once I graduated and started working, I saw how the clinics are operating here, and how they are operating abroad, and my dream was to found a clinic with the same capabilities they have abroad or even better.

How your trainings came in favor to begin your own dental center ‘Capital Dental Clinic’?

Trainings and courses are very important to any doctor at any specialty because it allows him to practice and be updated with the latest techniques. Traveling is also an important thing to do during the learning process of any doctor.

What were the major challenges you faced while starting your own dental clinic?

The most difficult challenge I faced when I founded ‘Capital Dental Clinic’ was the process of selecting the doctors who will work with me in the clinic, I wanted them to have the same ambitions I have, passionate about what they do, and deal with the patients in certain ways. It is so important that the whole team has the same way of thinking and the same vision and goals for the place and for themselves, and to have harmony between all the team members is essential as well, it is what makes us special.

‘Capital Dental Clinic’ is one of the biggest and most famous dental clinics in Egypt; did you expect that huge success?

I’m so thankful that ‘Capital Dental Clinic’ is now one of the biggest and best dental clinics in Egypt, and I can’t say that I expected that, but I have always believed that God grant those who work hard and have faith in him the success they deserve. Nevertheless, we still have a lot of work and plans for the clinic, and our vision for the future is getting wider each day.

As a dentist, what has been your greatest accomplishment?

Establishing a huge clinic like “Capital Dental Clinic’ is the greatest achievement in my career till now.

Have you progressed in your career as you have expected?

Talking from my perspective as a student back in college, no, I wasn’t expecting that at all, to be that successful and to found such a big clinic that wasn’t even in my dreams; talking from an adult perspective, I’m expecting to progress much more than this, and I’m always striving for more.

There is a theory that suggests that dentists are more exposed to depression as they work and have to concentrate in a confined place (the mouth), what is your opinion about this?

It’s true, depression is so common among dentists, however, here in ‘Capital Dental Clinic’ we are trying to cope with this issue differently, for example, we always have music playing constantly in the clinic to make the ambiance of the place more cheerful, the assistants are doing their best to organize everything efficiently to avoid any struggles or problems that might appear during work. Although we have limited time for everything and the working load is unbearable, the nursing team we have is well trained and highly qualified which enhances and facilitates the working process.

What is the best advice that was given to you?

The best advice that was given to me is to respect time, and I don’t mean to be at work in time only, but to give every piece of work all the time it needs to have the best outcome, for instance, it’s not logic for a fresh graduate to hope for a prestigious position in the field two years after their graduation, or to have a good reputation and build their image after their first 100 patients, they should be aware that takes a lot of time and efforts. To build a career in the dentistry field requires a lot of time and hard work.

What is your advice to the young dentists and dentistry students?

An advice to dentistry students and fresh graduates, this time is your “free time” because you have zero responsibilities, which means you should take advantage of that free time to learn, gain as much experience as you can, work on your skills and develop them in order to be able to work by yourself afterward without an advisor.