Meet Dr. Zahra Punjani | Holistic Dentist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Zahra Punjani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Zahra, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
– Responses to all questions –

What was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My vision when starting my dental practice was to create a space where patients felt empowered about their dental health. Dental health is such a vital part of the entire body’s health, and often it is seen as an isolated system of the body. My goal with my practice is to use it as a platform of education in holistic dentistry, while providing high quality restorative, cosmetic and airway dental care for children and adults who also are conscientious about the use of biocompatible materials and naturally restoring harmony of the mouth and body. I hope to use my platform as an example of the whole body, natural and holistic mindset shift currently underway within the medical and dental community.

What is one thing about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I am fascinated by how dentistry continues to evolve with advances in technology and techniques. In order to provide the highest quality dental care, I spend a significant amount of time learning in a classroom. The learning doesn’t stop at dental school, but is a lifelong practice. The exciting part is being able to share all these new practices with patients.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
The medical and dental field is generally thought of as a fairly risk-averse arena. A mindset shift I made was differentiating risk and growth. Growth for me means learning more about what I am passionate about, and being able to share that knowledge and skills I learn. The best and most natural way for me to grow was by creating a space to take my passion for holistic dentistry and lifestyle based wellness and use it as a platform to educate patients and the community.

Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
When starting a dental practice, there are so many ways to go about the process. Even after doing your own research and talking to mentors, you can feel there are too many roadmaps and if you don’t take the right one, you may risk failure. The best thing I did was putting aside thoughts of right timing, right opportunity, right path- you must make the stars align for your goals rather than waiting for something to happen. With this unclouded mindset, you can start to focus on your vision and mission.

What is the most important factor behind your success/brand success?
Being able to stand behind my values as a holistic dentist. I embody a lifestyle of health and wellness that I bring into my practice regularly. When patients come to see me, I hope they will see an authentic and honest person who cares about their dental health as it relates to their whole body wellness.

What’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
Starting my own practice was probably the most difficult decision I’ve made recently in my career. I’ve had the opportunity to work at prestigious practices in Atlanta and developed deep connections with my colleagues and patients. However, in order to grow and develop as a full-service holistic dentist, I made the decision to create a practice that reflects my personal vision and mission of integrative and functional dentistry.

Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about balance?
Balance for me is the goal of feeling an overall fulfillment in different areas of my life. However, occasionally there are projects or timelines that I have to be fully invested in. Sometimes in the short term, I have to focus all my time and energy on a project, but in the long term, it will allow me the peace of mind to give the other parts of my life better attention and care. One thing I do to stay grounded is to wake up before everyone else and use that time for self reflection and setting a clear intention.

Do you have a favorite quote or affirmation? What does it mean to you/what do you like about it?
Life is meant to make you more, not less. This helps get through hard times and challenges that come my way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being able to stand behind my values as a holistic dentist. I embody a lifestyle of health and wellness that I bring into my practice regularly. When patients come to see me, I hope they will see an authentic and honest person who cares about their dental health as it relates to their whole body wellness. I’ve found that this authenticity helps patients build trust and confidence in their health care provider.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a foodie, I would take them to a few of my favorite neighborhood restaurants and venues in Inman park, Candler park, Westside provisions district. Atlanta is a great food city and I love to sample different types of cuisines.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Having the support of my family who all have entrepreneurial experiences and are currently running successful businesses. They have taught me that having a business is like taking care of a baby. With love, attention and fostering, a business can grow to bring a great deal of joy and personal satisfaction.

Website: www.bloomholisticdentistry.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomholisticdentistry/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bloomholisticdentistry

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bloom-holistic-dentistry-dunwoody

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloomholisticdentistry

Image Credits
Kat Ko Photography