May 2024 | 33 only 272 pediatric dentists. I’m sure the overall physician:dentist ratio is equally as low. As dentists, we are a small group, and it is imperative we stick together with one unified voice so our concerns/ issues are heard. Q: As President of the Georgia Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Chairman of the Scientific Program Committee for the Annual Session, and the Chairman of the Greater Atlanta Dental Foundation Gala Committee, volunteerism is clearly a priority for you. How does volunteering help you? A: I love being a part of organized dentistry. It allows me to expand beyond the four walls of our dental practice and influence our profession. I have developed great friendships all over the state and the country. I love working with colleagues to advance our profession by creating comprehensive educational experiences, advocacy efforts, and leading charitable events. Creating these opportunities for collegial interactions are where we can bond together over the struggles with private practice, treatment modalities, discuss case studies, etc. As dentists we need each other, and we all have so much to contribute to our profession and friends. Q: What advice would you offer a dental student? A: Stick with it, listen to your instructors, keep your eye on the prize. Dentistry is the best profession… and it has so much to offer! And have FUN… these are some of the best years of your life and you will cherish these experiences and the lifelong friendships made within your class. GET involved in organized dentistry—the return on this time investment is 100% worth it! Q: You are part of a big family of dentists. What is that like? A: I love being a part of the Mazzawi family! Fifteen years ago, I was blessed to marry my husband, Miles Mazzawi. And with him, I married into this incredible family of dentists! Eight dentists in total: my in-laws Drs. Hugh and Anne Mazzawi; their five children: Dr. Mark Mazzawi, Dr. Matt Mazzawi, Dr. Miles Mazzawi (my husband), Dr. Marty Mazzawi, Dr. Megan Mazzawi, and their cousin, Dr. Darin Wasileski. We also have four members of the family’s next generation at the University of Georgia— all Pre-Dental! My father-in-law, the late Dr. Hugh, and my mother-in-law, Dr. Anne, have been such great mentors for me in my personal life and professional life. They laid down a foundation of family and hard work ethic. Through the example they set years ago, our family holds itself to a high standard of dental professionalism and excellence. The motto of the three Mazzawi Dental practices is “Let Our Family Treat Your Family.” This is 100% how we operate our practices and treat our patients… it’s all about family and relationship-based dentistry. Also instilled in the Mazzawi family fabric is the importance of giving back to our profession and communities. We are so incredibly blessed! Dentistry affords us so many opportunities. My prayer and hope is to help in the preservation our amazing corner of healthcare for the future generations of dentists. Q: How do you decompress, Doctor Mazzawi? A: Miles and I are adventurous! We love to travel with our twin daughters, Anne and Mary, and explore different countries and cultures. We also enjoy the great outdoors… whether it’s a beach/boating vacation or a ski trip, we appreciate the opportunity to be away and (hopefully) escape the stressors of daily life. Closer to home, our hobbies are centered on doing things as a family—cooking, walks with our dogs, planning our next trip and, of course, college football at UGA! Q: If you were getting on a plane right now, where would you be heading? A: GREECE! My family is from Greece, and we travel back to visit every year. It has been fun exposing our girls to their Greek heritage with my parents and our friends. We are usually traveling with a crew (at one point we travelled with 22 people!) which has been fun over the years to introduce the country of my background to our friends and extended family. Opa! Each year, Dr. Mazzawi and her husband bring their daughters, Anne and Mary, to travel back to visit family in Greece. They often bring friends along for the adventure. Dentistry is a Mazzawi family transition with eight dentists and four pre-dental students. In 2007, Dr. Mazzawi and her husband Dr. Miles Mazzawi, established the first pediatric dental practice in north Cherokee County, Cherokee Children’s Dentistry.
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