I’m Dr. Fouad Alethawy, a Vancouver dentist and longtime tennis player. Although tennis and dentistry may seem completely different, I’ve come to realize that they share many of the same principles.
Focus
In tennis, losing concentration for just a few points can change the direction of an entire match. Dentistry requires that same level of attention.
Whether I’m performing a routine procedure or a more complex treatment, staying focused on the smallest details is essential. Dentistry is a profession where millimetres — and sometimes fractions of a millimetre — matter.
Consistency
Tennis teaches you quickly that one great shot isn’t enough. Good performance comes from being able to repeat the right technique again and again.
I see dentistry the same way.
After more than 30 years in clinical practice, I still believe consistency is one of the most important qualities in providing good dental care. Every patient and every procedure deserves the same attention, preparation and commitment.
Precision
A well-placed serve or groundstroke depends on timing, control and precision.
Dentistry is remarkably similar.
From creating a restoration to adjusting a bite, performing root canal treatment, placing an implant or planning Invisalign treatment, small differences can have a significant effect on the final result.
Precision isn’t simply about working carefully. It comes from experience, planning and understanding what you are trying to achieve before you begin.
Always Improving
Perhaps my favourite similarity between tennis and dentistry is that you never completely finish learning either one.
There is always something to improve.
In tennis, you work on your technique, movement, timing and strategy. In dentistry, new materials, technologies and techniques continue to change the way we diagnose and treat patients.
Experience is important, but experience should never mean becoming complacent.
I continue to learn because I want to become better at what I do — just as I still try to improve my tennis game every time I step onto the court.
More Than a Game
For me, tennis is much more than exercise. It reinforces qualities that I value both personally and professionally: discipline, patience, concentration and the ability to make thoughtful decisions under pressure.
Those same qualities influence the way I practise dentistry at Monalisa Dental Centre in Vancouver.
The court and the dental office may look very different, but the mindset is surprisingly similar:
Stay focused. Be consistent. Pay attention to the details. And always keep improving.
— Dr. Fouad Alethawy, DMD
Monalisa Dental Centre
Vancouver, BC