More Than a Job: What It Really Means to Care for Patients. With Dr. Ben Elchami and Dr. Maria Tamay

In this episode, Dr. El Chaar sits down with two standout members of the NYC Dental Smiles team — Dr. Ben Elchami and Dr. Maria Tamay — for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what drew them to dentistry, the mentors who shaped them, and what it truly means to put patients first.

Together, they explore the evolution of digital dentistry, the generational divide between old-school fundamentals and today's social media-driven learning, and the growing pressures of student debt and corporate dentistry on young practitioners.

At the heart of it all is a shared belief: great dentistry is built on trust, communication, and genuine care.

Topics covered:

• How Dr. Elchami and Dr. Tamay found their way to dentistry
  
  
• The moment it became more than a career
  
  
• Mentorship, fundamentals, and what the new generation may be missing
  
  
• Corporate dentistry — the appeal and the drawbacks
  
  
• Building patient trust through education and transparency
  
  
• Aesthetics, function, and treating patients like family