Growing up, she was told by her father that she was going to be a physician or dentist one day and, when it was time to decide, she chose dentistry because a dental office was a fun and welcoming place (especially because as a child she had never had any cavities). Looking back, it was the right choice because Tara enjoys every day of her work life.

Mentorships paved the way to implantology

Many people have influenced her career thus far, but three most significant mentors have helped make her who she is today.

In her early years of dentistry, Dr. Peter Moy, who has been involved in implant dentistry since it arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s, guided her towards implantology as she was finishing her OMS residency. The range of patients, procedures, collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches got her hooked. As Tara Aghaloo became more involved in the field, the mesh of patient care, research, industry innovation, patient advocacy and community service that was possible through implant dentistry made it more and more exciting.

Her researches have been mentored by Dr. Sotirios Tetradis, DDS, PhD (an Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist and Bone Biologist and now Senior Associate Dean at UCLA). As her PhD thesis advisor, he taught her how to think like a scientist, design experiments with appropriate controls, and evaluate the data without bias – even when having a strong hypothesis.

A special mentorship has been established with Dr. Earl Freymiller DMD, MD (current Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UCLA), who she can ask for advice about surgical procedures, clinical research ideas, University politics, career goals and leadership. 

First female president of the ITI?

Today, Tara Aghaloo is involved in teaching students, postgraduates and practicing clinicians, as well as being active in the Academy of Osseointegration which has resulted in many publications, implant and tissue regeneration papers, and countless lectures to dentists around the world.

Besides maybe one day to become the first female president of a prestigious association like the AO or ITI, Tara’s ultimate goal and definition of success is to find the right balance between science and clinical practice in the ever-changing field of implantology, resulting in a happy and well-taken care of patient who has been treated in the safest but also most effective way possible.

Today, as a leader herself, Tara defines effective leadership as mentoring and supporting those who look up to her, and helping them to become even more successful than she is. The experience and perspectives of the continuously increasing number of women in dental schools, postgraduate training, and practicing clinicians, will only enhance what can be done in leadership positions in the field.

Being a mother and a role-model

Tara is lucky to have a very supportive family network. With her two daughters Olivia (13) and Isabella (11), she shares the passion of traveling and volunteering with the Thousand Smiles Foundation as well as the SAGE association, a non-profit dental organization for underserved children and adults. She involves her daughters in community service work, and they have traveled together to Mexico to help children with cleft lip/palate. By giving her daughters an insight into her work, she can count on their support for her professional involvement, but she also serves as a role model for these future young women.