Dr. Karim Rafla
Born and raised in Montreal, it has been Dr. Rafla’s dream to serve his west island community where he spent his entire youth and currently lives with his wife and three sons. His path to becoming a dentist was not the traditional one. In fact, Dr. Rafla started out his professional career not as a dentist, but as a mechanical engineer. He graduated from Concordia University’s faculty of engineering in 2008 where he specialized in the field of Aerospace engineering. He then went on to work for Rolls Royce Canada where he spent 5 years testing and developing new systems related to gas turbine engines. Why he switched from engineering to dentistry is a question you will have to ask him at your next dental appointment! But to make a long story short, his desire to directly impact the health and lives of people in a positive way is what ultimately drove him to this decision.
After completing dental school at McGill University, Dr. Rafla went on to pursue a rigorous general practice residency at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. This extra training allowed him to learn about more complex cases in various fields including restorative dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics and periodontics. Dr. Rafla is passionate about empowering his patients to take control of their oral health and will take all the time needed to explain and answer any questions they may have. Dr. Rafla is known for his ability to alleviate dental anxiety, creating a calm and comfortable environment for his patients. With a gentle demeanor and clear communication, Dr. Rafla works hard to instill trust and make every visit as stress free as possible.
When he’s not taking care of his patient’s teeth, Dr. Rafla enjoys spending time with his family. His three sons keep him busy with basketball, soccer, and hockey. He’s recently picked up golf, which he is not very good at but will gladly speak about it to anyone willing to share their knowledge.
Career Path
In 2016, Dr. Rafla graduated from McGill University faculty of dentistry. His most fulfilling experience during dental school was the humanitarian trip to Mexico he went on during his third year. “There is no greater reward than that of being able to directly help those in need”. At graduation, Dr. Rafla was awarded the prix de professionalism for outstanding qualities of respect for others, compassion and dedication and initiative in providing oral health care to the community. He holds this award near to his heart and works hard everyday to embody it’s essence with every patient encounter.
Dr. Rafla went on to complete a general practice, multidisciplinary residency at the Jewish general hospital where he was able to hone in on his clinical skills by treating more complex cases in a hospital setting.
From 2017 to 2020, Dr. Rafla taught the second year dental students at McGill in what’s knows as the “pre-clinic”, where students learn the fundamentals of dentistry on plastic models. The ability to empower and to educate is a privilege cherished by Dr. Rafla as he enjoys spending time explaining the importance of oral health to his patients of all ages.