Building Through the Storm: Dr. Negaar Sagafi’s Story of Resilience and Leadership

BY Delara Bakhtyari

Careers rarely follow a straight path, and Dr. Negaar Sagafi’s journey shows what resilience truly looks like. As an orthodontist, business owner, and co-founder of WOW Dentistry, Dr. Sagafi has faced moments that could have stopped her completely. Instead, she found ways to adapt, lead, and continue building a successful, woman-empowered career.

WOW Dentistry is both an organization and a community, co-founded by Dr. Sagafi and Dr. Sanaz Vahid. Its mission is to support women in the dental profession, promote mentorship, and advocate for women’s health.

Dr. Sagafi first encountered orthodontics in dental school, where she discovered her love for the combination of science, artistry, and patient care. She quickly realized she had found the right career for her. Her education and mentors, including her parents and faculty, helped shape her values around excellence, compassion, and the importance of teaching others. 

On her path to success, Dr. Sagafi faced numerous challenges and setbacks. One of the most significant challenges came when she moved from Boston to Washington, D.C. to rebuild her practice. She arrived without an established network, which made earning patients’ trust difficult. Starting over in a new city meant proving herself one patient at a time. 

Then, just as she was in the middle of renovating one of her offices, COVID-19 pandemic hit. What was expected to be a six-month renovation stretched into fourteen months due to supply shortages and shutdowns. Dental offices were forced to close or limit care to emergency patients, causing revenue to nearly stop altogether. There were long stretches of uncertainty and no clear timeline for when normal operations would resume. 

Rather than giving up, Dr. Sagafi focused on staying steady and moving forward one step at a time. She reminded herself that the situation was temporary, even when it did not feel that way,  and that her responsibility was to keep preparing for the moment she could reopen. One way she did this was by staying connected to her patients. During the shutdown, she sent regular newsletters updating families about safety protocols, infection control practices, and guidance from health organizations. Her goal was to help patients feel informed, safe, and confident about returning when the time came.

These efforts made a visible difference. When patients were finally able to return, many shared that they felt safer in her office than in other medical settings. For Dr. Sagafi, this feedback mattered deeply. It reminded her that trust and relationships are just as important as technical skills and brought her back to why she chose dentistry in the first place - caring for people. 

(Image: WOW Dentistry Instagram page) 

Dr. Sagafi emphasizes that she did not get through this period alone. Her small team remained committed and supportive, even while working remotely and facing their own uncertainties. She also credits the broader community support she received to years of showing up for others and genuinely caring about the people around her. 

When asked what dental school did not teach her, Dr. Sagafi explained, “Running a business is really about people. Building the right team and creating a healthy workplace culture is one of the hardest parts of leadership. Skills matter, but so do trust, communication, and shared values.”

To students considering Dentistry, Dr. Sagafi offers practical advice: “plan early, understand the cost of education, and spend time in real dental offices to see what the career is truly like.” Most importantly, she encourages students to listen to their intuition and pay attention to what genuinely motivates them. 

Dr. Negaar Sagafi’s story shows that being a leader is not about avoiding challenges, but about facing them with confidence, patience, and heart. Even when plans fall apart, it is still possible to build something meaningful and lasting.