Mr Arash Khani

Dr. Khani's journey to becoming a dentist was certainly not a conventional one. It began when he was 20 years old, in Tehran, Iran. As the son of a Baha'i family, he was denied any opportunity to advance his education, a privilege only available to Muslim students. Faced with a choice between being drafted into the Iranian army, or working a menial job for the rest of his life, he left Iran as a refugee, traveling through Turkey and being granted entrance to the United States at the age of 21. Arriving in North Carolina speaking very little English, he found work, and years later at last enrolled at Wake Technical Community College. He completed his Associate's Degree in Biology and was accepted to the University of North Carolina, graduating with a B.S. in Biology, and a minor in Chemistry. While completing his undergraduate degree, his passion for dentistry grew. Dr. Khani joined the Pre-Dental Honor Society at UNC, where he assisted as a volunteer with Mission of Mercy Clinics in rural North Carolina, and traveled to the Dominican Republic to participate in clinical work with dentists volunteering from throughout the United States. He also volunteered in the Craniofacial Clinic at UNC, where he was able to witness the work of dentists and prosthodontists in the care and treatment of children with cleft palates. After such a long and challenging journey, Dr. Khani reached the fulfillment of his dream when he was accepted to the UNC School of Dentistry and graduated with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. His next mission became finding a position where he could provide the highest level of dental care, with the compassion and empathy he often found lacking in the field. Dr. Khani accepted a position at Piedmont Dental Clinic in Carrboro where he was able to provide care to patients from every background and nationality. Dr. Khani was fortunate to meet Dr. Keith Taylor at a Mission of Mercy clinic years ago and recently reconnected through a mutual friend. As Dr. Taylor was transitioning into retirement, he was looking for just the right individual to transfer his longstanding Chapel Hill private practice to. Drs. Taylor and Khani found that they have a mutual philosophy in the manner in which they provide dental care, conservatively, ethically, and compassionately. Dr. Khani is honored to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Taylor and to continue to serve the patients in his practice. It continues to be his greatest mission to provide the highest level of conscientious and professional dental care to every patient.