Dr. Anita Tourah joined ArtLab Dentistry in June 2019. In addition to being an established and reputable prosthodontist, Dr. Tourah is the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California (USC), where she did her dental and prosthodontics training under ArtLab Dentistry colleagues Dr. Mamaly Reshad and Dr. Arman Torbati.
Equal parts educator and prosthodontist, Dr. Tourah is as comfortable teaching on the clinic floor as she is in the examination room. Now, in her role as dean, she is privileged to be part of the process of selecting the next generation of dental professionals.
Dr. Tourah began her education with a chemical engineering degree. Following her education, she began to search for opportunities where she could use her eye for detail and her talent for precision and working with her hands. A nine-month dental assistant program convinced her that dentistry, and later prosthodontics, was her path.
No matter what hat she is wearing--dean or prosthodontist--Dr. Tourah’s priority is always the person in front of her, whether that’s a student or patient. Before going back to teach at USC, Dr. Tourah worked in several prosthodontist offices, but she was sometimes discouraged by the business-only mentality she encountered. Stepping back into academia allowed her to mentor students and reconnect with her passion behind why she does what she does: to care for people.
Dr. Tourah approaches her patients at ArtLab Dentistry with gentleness, kindness and honesty. She is attentive to nervous patients, putting their minds at ease with her expertise and gentle manner. Whenever a patient asks for her advice on his or her dental care needs, she begins with, “If it was my tooth…”, and gives the patient the same advice she would give herself.
Her chair-side manner makes her a perfect fit for Dr. Reshad and Dr. Torbati’s team. She remembers Dr. Torbati staying late with her and fellow students at USC to ensure they had the academic support they needed, and she recalls the same patient, disciplined manner Dr. Reshad uses with his patients today, he used in the classroom when she was his student.
Dr. Tourah has extensive training and teaching experience in the more contemporary biomimetics and esthetics, as well as the classical prosthodontic arts of crown and bridge work, denture fabrication and implant reconstruction. She is an active member of the American Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association. When she is not at work as a prosthodontist, professor or dean, you can find Dr. Tourah enjoying local Korean barbecue, hiking, traveling and spending time with her ten-year-old son.
