Founder & Dentist, DDS
I'm the proud founder and owner of Southern Smiles. I was born and raised in Syria and came to the United States as a refugee at 17. I landed in Iowa, which became home for over a decade while I pursued my dream of becoming a dentist, earning my degree at the University of Iowa. After graduation, my wife and I moved to Phoenix, where I practiced under the mentorship of experienced dentists before opening Southern Smiles in March 2024. We started from scratch, just me, my assistant, and zero patients. Today more than half of our new patients come through word of mouth, and we are proud of the trust we have earned. What I love most about dentistry is being part of my patients' lives as they grow, sometimes across three generations of the same family.
In the media
Dr. Shakally has shared his story, from growing up in Syria to building a practice in South Phoenix, with audiences across the dental community.
Southern Smiles
Press features, podcasts, and public story.
Cover feature
Inscriptions, September 2022
Official magazine of the Arizona Dental Association.
Story arc
Damascus, Cairo, Iowa City, Scottsdale, and organized dentistry in Arizona.
Featured on
A quick scan of the outlets that have covered Dr. Shakally's path from Syria to Iowa, dental school, advocacy, and practice ownership.
Featured on
Media footprint
18+
appearances
Public appearances across dental podcasts, professional magazines, national outlets, Iowa reporting, and Syrian TPS advocacy.
Inscriptions
Arizona Dental Association cover feature
Open appearance
Good Morning America
ABC News / Good Morning America
Open appearanceThe Gazette
Long-form profile on Syrian students at Iowa colleges
Open appearanceFeatured story
These interviews give patients a fuller sense of the person behind the white coat: the refugee story, the Iowa years, why Phoenix became home, and why he built a family dental practice around clear communication and trust.
Dr. Monzer Shakally: From Syrian Refugee to American Dentist
Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran
Featured appearances
The highest-signal interviews and articles, grouped for fast scanning before the full archive.
Dentaltown
November 2023
Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran
A long-form conversation about leaving Syria, rebuilding in the United States, dental school at the University of Iowa, organized dentistry, and the early career path that led to Southern Smiles.
Themes
The Dental Marketer
June 2024
The Dental Marketer podcast
A practice-growth interview focused on cultural barriers, learning a new market, earning patient trust, and building a Phoenix dental practice from the ground up.
Themes
Inscriptions
September 2022
Arizona Dental Association cover feature
A September 2022 Inscriptions cover feature from the Arizona Dental Association, following Dr. Shakally's path from Damascus to Cairo, Iowa City, Scottsdale, and organized dentistry in Arizona.
Themes
Good Morning America
January 2018
ABC News / Good Morning America
A national news feature on Syrians awaiting the federal decision on Temporary Protected Status, including Dr. Shakally's acceptance to the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and his concern about returning to Syria.
Themes
The Gazette
March 2016
Long-form profile on Syrian students at Iowa colleges
A deep profile from The Gazette's Faces of Conflict series tracing Dr. Shakally's childhood in Damascus, his path to Iowa, and his early goal of following his mother's footsteps into dentistry.
Themes
Earlier reporting followed Dr. Shakally's path from Syria to Iowa, his dental-school ambitions, and the immigration uncertainty he navigated before opening Southern Smiles.
The Gazette
January 2018
Coverage of TPS, dental school, and immigration uncertainty
Coverage of the uncertainty around Syrian TPS while Dr. Shakally was preparing to begin dental school after graduating high school and college in Iowa.
The Gazette
February 2018
Follow-up on temporary protected status extension
A follow-up article after the federal government extended protections for Syrians, giving Dr. Shakally temporary relief as he planned for dental school.
The Daily Iowan
February 2018
DITV student news segment
A Daily Iowan TV segment about Dr. Shakally's worries during his senior year at the University of Iowa and the short-term relief of a TPS renewal.
The Gazette
June 2020
Perspective piece during the 2020 unrest
A 2020 interview connecting Dr. Shakally's lived experience of protest and violence in Syria with his reaction to unrest and force in the United States.
The Gazette
January 2017
Campus coverage after the 2017 immigration executive order
Campus coverage after the 2017 immigration executive order, including Dr. Shakally meeting with student legal services and discussing how policy changes affected Syrian students.
The Daily Iowan
November 2016
Campus coverage of refugee education events
Campus coverage of Refugee Week at the University of Iowa, where Dr. Shakally participated in public education around refugee stories, xenophobia, and integration.
The Daily Iowan
February 2017
Campus coverage on habeas corpus and immigration-ban fears
Coverage of a University of Iowa human-rights lecture that included Dr. Shakally's perspective as a Syrian student navigating immigration-ban fears and family separation.
The Daily Iowan
November 2017
Local reporting on immigration policy and Iowa City
Reporting on how changing immigration policy affected Iowa City, including Dr. Shakally's concerns that TPS uncertainty could affect work authorization, tuition, and legal status.
American Relief Coalition for Syria
2018
Personal profile on TPS, dentistry, and rebuilding in Iowa
A personal ARCS profile about Dr. Shakally's journey from Damascus to Iowa, his dream of becoming a dentist, and the democratic freedoms and community support he found in the United States.
American Relief Coalition for Syria
2018
Profile on the TPS renewal process before dental school
An ARCS feature on Syrian TPS holders that follows Dr. Shakally's delayed renewal, student-loan pressure, and eventual relief before beginning dental school.
American Relief Coalition for Syria
July 2019
Follow-up on dental school and national TPS advocacy
A follow-up profile on Dr. Shakally's first year of dental school and his continued work with the National TPS Alliance advocating for Syrians and other vulnerable communities.
ThinkProgress
August 2019
National policy coverage quoting Dr. Shakally
National policy coverage on the 2019 TPS extension for Syrians, quoting Dr. Shakally on the uncertainty faced by Syrian TPS holders and why returning to Syria was not an option.
Vanity Fair
December 2024
International essay mentioning Dr. Shakally's Iowa story
A Vanity Fair essay by Janine di Giovanni on Syria's political turning point, briefly recalling meeting Dr. Shakally as a displaced Syrian dental student in Iowa.
Dr. Shakally can speak about immigrant entrepreneurship, dental access, practice ownership, cosmetic and implant dentistry, and serving families in South Phoenix.
