Meet Dr. Zakir Shaikh, DMD

Since he was young, Dr. Shaikh was very interested in healthcare and always saw it as part of his future. After wearing braces for part of his teenage years, he was amazed at how much a person’s face and appearance could be changed. It was this inspiration that made him want to go to dental school. At this time, he also started shadowing his dentist to learn more about the field. In dental school, Dr. Shaikh realized that the pace of orthodontic work was not as exciting or rewarding as maxillofacial surgery. In addition to changing someone’s appearance, oral surgery is more intricate and more hands-on. Whether a surgery takes twenty minutes or six hours, Dr. Shaikh is inspired by achieving end-results for patients that can return them to back to normal form and function. As such, he chose to specialize as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.

Dr. Shaikh has always been passionate about helping others. When patients are in pain or missing some part of their oral function, he wants to help remove their physical discomfort, improve their appearance, and ultimately make them feel better about the life they have. Dr. Shaikh also understands that parents, husbands and wives are all concerned about their loved ones. As a father of four, he puts himself in other people’s shoes all the time. He always takes the time to make sure his patients understand each step of the treatment plan before moving forward with any procedures.

Restoring people back to optimal health is the ultimate goal in Dr. Shaikh’s practice of oral surgery. In addition, he understands the importance of regaining one’s confidence and self-esteem. This can be accomplished in several different ways. One method is to place dental implants and allow patients to get back to eating and chewing normal foods. He finds being able to help change that part of their life to be very gratifying.

Treating other aspects of oral and facial health, like corrective jaw surgery, is another area of Dr. Shaikh’s expertise. He has worked with many people that have had an over or under bite. Corrective surgery can help them achieve more normality in function, while boosting self-esteem and confidence.

Having grown up in Pittsburgh, Dr. Shaikh is a die-hard fan of the Steelers, the Pirates, and the Penguins. However, now that he’s a Floridian, he’s also a big fan of the Orlando City and the Orlando Magic. Dr. Shaikh is also very involved in coaching and volunteering with all 4 of his kids in baseball, softball, robotics, and debate. Dr. Shaikh’s wife is a chemical engineer, is on the board of Lake Highland Preparatory School’s Parent Association, and is team mom for their kids’ various activities.

Dr. Zakir A. Shaikh was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school, he went on to the University of Pittsburgh to receive a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1992. He then remained at the University of Pittsburgh to complete his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) in 1996. Dr. Shaikh continued his specialty training at the University of Florida in Gainesville. During his six-year residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, he also graduated from the University Of Florida School Of Medicine in 1999 and received his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.

Dr. Shaikh is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Dental Association, Florida Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Florida Dental Association, Central Florida District Dental Association and the Dental Society of Greater Orlando. Dr Shaikh is a Fellow of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and a Diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology. He is currently on staff at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Sandlake Hospital, Arnold Palmer Hospital and Florida Hospital. He has been licensed by the Florida Dental Board to practice dentistry since 2002.