Dr. Shira Tor grew up in Beachwood, Ohio with dreams of becoming an orthodontist at an early age after realizing the self-confidence she gained after wearing braces. It is with this passion and enthusiasm that she goes to work every day, giving other patients that self-confidence that she experienced.

Dr. Tor, or Dr. Shira as she prefers to be addressed by, received her bachelor of science degree in business at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and then went on to complete her Doctorate of Dental Medicine degree as well as Master degree in Public Health with a dental focus,  at A.T. Still University in Arizona. She then went to complete her general practice residency at the University of Virginia School of Medicine followed by her orthodontic residency at Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia. In addition to her degrees, Dr. Shira is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.  In an effort to constantly be up to date and providing the best care for her patients Dr. Shira is part of several local and national study clubs where she is able to take continuing education courses.

Dr. Shira loves spending her free time with friends and family including her husband and two daughters. A true foodie, she loves trying new restaurants, learning new recipes to cook at home, and she enjoys sharing new foods with friends and family. Get to know Dr. Shira Tor a little bit more in the interview below!

Q: What drew you to orthodontics? How did you decide on becoming an orthodontist?

I can still remember begging my mom to take me to see the orthodontist.  I grew up with what seemed to be a football field size gap between my front two teeth.  My gap was something that I was so self-conscious of that I became very shy and wouldn’t smile.  Once my mom finally agreed to take me to the orthodontist I was so excited I had already started smiling and I hadn’t even started my treatment.  We went to several consultations and my mom very carefully and deliberately chose Dr. Weiss (my now partner). I was astonished by the processes from the beginning.  I was always holding up the mirror watching at every appointment and my transformation was not only my teeth but my self-confidence too. At that young age of 13, I knew that I wanted to help others the way Dr. Weiss helped me. At that point my destination and dream job was set- I was going to be an Orthodontist.   

Q:  What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of being an Orthodontist is getting to be on this amazing journey with my patients.  Getting to watch their transformations and hear about how they never smiled before and now they can’t stop smiling now, it will never get old to me.  We truly get to change people’s lives by changing their smiles. It’s something so simple and yet so powerful.

Q:  What do you like most about working with Dr. Weiss?

Being able to work with one of your mentors is amazing. He has so much experience and is so knowledgeable yet is very humble about what an amazing person and orthodontist he is. Most importantly he makes the atmosphere fun. When we are working together it doesn’t seem like it is work for us. It just becomes us hanging out with these amazing patients laughing and getting to see these amazing transformations happening.

Q:  What do you want to be remembered for?

I would love to be remembered for my kindness and talent.  I am very much a family person who loves to get involved in the community as much as possible.  To leave a legacy of commitment to my community and to my patients would be an amazing thing.

Q:  If you weren’t an orthodontist, what career path would you have chosen?

Food critic!  I love food so much and if someone would pay me to eat and rate their food I think that would be a lot of fun!

Q:  How do you spend your time outside of the office?

Outside the office I enjoy hanging out with my family, trying new restaurants, exploring Cleveland and volunteering.  

Q: What’s your best piece of advice for patients?

My best advice for a patient is that I am here to help guide your smile journey so give me your input and be honest with what you like and don’t like.  Ultimately the goal is to give you the smile you have always wanted, so take an active role, ask questions and let me show you the possibilities.