Dubai has become the headquarters of The Pediatric Academy, a new international education institution dedicated to advancing knowledge in children’s healthcare. Founded by pediatric dentist, author and international educator Dr. Rafif Tayara, the Academy aims to improve collaboration among healthcare professionals and give parents clearer, evidence-informed information about their children’s health and development.
The institution focuses on interconnected areas of pediatric care that are often treated in isolation: pediatric dentistry, airway health, sleep-disordered breathing, oral function, early facial growth, interceptive orthodontics and myofunctional therapy. It combines a multilingual online learning platform with in-person professional training at its Dubai location on Jumeira Street.
“Children do not experience their health in isolated specialties,” said Dr. Tayara. “A child who breathes through the mouth, sleeps poorly or develops an abnormal oral habit may present different signs to a dentist, pediatrician, ENT specialist, speech therapist or parent. The Pediatric Academy was created to help connect those observations and encourage earlier, better-informed collaboration.”
The Academy serves two connected audiences. For healthcare professionals it offers online courses, in-person workshops, live educational programmes, clinical resources and mentorship. The intended community includes pediatric dentists, general dentists, orthodontists, pediatricians, ENT specialists, dental hygienists, speech and feeding therapists, myofunctional therapists and other practitioners involved in children’s health.
Its Dubai training centre will host courses, workshops and multidisciplinary meetings. The online platform allows participants from other countries to study remotely at their own pace. Selected professional programmes may carry continuing-education credits, with accreditation details provided for each eligible course.
For parents and caregivers the Academy provides accessible materials on mouth breathing, snoring, sleep quality, oral habits, early dental development and signs that may warrant professional assessment.
“Our objective is not to encourage parents to diagnose their children,” Dr. Tayara said. “It is to help them recognize when something may deserve attention, ask better questions and find the right professional support. Education can help families act earlier and participate more confidently in decisions about their child’s care.”
Headquartered in Dubai, the Academy also maintains a European branch in Hilversum, the Netherlands. Its digital resources are available in English, Arabic, French and Dutch, reflecting an intentionally international approach.
Dr. Tayara described Dubai as a natural base for the institution. “Dubai brings together families, clinicians and educators from an extraordinary range of backgrounds. It gives us the opportunity to build an institution in the Middle East that is global from its foundation not only in where its participants come from, but also in how different cultures, disciplines and healthcare perspectives are represented.”
The combination of a physical training location in Dubai, a European branch and a multilingual online platform enables the Academy to connect professionals and families across regions. It aims to contribute to Dubai’s growing role as a meeting point for healthcare education and knowledge exchange linking the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Dr. Tayara brings nearly two decades of clinical experience in pediatric dentistry. She trained and practised across North America, the Middle East and the Gulf region, studying at Saint-Joseph University in Beirut and the University of Montreal, and later completing additional qualification in dental sleep medicine at Tufts University.
She is co-founder of the Dubai pediatric dental clinic JuniorDental and has spoken internationally on airway development, early orthodontics, minimally invasive pediatric dentistry and multidisciplinary care. In 2025 she received the publicly voted Best Pediatric Dentist Award from Mother, Baby & Child magazine. She is also the author of the children’s book Danny and Sarah Go to Dr. Smile, created to help reduce anxiety around early dental visits.
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“The Academy represents the next stage of a mission that has guided my clinical work for many years,” Dr. Tayara said. “We want to move knowledge beyond the treatment room, strengthen cooperation between professionals and give families practical information that can contribute to healthier childhood development.”
The Pediatric Academy’s educational content is designed to support professional development and parental understanding. It does not replace individual medical or dental diagnosis or treatment.
