Dr Jennifer Li joined the team at Lumino Max + Beresford in 2020 and has provided orthodontic care to patients of all ages since then.
What made you decide to get into dentistry as a career?
I was interested in being a health care worker and working with people, whom I can interact with. Getting to know people and their culture is great fun for me.
How long have you been practising dentistry?
I graduated from dental school then started my training as an orthodontist in 2001, graduated as an orthodontist in 2004 initially then proceed for further study in orthodontic-related research, and graduated in 2009. I was working in private practice as an orthodontist back in 2006, and since then till now changed from a different practicing environment and cultural background also.
Tell us about your career background.
I had my first orthodontic degree in Xi’an, Chinese mainland completed my study in 2004. Then spent another 4 years completing a Ph.D degree in Hong Kong, and another 14 months of training in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In the year 2010, I started working with Sydney University as a lecturer in the orthodontic department as well as a hospital-based specialist both in Sydney Dental Hospital and Westmead center of Oral health. I then spent one year in a sleep research center for sleep aponea patient research with the University of New South Wales. In 2016 I started working with the University of Hong Kong as a teaching staff member in clinical orthodontics at the rank of clinical assistant professor and practised within the premise of Prince Philip Dental Hospital's private staff clinic.
I have seven years of university teaching experience in clinical orthodontics, have been a postgraduate supervisor, and have a few publications (less than 10). I started working with Lumino in 2020 after my registration application with New Zealand Dental Council as an orthodontic specialist process was completed and started working privately instead of within the public system and university-affiliated hospitals.
What is your most memorable case to date?
I have completed quite many cases within the university systems many of them are great. One case I remember quite well was a 65-year-old man who has lost his vertical height due to trauma and bone fracture and loss of multiple teeth. I ran the case with the Perio department, we manged to reduce the prosthodontic units to be minimum and regained his vertical dimension by lower back molars mesial movement, finally he has had prosthodontic work done by the hospital-based prosthodontists and he was happy.
The great part is he regained his lower facial height, got his chin point back centered, and has had a minimum unit of prosthodontic work completed. Treatment was around 3 years or a bit more, but he was happy. As he and his wife drove a few hours to be in Sydney for his treatment and he turned up to be a very handsome guy which his wife complained about, obviously he was happy about it.
What do you love most about your job?
Change people’s appearance to be better and help them with a positive look at life and self-confidence.
What are your special interests in dentistry?
I like multiple disciplinary work, with other specialties so orthodontics can help people of all ages, including children, mid-career people, and elders, across disciplines such as medicine, surgeons, etc.
What is the main piece of advice you give your patients?
I see patients as my friends, so we exchange our thoughts, and we agree on things we both are happy with.
Where would we find you outside of the practice?
Restaurants of all sorts, shops, antiques, sports if I found people who I can play with, lately with COVID all beautiful beaches, mineral water spa, etc, I am starting to explore the beautiful country here and there.