Dr Kelly Dempster has rejoined Lumino after being away on maternity leave & our Lumino Ponsonby team is thrilled to have her back.
What made you decide to get into dentistry as a career?
I always decided I wanted to be in healthcare but it wasn’t until I had my own wisdom teeth out under sedation with an oral surgeon where I told him I wanted to be a dentist. They invited me to shadow one of their female dentists and the rest is history. I knew from there it was for me!
How long have you been practising dentistry?
I graduated from the University of Otago in 2017.
Tell us about your career background?
I started work at the northland district health board as a dental house officer and shortly moved onto private practice in Whangarei. I moved to Auckland and started with Lumino in 2020 where I got to focus more on cosmetic dentistry and facial injectables. I have a had a few years working on Waiheke Island and loved Ponsonby so much that I moved back to town to start back up again.
What is your most memorable case to date?
It would have to be in my first year as a house officer on call where I was called in after hours in the emergency department to see to a gentleman who was kicked in the mouth by one of his cows - he was amazing and brave. I had to splint back a portion of his teeth and lower jaw under local anaesthetic in a hospital bed at 9 o’clock at night. It all healed amazing and he kept all those teeth!!
What do you love most about your job?
I love that dentistry is a mixture of things, a medical professional, an artist and an engineer all in one. Every day is different and I enjoy being busy and around people.
What are your special interests in dentistry?
I am lucky to have experience in all aspects of dentistry due to experience in rural settings as well as city/urban practices. I love being able to provide facial injectables and provide cosmetic procedures such as veneers and crowns to improve people’s smiles.
What is the main piece of advice you give your patients?
Prevention is key - deal with it early and save yourself time and money!
Where would we find you outside of the practice?
Enjoying time with my partner and growing family. I have a beautiful one-year-old daughter and miniature sausage dog Polly who are in tow wherever we go. We spend weekends visiting family in northland and Waiheke enjoying the beaches, coffee and walks.