Meet Our Team

Werner graduated from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1981. He completed two compulsory years in the SA Army, as a dentist, before moving to the United Kingdom for three years.

In 1986, Werner and his wife answered the call of the ocean and set off to sail around the world. Their adventure lasted six years; when roots inevitably had to be planted, they chose New Zealand. At Proudmouth, Werner is renowned for his compassion, knowledge and expertise, especially when it comes to mouths that haven’t seen a dentist for a long time.

“The open lifestyle and opportunities for a young family convinced my wife and I to stay in New Zealand. I’ve been with Proudmouth for many years now and have built up a loyal and diverse patient base. Proudmouth is the ideal environment for building knowledge and expertise. We’re all devoted to improving our patients’ dental health

After graduating from Otago in 1996, Erving completed a stint in the military before joining the Proudmouth team in 1998. In 2005 he took some time to travel and work in the UK. Erving returned in 2007 to rejoin the practice.

Erving believes in providing quality dentistry with a gentle touch and is committed to helping patients keep their teeth for life. His special interests include endodontics and preventative dentistry.

"My patients often say that the treatment hurt a lot less than they thought it would. I try to make their experience as pleasant as possible."

"Cost can be a real obstacle to dental health. But regular maintenance can cost you a lot less than waiting for treatment. If you leave a small cavity to progress into a large cavity, it's going to cost more."

"At Proudmouth you can get input and ideas from different dentists. That's better for the patient. There's a power of knowledge in the group."

After graduating from the Otago Dental School in 1993, Janet has split the last 20 years of private practice between Wellington and central London. She took advantage of her time in the UK and attended numerous courses and lectures with world class speakers, and incorporated the best of these ideas into her work for the benefit of her patients.

Janet has returned home to New Zealand with her husband and baby daughter, and we are thrilled to have her on the Proudmouth team.

She thoroughly enjoys providing all forms of dentistry and has a special interest in cosmetic dentistry, removing old metal fillings and providing life like tooth coloured restorations.

“I take before and after photos of all my restorations. When I have finished rather than hearing “what a great looking filling”, I like my patients to be able to say “what a great looking tooth”.”

“For me, the best outcome for my patients is for the work I do to be invisible!”

Prevention is the best form of dentistry; attending for regular checkups is the best way to avoid unwanted surprises.

As a graduate at the University of Otago Natalie worked at the Dunedin Hospital as a Maxillofacial house surgeon. This has brought with it great experience in emergency care as well as skills in oral surgery. After spending some time working in Hamilton Natalie was keen to return back to a much loved Auckland, a home to many of her friends and family.

Patients' trust and commitment is of great value to Natalie and she believes in conservative and gentle approach where time is spent with patients to educate and to enable them to reach the best treatment option together . She aims to build long term relationships to provide for a wide range of ages and needs.

Natalie also has experience in Intravenous Sedation to delivery stress and anxiety free dental treatment to her patients, be it wisdom tooth extraction or any other restorative dental work. Natalie enjoys all aspects of dentistry with particular interest in cosmetic dentistry, oral surgery and endodontics (root canal treatment). A member of NZ Dental Association, NZ Society of Endodontics, NZ Society of Sedation in Dentistry Natalie is a keen learner and dedicates a lot of time to continuing education through attending workshops, classes and conferences both in NZ and abroad.

Outside of work Natalie enjoys the outdoors, endurance sports, tennis and spending time with her family and friends.

Nishant graduated in 2005 and after working overseas for a couple of years, he relocated to New Zealand in 2007.

He studied at the School of Dentistry, University of Otago in 2008-09. After completing his studies, he moved to Whanganui where he worked in a high-end General Dental Practice for nearly 10 years.

Nishant has a lot of experience in general dentistry, is a keen learner and dedicates a lot of time to continuing his education.

He has completed Certified Post Graduate courses in Oral Surgery and Laser Dentistry, and is a Certified Invisalign provider.

He enjoys every aspect of general dentistry, is passionate about aesthetic and cosmetic procedures, and always strives to provide treatment of the highest standard using the latest technology and the most advanced dental materials in a very caring and a gentle manner.

When Nishant is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and his two children. He enjoys travelling and loves playing cricket.

Hygienist Annetjie joined Proudmouth when she and her family moved to New Zealand from South Africa. It was a change designed to ensure the long term health and happiness of the family, and the van den Bergs have adapted easily to the Kiwi way of life.

Annetjie loves dealing with people of all ages and cultures. In her opinion, it’s never too late to start looking after your oral health – she’s seen it all and she’s ready to help.

“Ideally you should see a hygienist twice a year - about every six months. We can prevent a lot of problems and teach you how to brush and floss effectively. It’s good for your oral health and your health generally.

“Because there’s a big team at Proudmouth, there’s always someone available if you want advice. Everyone has their specialties here – we all learn a lot from each other."

Manel was born and educated in Sri Lanka. In 2000 she moved to New Zealand with her husband and two children, joining Proudmouth as a hygienist soon after.

With more than 20 years of dentistry experience, Manel is supremely qualified to educate and motivate her patients to improve their dental health. Her eye for detail makes her a great hygienist, and it also comes in handy for her hobbies - she enjoys cooking, embroidery and Sudoku.

“If you haven't been to a hygienist before, I'm very careful to work gently. I always explain what it will feel like, because it's important that my patients trust me. As your gums get healthier, I can my work a step further and it won't be uncomfortable.

“When you're going to be getting some cosmetic or restorative work done, good healthy gums are especially important. I do my part, they do their part - and that's how you get a good looking mouth.”

Leo Yang graduated with a Bachelor of Oral Health in 2017 from AUT. He also held a Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) from the University of Otago.
 
Leo is interested in helping his patients overcome their dental fears. He has actively been attending different courses, equipping him with latest techniques and treatment options. With combination of his microbiology knowledge, he will be able to guide his patients to achieve better oral health. He is passionate about meeting new people, getting to know them and hearing their stories.

He hopes to help educate patients about the link between overall health and oral health and is motivated by seeing the difference he can bring to a patient.
 
Outside of the practice, Leo enjoys travelling (both far and near).

Leo loves seeing his patients walk out the door with refreshed smiles and with confidence!