Meet Our Team

After completing a Biomedical Science degree at the University of Auckland, Joo realised that actually dentistry was her calling and graduated with her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Otago.

Prior to starting at Lumino, Joo worked at Wellington Hospital for two years, then moved to sunny Hawke's Bay to take on a role as a Dental/Maxillofacial house surgeon where she provided treatment for medically complex patients and trauma patients.

Joo is interested in minimal intervention dentistry, where focus is on a preventive approach. Her main goals include working together with her patients to achieve optimum dental health and she enjoys seeing the improvements in her patient's oral health as they work together.

Outside of the practice, Joo has a variety of hobbies including learning Spanish, pottery, drawing, snowboarding and working out at the gym. She thoroughly enjoyed her time in Hawke's Bay but is very excited to return to Wellington and all it has to offer!

James has been working in Wellington since 2002 and prides himself on providing the most thorough and comprehensive of examinations.

He has a passion for restoring people's teeth back to a condition where they feel happy to smile again. He has a strong belief that dentistry is not just about treating teeth but in fact the whole person. Healthy, happy teeth lead to healthy, happy people.

Crowns, bridges, root canal treatment, veneers, implants, white fillings and extractions are just a few of the many procedures James offers to his patients, and all with a gentle touch and with the utmost care for the patients' wellbeing. James enjoys his dentistry and looks forward to meeting new patients and helping them to reach their dental goals.

David worked in Wellington as a general and family dentist for over 36 years. He qualified as a dentist in Birmingham UK in 1981. He also has post-graduate qualifications from Otago dental school [Dip. Clin. Dent. 1996] and a further degree from Birmingham dental School [ MSc AGDP 2016]. David's main dental interests are in family, children, restorative and geriatric dentistry. He likes to make his surgery a welcoming and friendly place for everyone and tries to make an appointment with the dentist as easy as possible. A good standard of long-lasting dental health for every patient is David's aim. 

David's favourite aspect of dentistry is the ‘give and take’ that he can have with patients. Good communication both ways works for David.

David is married to a dentist who he worked with in private practice for over 25 years [Charlotte Cocks BDS, MSc AGDP], he has 3 sons [2 in Wellington and 1 in Brighton UK] with 2 grand sons.

His interests outside of dentistry are sports [Football-still playing, Sheffield United fan for my sins, Golf, exercise in all forms [jogging and biking], reading [history and politics] and theatre. David's favourite place to be is with my family, close and extended, with a beer in hand, after a good football match. He also, contributes to the DCM [Downtown Community Ministry dental effort].

After learning the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene whilst having braces, Emma decided she wanted a career that allowed her to teach people the same thing.

Emma has a passion for education and empowering patients to take care of their teeth.

After having her braces taken off and feeling confident with her smile, Emma decided she wanted a career that allowed her to make people feel the same way. Learning the importance of having good oral hygiene as a teenager inspired her career decision.

Having graduated from the University of Otago, she has recently moved to Wellington to begin her career as an Oral Health Therapist.

It's important to Emma that her patients leave feeling educated about their oral hygiene and empowered to create healthy habits.

Spending quality time with friends and family is what you’ll find Emma doing outside of the clinic, as well as shopping and eating out at restaurants.