Dr Mark Harris
Mark is Christchurch born and raised. Originally attending Canterbury University he graduated with a Zoology degree before attending Otago University Dental School.
He began his career in 1985 at Wellington Hospital as a Dental House Surgeon before returning to Christchurch the following year to begin in private practice. He is a the fourth generation dentist in his family with great grandfather, Gerald; grandfather, Parke; father, John; and uncle, Zin Harris, and now Mark all having been dentists.
Although interested in all fields of dentistry he is highly experienced in the use of lasers and cad-cam, (Cerec), dentistry.
Mark is married…
Show more...Mark is Christchurch born and raised. Originally attending Canterbury University he graduated with a Zoology degree before attending Otago University Dental School.
He began his career in 1985 at Wellington Hospital as a Dental House Surgeon before returning to Christchurch the following year to begin in private practice. He is a the fourth generation dentist in his family with great grandfather, Gerald; grandfather, Parke; father, John; and uncle, Zin Harris, and now Mark all having been dentists.
Although interested in all fields of dentistry he is highly experienced in the use of lasers and cad-cam, (Cerec), dentistry.
Mark is married to Kate and they have grown boys, James, Andrew and Hamish. His interests (outside dentistry) include golf, fishing, boating and any outdoor recreation.
Mark is a member of the New Zealand Dental Association and the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Dental Association.
Dr Doug Bennet
Dr Doug Bennet graduated with a BDS from the University of Otago in 1995.
In the work place, Doug says patient satisfaction is his main goal, meeting their needs and wants.
Doug has a special interest in Implant Treatments and attends dental related courses regularly to further his studies.
He enjoys the opportunity to provide something a patient wants, rather than needs, such as restoring a smile or replacing a missing tooth.
Outside of the practice, Doug enjoys watching movies, visiting theme parks, travelling and eating out!
Doug says the one thing he can’t live without is coffee, and his favourite place to be is Singapore.
Dr Sarah Whitehead
Dr Sarah Whitehead completed her dental training at the University of Otago with a BDS in 2004. She is married with 2 children.
Sarah has a wide range of dental expertise. As well as working in several private practices over the years, she has also been employed as a Dental House Surgeon at Christchurch Hospital and had a teaching position at University of Western Ontario, Canada. She has a part time position as a dentist at Christchurch Hospital in the Special Care Department.
Sarah has a wealth of experience and the ability to talk and explain treatment options to her…
Show more...Dr Sarah Whitehead completed her dental training at the University of Otago with a BDS in 2004. She is married with 2 children.
Sarah has a wide range of dental expertise. As well as working in several private practices over the years, she has also been employed as a Dental House Surgeon at Christchurch Hospital and had a teaching position at University of Western Ontario, Canada. She has a part time position as a dentist at Christchurch Hospital in the Special Care Department.
Sarah has a wealth of experience and the ability to talk and explain treatment options to her patients. She enjoys working with people and her real passion is the challenge of putting patients at ease in her care while providing dentistry of the highest quality possible.
Dr Julia Tully
Julia graduated from Bristol University in UK 1995 and joined the British Army where she worked as a dentist for 5 years. During this time, she qualified with post graduate diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
After leaving the Army as a Major, Julia practiced her dentistry in several private UK clinics and also worked for the NHS where she was responsible for setting up an emergency dentistry clinic.
She has combined her love of travel and adventure with her job and has practiced dentistry as a volunteer helping people with dental issues in Nepal, the Amazon,…
Show more...Julia graduated from Bristol University in UK 1995 and joined the British Army where she worked as a dentist for 5 years. During this time, she qualified with post graduate diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
After leaving the Army as a Major, Julia practiced her dentistry in several private UK clinics and also worked for the NHS where she was responsible for setting up an emergency dentistry clinic.
She has combined her love of travel and adventure with her job and has practiced dentistry as a volunteer helping people with dental issues in Nepal, the Amazon, India and Sierra Leone.
She is an avid sportsperson, an enthusiastic skier, and a particularly keen runner, and despite many lessons is rubbish at tennis.
She fell in love with New Zealand when she competed in the Wanaka Ironman Triathlon in 2013 Wanaka.
Fulfilling her dream Julia moved to New Zealand in early 2019 after working for the British Government as a Dentist in Cyprus for 9 years.
She brings with her a wealth of experience and particular skills in the field of root canal therapy and restoration dentistry to the Darfield practice. In 2018 she finished her Diploma in Primary Dental Care from Edinburgh University.
Jessica Barron
Jess has a Bachelor of Oral Health from Otago University.
She joined us at the end of 2013 and is returning to the city where she grew up, having attended Christchurch Girls High before studying in Dunedin.
Jess is also a qualified dental therapist and as such is able to treat school age children.
Yasasmi Basnayake
Yasasmi graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Oral Health in 2023.
Her dental interests include preventative care and patient education. She is passionate about helping individuals understand the importance of maintaining oral health and implementing practice that can prevent issues before they arise.
Yasasmi's goal is to promote a proactive approach to oral health and to continually improve her skills.
Yasasmi loves making a positive impact on her patients' lives and watching their confidence grow as their oral health improves. She loves the variety and problem-solving aspects along with educating and connecting with patients, makes her…
Show more...Yasasmi graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Oral Health in 2023.
Her dental interests include preventative care and patient education. She is passionate about helping individuals understand the importance of maintaining oral health and implementing practice that can prevent issues before they arise.
Yasasmi's goal is to promote a proactive approach to oral health and to continually improve her skills.
Yasasmi loves making a positive impact on her patients' lives and watching their confidence grow as their oral health improves. She loves the variety and problem-solving aspects along with educating and connecting with patients, makes her job incredibly rewarding.
Outside of work, Yasasmi enjoys travelling the world, exploring new places and spending time with family and friends.
An interesting fact about Yasasmi is that she represented Sri Lanka at a national level for track and field athletics. She also plays the flute, piano and drums and has two university degrees!