Karina graduated from The University of Dundee in Scotland in 2009 where she earned a BDS (with merit).

She has spent the majority of her career since then working as a general dentist in Australia and New Zealand with spells as a volunteer dentist in East Timor, Cambodia, India and Papua New Guinea.

Karina recently returned to NZ with her family and joined our Wanaka team in April 2018.

Karina enjoys all aspects of general dentistry and takes pride in her attention to detail and providing a gentle and thorough experience for her patients. She is also qualified to provide cosmetic tooth alignment using the Cfast system.

Karina is happiest when spending time outdoors with her family and enjoys climbing, scuba diving, tramping and travel.

Graduating from Otago University with a Bachelor Of Dental Surgery in 1991, Hilary initially worked in private practice in Nelson for 2 years before heading overseas on her O.E. On returning to New Zealand, Hilary resided in Southland for the next 26 years; 22 of which she was the owner of a busy dental practice in Invercargill. She sold the practice in 2019 and continued working there until the start of 2022. Now that her two children have left home, Hilary and her husband have decided it is time for a change! Sad as they are to leave family, friends and wonderful co-workers, they are excited to discover the new and exciting lifestyle of living in Central Otago.

In dentistry, Hilary most enjoys the connections she makes with people. Her aim is to provide good quality dentistry with a focus on making patients feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. She achieves this by being as gentle as she can along with good communication; helping her to understand exactly what the patient wants and needs from their appointment and doing her best to make that happen.
Outside of dentistry, she enjoys time with family, and walking and hopes to improve her very modest mountain-biking and skiing skills.

Emad graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Oral Health in Dental Science and Graduate Diploma in Dentistry from Griffith University. Born in Iran and raised in Australia, he has gained diverse experience across Australia and Canada in both clinical practice and leadership roles. His career has included a focus on Myofunctional Orthodontics and a position with Myofunctional Research Co, where he progressed from dentist to company executive. In late 2024, Emad returned to clinical dentistry and is excited to bring his skills and global experience to serve the Wanaka community.

Emad enjoys all aspects of general dentistry, including preventative care, crowns, veneers, bridges, extractions, and root canal treatment, with plans to expand into clear aligners and dental implants. He is passionate about combining the technical and artistic sides of dentistry while helping patients feel comfortable, informed, and confident in their care. Outside of work, Emad enjoys spending time with his wife, two young boys, and their golden retriever, making the most of the outdoors, travel, and family life.

Amanda Allen is an Oral Health Therapist who graduated from the University of Otago in 2009. She also holds a post-graduate diploma in Health Science.

Amanda loves helping people with their oral health goals and needs. She prides herself on providing gentle treatment with an empathetic approach to her patients, and always strives for the best possible treatment and results for all patients.

She says she feels she has two roles as an Oral Health Therapist. “In dental therapy I particularly enjoy working with adolescents and helping them create healthy habits that will last a lifetime. My hygienist role allows me to diagnose and treat a wide spectrum of patients, from those who need routine hygiene maintenance, to those with more difficult periodontal needs.”

Outside of the practice, Amanda says she loves everything Wanaka has to offer, from getting out on the bike or lake to hiking the beautiful mountains.