Day One: ADAVB Convention & Exhibition 2-3 August 2024

Overview
Speakers
Sponsors & Supporters

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Schedule

Speakers

Dr Norman Swan AM
Dr Norman Swan AM co-hosts RN’s Health Report and the popular What’s The Rash podcast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he co-hosted Coronacast, which had monthly downloads in the millions. Norman is also a reporter and commentator on the ABC’s 7.30, Midday and News Breakfast and has made several Four Corners. He is a past winner of the Gold Walkley - Australia’s top award for journalism and has won other Walkleys, including one with his Coronacast colleagues in 2020. He created Invisible Enemies, on pandemics and civilisation for Channel 4 UK and SBS which was subsequently broadcast in 27 countries. Norman has been awarded the medal of the Australian Academy of Science, an honorary MD from the University of Sydney and in October 2022 a Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. On Australia Day 2023, Norman was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (AM). He has two best selling books, So You Think You Know What’s Good For You and So You Want To Live Younger Longer. His next book, So you Want To Know What’s Best For Your Kids, a one stop handbook for parents of children from birth to 10 years old, will be out in August. Norman trained in medicine and paediatrics in Aberdeen, London and Sydney before joining the ABC.

Dr Clarence Tam
Dr Clarence Tam is originally from Toronto, Canada, where she completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery and General Practice Residency in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto, respectively. Clarence’s practice has a focus on restorative and cosmetic dentistry, and she strives to provide consistently exceptional care with each patient. She is well-published in both the local and international dental press, writing articles, reviewing submissions, and developing prototype products and techniques in clinical dentistry. She frequently and continually lectures internationally.

Dr Sophia Richardson
Dr Sophia Richardson is an Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon who is dually qualified in dentistry and medicine, and completed her surgical fellowship in 2012. She is trained in all aspects of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, but is particularly interested in dentoalveolar and orthognathic surgery. Sophia is committed to education, and is a passionate advocate for her patients.

Dr Ben Buchanan
Dr Ben Buchanan is a Clinical Psychologist working exclusively with people with body image anxiety, and specifically body dysmorphic disorder. His work currently focuses on the intersection between mental health and cosmetic procedures, screening practices and psychological factors associated with aesthetic dissatisfaction. He completed his doctorate investigating the neurobiological basis for body dysmorphic disorder with brain imaging, finding brain differences in the emotional and visual perceptional pathways.

Dr Alex Yusupov
Dr Alex Yusupov is a specialist orthodontist, in private practice. He has been using 3D technology to diagnose and treat complex inter-disciplinary patients. He is a part time demonstrator at the University of Melbourne post-graduate orthodonticc clinic. His interests include clinical photography, 3D technology and 3D manufacture.

Dr Simone Belobrov
Dr Simone Belobrov is an oral medicine specialist and has been a dental practitioner for 20 years. She completed her oral medicine training in 2021 after completing her PhD at the University of Melbourne in the field of oral medicine in 2018, with the focus on OSCC. Simone works at multiple places including private practice in Hawthorn East, public health at the Royal Dental Hospital Melbourne, and The Royal Melbourne Hospital immunobullous and oral mucosal service. Simone has a special interest in mucosal diseases and management of chronic orofacial pain and enjoys working with her colleagues in a multidisciplinary setting to achieve better patient outcomes

Dr Kenny Chong
Dr Kenny Chong is a specialist prosthodontist in both the private, tertiary and public sectors. He graduated from The University of Otago (NZ) with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2001. He began his career at the Maxillofacial Department of Waikato Hospital in New Zealand as the Dental Registrar in 2002. While there, he treated medically compromised and trauma patients. Kenny furthered his studies at the University of Melbourne where he gained a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry in 2005. He finished his specialist prosthodontic training with the degree of Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry in 2012. Kenny is the convener of the DDS Fixed Prosthodontics program at Melbourne Dental School where he is involved in the lead role of educating and training the next generation of dental graduates. He is also involved in the management and delivery of the graduate dental continuing professional development program with the Melbourne Dental School. Amongst his other commitments he maintains his role as a consultant prosthodontist at the Royal Dental Hospital. He is an active member of the Academy of Australian and New Zealand Prosthodontists (AANZP) and the Australia Dental Association (ADA).

Dr Katy Theodore
Dr Katy Theodore (also known as “KT”) graduated from the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program at the University of Adelaide in 2009. KT worked for four years in the private sector in northern New South Wales, southern Queensland and rural Tasmania, before shifting to entirely public sector work in Victoria in 2013. KT has lectured and clinically supervised oral health and dentistry students at both the Victorian universities that offer dental programs. KT has worked in the Integrated Special Needs Department at the Dental Hospital in Carlton, and in remote Indigenous communities of Central Australia, while also being involved in the evidence synthesis and design for a value-based model of oral health care at the leading public sector agency for oral health in Victoria. With professional interests that span from clinical informatics to behavioural economics, KT is currently very much enjoying her role at the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch as Advocacy Lead. Outside of dentistry and oral health KT enjoys cycling, swimming, and yoga, colourful crafts, science fiction and superhero movies, and listening to music, podcasts and audiobooks.

Dr Dharini Ravinda
Dr Dharini Ravindra completed a Bachelor of Science followed by a Doctor of Dental Medicine at the University of Sydney. After several years in practice in rural NSW, she completed a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Melbourne in 2022. Dharini currently works as a private paediatric dentist at South Eastern Children’s Dentistry in Melbourne and is also currently completing her PhD in the temporal development of the oral microbiome.

Dr Larissa Ong
Dr. Larissa Ong is a specialist Periodontist in private practice in Melbourne. She developed a passion for and keen interest in Periodontics during her undergraduate training. Dr. Ong obtained the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (Periodontics) degree at the University of Melbourne where she gained specialist experience in the Periodontics department of the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Her professional interests include the treatment of periodontal disease, soft tissue grafting and implant dentistry.

Dr Eric Tan
Dr Eric Tan is a specialist prosthodontist in private practice in Brighton, Victoria. He has lectured extensively on aesthetics, ceramics, and implant dentistry. He was formerly an Honorary Fellow of the University of Melbourne Dental School in recognition of his teaching at the school at the undergraduate and postgraduate level for over 13 years.

Dr Sigal Jacobson
Dr. Sigal Jacobson, a cosmetic dentist from Melbourne, is a distinguished professional who combines the roles of an accomplished entrepreneur (inventor of the Uveneer and Paladex systems) and a dedicated lecturer. She has a passion for using bonded anterior cosmetic restorations to enhance the aesthetic aspects of her patients’ smiles. She is an internationally acclaimed speaker, and has contributed articles, and clinical case reports in leading dental magazines.

Dr Eugene Sheftel
Dr Sheftel was born in USSR and moved to Israel where he completed his undergraduate dental degree in 2007. He worked in a general dental setting and applied to a periodontal residency at the University of Otago New Zealand which he completed in 2017. He has worked as a periodontist in Melbourne since 2018, taking over Moonee Ponds Periodontics and Implant Centre in 2022. Dr Sheftel is a current Treasurer of Australian Society of Periodontics and is involved with Australian Society of Periodontics CPD program.

Dr Michael Yoon
Michael Yoon is a specialist endodontist and is in full-time private practice at ‘Melbourne Endodontics’. He completed his general dental and specialist endodontic training at the University of Melbourne and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. Michael is a past-president of the Australian Society of Endodontology (Vic Branch). He is regularly involved in lecturing and clinical endodontic teaching of dental students.

Mr Gareth Jekel
Mr Gareth Jekel has always aimed high, leaving school at 15 to pursue his apprenticeship as a refrigeration mechanic and winning his College Apprentice of the Year in 1988 out of 5000 other apprentices. Rrecently Gareth is applying his wealth of knowledge in the commercial air conditioning industry technology. Sagecon is set to out perform New Systems Refrigeration with its efficiencies and performance. Founded in 2006, Gareth as a non executive, grew Sagecon to $1.5 million with just two staff and less than a couple of hours of Gareth’s time each week. In 2013, Gareth took the role of GM and has grown Sagecon to 55 staff and sales of $13 million in 2018. In 2005 after Gareth sold his commercial refrigeration business, he was introduced to Marten Runow, the Founder of Performia International based in Sweden. As a business owner that has hired and fired many hundreds of staff, Gareth immediately saw the benefit of the Performia system and took on the APAC license to sell and distribute Performia services. Performia is now run by a management team with Gareth as the non executive director, after setting up Performia in Melbourne, Sydney, China and Japan. One of the major clients to Performia is Gareth’s businesses as he states, “It is just so much easier to build a business with a hiring strategy and the tools required to bring on fun and productive staff”.

Mr Al Rawack
Mr Al Rawack is an HR Professional with over 26 years HR experience. Originally from Sydney, and having worked both domestically and internationally (China and Malaysia), Al has worked in a number of industries (including IT&T, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Aged Care, Renewable Energies, and Professional Services) before beginning his Consulting business in March 2022. Al now consults to small-medium sized businesses, delivering outsourced HR services that provides infrastructure to support their needs and compliance requirements. Al is a family man, married to a beautiful wife with four kids and is a very loud (and proud) Sydney Swans supporter.

Mr Prabin Gautum
Prabin Gautam is the head of Australia’s trusted full-service Dental Marketing Agency – 360 Dental Marketing. Over the past 15 years, he and his dedicated team have been helping dental practice owners in Australia build their businesses and personal brands, generate quality appointments for general, cosmetic, implants, all on 4, Invisalign, smiles makeover, and emergency treatments, and even recruitment, making practice owners’ lives easy with more profits and less stress. He is a regular lecturer at ADAVB and believes in creating opportunities for his clients, alliances, and team members.

Dr Mohamed Amer
Dr Mohamed Amer is a distinguished endodontist with over a decade of experience in general dentistry and specialised expertise in endodontics. He earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2006 and gained extensive experience in both private and public sectors. In 2015, he became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and completed the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Endodontics at the University of Melbourne in 2018 with a research focus on bleaching endodontically treated teeth. Dr Amer contributed to the chapter on bleaching in the book 'Endodontic Advances and Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines.' Currently, he practices as a specialist endodontist in Melbourne, contributes to dental education, and is involved in professional dental associations and peer-reviewed journals.

Ms Darina Nirmalann
Darina Nirmalann is a co-owner of a large private dental practice on the Mornington Peninsula. She has dedicated the last 16 years of clinical practice to improving clinical efficiencies and training auxiliary staff to maximise their involvement in dental procedures. There is a lot of scope for dental assistants to feel empowered and encouraged to participate more in improving the patient experience and have a greater impact on improving dentists' productivity. Darina completed her bachelor of oral health in 2008, during which she conducted research on patient behaviour change and Motivational Interviewing. This sparked her interest in research, and she went on to do a Masters of Public Health at Monash University. After lecturing for several years and working in a private dental practice she developed a strong interest in dental patient communication and is currently completing a PhD at the University of Melbourne in this field. Darina continues to share her passion and dedication to dentistry at conferences interstate and internationally.

Dr Krishen Thayanantha
Following a brief stint in financial accounting, Dr Krish decided to take the leap to become a dentist and has never looked back. He has been living and working on the peninsula for the last 5 years. Dr Krish has training in both Implants and Orthodontics. He finds his financial background aids in learning practice management and is currently developing automated protocols in the recruitment and training of dental staff.

Ms Alyson Knapp
Alyson Knapp serves as the Head of Partnerships at Fair Health Care Alliance. With expertise in patient retention, health insurance, and customer experience, Alyson plays a crucial role in helping practices navigate and compete with an increasingly dense network of Preferred Providers and health insurance branded clinics. She personally manages relationships with over 800 dental practices, ensuring exceptional patient experience, patient retention, and satisfaction. Alyson's vast experience as a group trainer includes hosting staff training events nationwide, where she imparts valuable knowledge and skills to healthcare professionals.

Dr Isabel Holmes
Dentist, entrepreneur, trail runner, flautist, wife and mother of two beautiful boys. Dr Isabel is the elegance and visionary behind Illumident – a growing brand spread over two Australian states that sets itself apart through its elevated level of patient care and service, as well as its dental and cosmetic treatments. Dr Isabel has an innate desire to help people – not just her patients through creating bright, healthy smiles, but she is also passionate about leadership and developing leaders within her team.

Ms Barbara Hayes
Ms Barbara Hayes began her career in the dental field over 40 years ago as a dental assistant, where her passion for dentistry and infection prevention and control commenced. Over decades, Barbara's journey has included diverse roles of practice manager, dental sales representative, trainer, and assessor. Her dedication to advancing dental professionalism led to serving as CEO of the Dental Assistants Professional Association (DAPA) and currently as Chair of the Board at DAPA. Throughout her career, Barbara has been a driving force in enhancing dental practices through in-clinic training sessions to numerous dental teams and practices. Her commitment to elevating standards in dental care and promoting best practices in infection prevention has earned her widespread respect within the dental community and embodying a lifelong dedication to improving dental healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.