Orthodontics at Otago

13/11/2025

November Milestones at Otago! 🎓

This month, we were honoured to welcome our examiners for the final-year orthodontic assessments. A heartfelt thank you to Dr Narayan Gandedkar, our international examiner from the University of Sydney, and to Dr Peter Fowler, our external examiner, for their expertise, and the high standard of evaluation they brought to the programme.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to Dr Adith Venugopal and Dr David Healey, our internal examiners, for their support and guidance throughout the examinations.
…and Prof Mauro Farella, although away on prior commitments, remained actively involved throughout the week, staying in close contact and offering steady guidance, encouragement, and support to the residents and the team.

A very special thanks to Dr Florence Bennani, whose exceptional organisation and coordination ensured a smooth and well-run examination week.

Behind the scenes, our amazing team, Shaina, Bella, and Freya, kept everything running seamlessly. 💙

We are delighted to celebrate our newest members of the Orthodontic Society of New Zealand:
✨ Amir Hatami
✨ Daniel Waller
✨ Amal Aqilah
✨ Woody Wu

Each of you may now be heading toward a different path within the same profession, but the connection you’ve built, with one another and with the Otago community, remains one of the greatest strengths of your journey. Your friendship, support, and shared resilience have shaped a warm and uplifting postgraduate environment that will be remembered for years to come.

While we will miss seeing your friendly faces around the dental hospital from mid-December, you will always remain part of the Otago family. We look forward to celebrating graduation on 6 December — and this year, we may even have a very special guest joining us… stay tuned! 🦷💙

05/10/2025

What an incredible experience at the World of WearableArt Show in Wellington! 🎭✨

Huge thanks to Terri and American Orthodontics for organising such an unforgettable experience, a true WOW in every sense!

Such a fun night of creativity, inspiration, and catching up with orthodontists from all over New Zealand — a well-needed short break before our final exams! 🙌💫

10/08/2025

August started with frost outside and chaos inside… in the best way possible.

Snap pick of how we started August. Coldest month of the year, but the week still managed to feel pretty warm in spirit.

Our final-year residents — Amir, Amal, Woody and Daniel — finally hit “submit” on their theses, a moment that brought more relief than they’ll probably admit. Our so-much-missed Winifred popped in with flowers and hugs that made the whole place feel a little less like winter.

We celebrated with cupcakes from . Thanks to Janny across Australia for ordering them and to Criollo for the generous gift.

In true Otago tradition, the festivities continued as the class rang the historic bell 🔔 (and didn’t break the hammer this time) and collected their iconic chocolate fish treats. We ended the day with Amir’s special birthday celebration, the perfect finish to a week packed with milestones, good company and sweet surprises 💛

Now it’s back to business with research presentations at the NZAO Conference, Clinical Excellence Day in September, plus symposiums and final exams on the horizon.

13/07/2025

✨ A memorable visit from Mithran Goonewardene! ✨

Last month, we had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Mithran Goonewardene from University of Western Australia to Otago as part of the A*O Heads of Department teaching rotation program.

Mithran truly needs no introduction — a highly respected name in the world of orthodontics, known not only for his deep expertise in the surgical-orthodontic interface but also for his humble, engaging, and generous teaching style.

We learnt so much — not just clinical pearls, but also about the value of collaborative learning and lifting each other up as a community. 🙌

The visit ended in classic Otago style — at Prof’s home, with his legendary hospitality and that unbeatable homemade pizza (dough fermented for days… hands down the best pizza in NZ 🇳🇿🍕).

This year’s karaoke tradition was fashionably late, but well worth it — first years performed under the watchful (and playful) judgment of the final years, Prof Mauro, and Mithran himself… who, to everyone’s surprise, showed off some serious karaoke skills too! 🎤🎶

These moments are what make the AUS/NZ orthodontic community so strong — united through learning, laughter, and lifelong friendships.

Thank you again, Mithran, for making the journey from Perth to Dunedin. We look forward to seeing you again next month at NZAO! ✈️🦷

*o

24/05/2025

Scenes from our beautiful South Island. A reminder of how lucky we are to live and study in a place like this. Proud to call this stunning landscape part of our orthodontic training journey at Otago.

15/05/2025

24/04/2025

It’s not every day you get to learn from someone like Tony Weir, and it was a privilege to do so here in Otago. His visit reminded us of what truly thoughtful, evidence-based care looks like when delivered with warmth and humility, values that also define the remarkable career of Winifred, who has quietly shaped the face of orthodontics in New Zealand.
 
Though she’d be the first to slip out the back door unnoticed, we couldn’t let her retirement pass without sharing just a glimpse of the legacy she leaves behind.
 
Over the past 40 years, Winifred has helped train 101 postgraduate orthodontists in a country with only 102 currently practising. Her real impact lies in the way she’s mentored, supported, and genuinely cared for her patients, students, and colleagues.
 
On the 11th of April, we marked Winifred’s final clinical day. And last night, we raised a glass at a warm, down-to-earth farewell with the postgraduate team, filled with stories, laughter, hugs, and a garden-and-cat-themed cake handcrafted by Zina, who captured Winifred’s loves perfectly.
 
We were especially lucky to have Dr. Tony Weir and his wonderful wife Sharon join us for the celebration. A long-time friend and colleague, Tony shares Winifred’s deep commitment to evidence-based care, kindness in practice, and lifelong learning. Their presence made the occasion all the more special.
 
Winifred may be retired from the less glamorous university duties, but as she put it, her door is always open, whether it’s to talk ortho, have a vent, or simply catch up over a cuppa.
 
Thank you for showing us not just how to practise orthodontics, but how to embody compassion and integrity in our profession. Your legacy lives on in ever one of us.

19/04/2025

From our ortho fam to yours, Happy Easter, and keep those smiles egg-stra bright!