Meet Our Chatswood Dental Team
The Friendly Faces at Boutique Dental Care
Our practice is a Chatswood family of its own. Each of our team members work closely with one another to enhance the experience for every patient who steps through our front door. Every one of our staff are hand selected for their unique skillset and empathetic personalities. We don’t just work well together, we enjoy being around each other. Here are a few of the friendly smiles that you’ll meet when you visit us:
Dr Meng Quah-Shepherd
Principal Dentist
Growing up, Dr Meng Quah-Shepherd (Dentist) dreamed of being an architect. Her passion for creativity and artistic design morphed into designing beautiful smiles and facial profiles. She received her dental degree in London in 1984 and has been focusing on general and cosmetic dental services for the last 30 years.
Her team members say “her eyes light up” when she’s working on a cosmetic smile make over!
Dr Ruta Bhalerao
Associate Dentist
Dr Ruta attended University in Pune, India. She earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 1999. She then took the Australian dental council exams in Sydney to register in Australia. Dr Ruta stays abreast of the latest in dentistry by regularly taking professional development courses.
For Dr Ruta, the most fulfilling aspect of being a dentist is helping people feel their best. She believes that dentistry changes the way they approach life and hopes to give patients a bit of extra confidence. When she’s not working, Dr Ruta stays busy with her two children. She also loves to cook, travel and read.
Dr Cecilia So
Dental Surgeon
Dr Cecilia So is a dental surgeon with extensive experience in wisdom teeth and dental implant procedures, in both hospital based and private practice settings.
After graduating with Honours with Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Sydney in 2003. She worked as a Senior Dental Officer, Oral and Maxillofacial Department in Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in the United Kingdom, achieving her Membership with the Royal College of Surgeons (London) by examination. She returned to Sydney to continue working as a hospital dentist in the Special Care Dentistry Unit at Westmead Centre for Oral Health.
She completed a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Oral Implants), University of Sydney and is now a committee member, mentor and Clinical Associate Lecturer and examiner for the program. She is also an Executive committee member of the Australasian Osseointegration Society and lectures in Surgical Dentistry for the General Dentist for the Australian Dental Association.
Dr Cecilia So has restricted her practice to dental implants, wisdom teeth removal and surgical extraction procedures. This gives all patients and clients confidence in the services that Surgical Dental Services provide everyday for general dental practices in the Greater Sydney region.
Jen
Senior Dental Nurse
As Dr Meng’s lead assistant, Jen thoroughly enjoys helping our patients achieve the smile and dental health that they’ve wanted for so long. Jen is responsible for ensuring we maintain high infection control standards in sterilisation.
She says it’s great to work with such a ‘fun’ team. During her personal time, she likes dancing, wine tasting, walking and listening to classical music.
Cecilia
Dental Nurse
Fluent in both English and Mandarin, Cecilia also holds a qualification in Beauty Therapy. She strives to help take patients’ experiences to the highest level and quality, looking after everyone like family. In her free time, she likes to read, exercise, catch up on beauty trends and listen to music.
Anna
Dental Hygienist
In her role at the practice, Anna likes that she can make a positive impact on the world one person at a time. When Anna embarked on a career in dental hygiene, she knew she’d finally found her niche. Empathetic and caring, Anna builds a foundation of trust. She helps nervous patients become more relaxed at the practice.
In 2007, Anna earned a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of South Australia. She also possesses an Advanced Diploma of Oral Health (Dental Hygiene). Anna stays abreast of the latest in dentistry through continuing professional development activities. Outside of the practice, Anna likes to spend time with family and friends and enjoys reading, travelling and cooking. To stay fit, Anna loves Pilates, walking and dancing.
Jinous
Oral Health Therapist /Hygienist
Jinous graduated from Newcastle University with a bachelor degree in Dental Hygiene. Her passion in working with children led her to study further and be one of the first cohorts undertaking a Graduate Diploma of Dental Therapy. Furthermore; she expanded her scope of practice in dentistry and once again she was one of the first cohort studying post graduate certificate in Adult Dental Therapy at University of Sydney. As an Oral Health Therapist, Jinous provides both dental hygiene and therapy services to both children and adults.
Jinous has worked in different settings: public hospital, private dental practices and cooperate sectors. She is also a clinical educator at the University of Sydney.
She is a member of the Australian Dental Hygiene Association and to strive for excellence she attends conferences and seminars on a regular basis.
Her passion for oral hygiene, combined with her professional and friendly demeanour, ensure her patients feel relaxed and well looked after while receiving highest quality of care. Jinous believes that mouth is a window to the overall body and sh elites to improve every patient’s quality of life through individualised tailored plan for their oral health.
Outside of dentistry, Jinous is a Mum of two and enjoys exploring nature’s beauty, travel and experiencing new cultures.
Katarina
Oral Health Therapist / Hygienist
Katarina is our Oral Health Therapist with an adult scope. Before she graduated from the University of Sydney as a dental practitioner she has been working as dental assistant at both general and orthodontic practices.
Katarina is very patient clinician. She enjoys seeing children for their first visits, introducing them to the dental world and establishing healthy habits from an early age. She takes special interest in treatment of gum disease and seeing patients with dental anxiety. She believes that a dental appointment can be a pleasant experience for everyone.
In her free time, Katarina likes gardening and hiking.
Prudence
Dental Nurse
Prue has the most elegant and gentle persona .Her very calming presence is greatly loved by all our patients.
Prue has her interest in all subjects in dentistry as her main focus is helping Dr Meng educate patients to help them maintain optimal dental health. She is especially interested in how the health of the mouth is linked to the health of the whole body.
Prue has interest in dance and competes in physio aerobics. She is our role model for having a great posture
Tharuna
Practice Manager
Tharuna joins the Boutique Dental Care team with a Certificate III in Business as well as a Certificate III in Dental Assisting. We couldn’t be happier to have her working in the practice!
Tharuna enjoys all aspects of her work, but is especially prideful when it comes to helping patients experience the best possible care and seeing them leave happy and smiling.
When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending her time cooking, travelling and reading. Get to know more about Tharuna when you visit us for your next appointment. She looks forward to welcoming you to our practice.
Amy
Receptionist
Joining the practice as a receptionist, Amy loves meeting new patients and seeing them back in the practice with a smile on their face! In her spare time, Amy enjoys visiting art exhibitions, listening to podcasts and volunteering.
We Care About Your Experience
Talk to us about what is bothering you about your teeth, no matter how small it may seem. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment. We’re open late!
We Care About Your Experience
Talk to us about what is bothering you about your teeth, no matter how small it may seem. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment. We’re open late!
How to find us
Clinic Hours
| Mon | 8:30 am – 6:00 pm |
| Tue | 8:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Wed | 9:00 am – 7:00 pm |
| Thu | 8:00 am – 7:00 pm |
| Fri | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Sat | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |