Bailee

Hey! I’m Bailee, I started working as a receptionist for Dr Downing four years ago when I moved to Sydney to start a Bachelor of Fine Arts at UNSW Art and Design. It was a big shift for me so finding a practice filled with supportive and fun people to work with was great. I’ve learnt so much in my time here, especially about the transformative power of dentistry – it is my favourite part of my job. I love seeing the changes a patient goes through over the course of their treatment. It is always a special moment when someone who was previously too ashamed to smile, or too nervous to seek treatment comes out from seeing Dr Downing with a beaming smile on their face. It’s wonderful to work in a practice that actively makes such a difference to people’s lives.

I’m currently in the honours year of my Fine Arts degree and am working hard to become a professional artist. In addition to my solo work I often perform as part of the collective Show Us Your Teeth. My individual work focuses on subjective experience and empathic response, primarily considering the experience and perception of invisible and mental illness. The intent of my work is to allow the audience to step into an experience that they may be unfamiliar with, to get a physical sense of how it might feel to be someone other than themselves, even for just a moment. My hope is that this experience will also be transformative for the audience, increasing their awareness of and ability to empathise with realities other than their own.

I find that there are a lot of similarities between dentistry and art, they are both people based industries and after witnessing the practiced care and skill that Dr Downing brings to every smile she works on I’ve come to think of every tooth as a miniature work of art.

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Kristie

Hi I’m Kristie a Registered Dental Hygienist. Let me tell you a little bit about me. Born in the Clare Valley in South Australia, I had a country upbringing on a farm, attending the local primary school before heading to boarding school in Adelaide to finish my secondary education. After completing school I began a Bachelor degree in Accounting at the University of South Australia while working part time as a Dental Assistant. It was at this time that I decided that dentistry was a better career path and I enrolled to study Dental Hygiene.I completed my studies in 1999 Dux of my class.
I have enjoyed nearly 20 years working in diverse areas of Dentistry as a Dentist Hygienist from specialist Orthodontics, ZOOM Whitening consultant, Private practice Hygiene, Periodontal Hygienist (deep gum treatment) and tutoring dental students at the University of Adelaide and Gilles Plains TAFE.  I have also served as Treasurer and Membership officer for the Dental Hygienists' Association Australia for many years. I have been lucky to work for many years in the same practice and developed long standing relationships with many patients, who have become friends.

My favourite topic, my family, I am married to husband Angus and we have three beautiful children aged 10,9 and 7. Our lives revolve around there extra curricular activities. We enjoy traveling around Australia together,snow skiing and any sport. I try to play tennis.

Providing the highest level of care, looking after patients in a gentle, kind manner and making everyone feel welcome and comfortable in our dental practice is my highest priority.

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Marianne

My name is Marianne, I studied dentistry at Sao Paulo State University, Brazil, which is one of the top 25 Universities in the world. I graduated in 2003 after specialising in Endodontics and practiced as a dentist in Brazil prior to moving to Australia in 2012.

I originally came to Australia to improve my English, and only intended to be here for a year, once I arrived I fell in love with this country and it’s been four years already!

I love working with Dr Downing as her assistant because I am able to use the dental knowledge and skills that I gained at University in Brazil while learning new techniques and treatments. I help Dr Downing in all aspects of patient care, we are a fantastic team. My thorough dental knowledge enables me to be fully involved with treatments and work in the laboratory with Dr Downing as well.

I have been a Manly resident for nearly 4 years and can’t get enough of that place. Being able to live on the beach is a kind of dream for me as my hometown is located thousands of miles away from the ocean. When I am not working, I like to hang out with my friends, explore Sydney and its beautiful beaches and parks, visit different restaurants and dance!

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Vanessa

I’m Vanessa, the newest edition to Dr Downing’s team. I was previously a primary school teacher before coming to work at the practice as a full-time receptionist.

I grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney and developed the travel bug early on while looking to escape the ‘bubble’. I love to travel and am proud to say I have stepped foot on all but two continents. I lived in Canada, where for over a year I got to explore Banff and the Rocky Mountains. During my time there I was also fortunate enough to go on road trips down to Yellowstone and the west coast of America. My travel bucket list is long and I’m hoping to see more of Europe one day.

My favourite part of coming to work is talking to, and getting to know all of the patients as they come through the surgery. It is nice to work in a place where I get to meet such a diverse group of people; their stories, interests, and our commonalities spurs great conversation and means my job is always interesting.

I also find it very rewarding to be a member of such a dedicated group of professionals. My co-workers are wonderful and compassionate people that all share the same passion for patient health and well-being. They also delight in keeping my fervent sugar habit in line!

Outside of the practice you are likely to find me at sushi train, getting my nails done, socialising with family and friends, or planning my next overseas adventure…

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