Our Team

David is a specialist orthodontist at Takapuna Orthodontic Group (TOG). After graduating as a dentist in 1999 from Otago University with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) he worked as a dental house surgeon at Greenlane Hospital and Middlemore Hospital from 2000-2001. He then spent the next two years as a dentist in Auckland, followed by another two year period in Invercargill as a dentist.

He then returned to Otago University in 2006 and graduated with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics (DClinDent (Orth)) in 2008, which allowed him to register as specialist orthodontist in New Zealand. A month later, he passed membership examinations held by the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Orthodontics and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Orthodontics. David is a committee member of the New Zealand Association of Orthodontists.

Peter Dysart MDS (Otago) has been a registered Specialist Orthodontist for more than 30 years.

Peter was based in Dunedin for 25 years working in private specialist practice. For many of those years he was also a part-time Senior Lecturer on the post-graduate orthodontic training programme at Otago University. In recent years he has served the Central Otago/Southern Lakes region.

Ross hails from Auckland but has gained significant experience in both New Zealand and the UK. Having first qualified at the University of Otago he worked in Wellington, Auckland and London, first as a House Officer and then a general Dentist.

This experience fuelled his passion for more complex cases requiring orthodontic treatment, so he returned to the University of Otago to complete a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics, after which he returned to the UK to work in Specialist Practice in London and Surrey.

Ross returned to New Zealand and established Auckland City Orthodontics in 2017. He enjoys treating children, teenagers and adults with an emphasis on modern treatment modalities including clear aligners using the most up-to-date digital techniques.

When he is not working at his practice or spending time with his young family, he enjoys a round or two of golf and helping out at his son’s school.

Azza is a specialist orthodontist working at Shakespeare Orthodontics in Epsom and Takapuna, in Auckland. In 2009, Azza graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery with Credit from the University of Otago. She worked as a Dental House Surgeon at Auckland, Greenlane and Middlemore Hospitals; and as a Dental Officer at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital. Before commencing her specialist training, she held a part-time Professional Practice Fellow position at the Faculty of Dentistry, while working as a dentist in private practice.

Azza graduated from the University of Otago with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics. She passed examinations to gain memberships into the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Azza is also certified with the Australasian Orthodontic Board (AOB), and is a member of the New Zealand Association of Orthodontists (NZAO), and the New Zealand Dental Association. Currently, she is the AOB Convenor for New Zealand members, holds a role on the NZAO Executive, and is part of the NZAO Wish for a Smile Trust team.

Azza’s area of research interest is hypodontia. She has presented about this topic at the European Orthodontic Society Congress, and at the International Association Dental Research ANZ Scientific Meeting; and has been involved in the publication of numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr Kimberley Timmins has a passion for the dental profession, and in particular the field of orthodontics, which began when she was an undergraduate student at the University of Otago. Her passion for the dental profession, her desire to learn and be the best she could be resulted in Kimberley graduating first place in her class with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery with Distinction in 2003 from the University of Otago.

Kimberley received 14 academic and clinical awards during her studies. Most significantly, Kimberley was awarded both the top clinical and the top academic award upon graduation, placing first place in her class, receiving both the prestigious Gold Medal in Clinical Dentistry for the top clinical student in her graduating class and the Harvey Brown Medal for Overall Academic Excellence. Her excellence in Orthodontics was recognised by being named the graduating recipient of the Burt Medal for Excellence in Orthodontics.

Following graduation, Kimberley worked for two years at Auckland’s Greenlane & Middlemore Hospitals as part of the Maxillofacial team, before working as a dentist in private practice in Auckland.

In 2008 Kimberley returned to the University of Otago where she undertook her post-graduate specialist training and graduated as a Specialist Orthodontist with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics in 2010.

Kimberley also undertook postgraduate examinations with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Edinburgh and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, and holds both MOrthRCSEd and MRACDS in Orthodontics.

Kimberley has been working as a Specialist Orthodontist for more than ten years and remains dedicated to continuing her orthodontic education, keeping up to date with advances in orthodontic research and attending conferences and study groups.

Kimberley is currently an elected member of the Executive Committee of the New Zealand Association of Orthodontists.

Outside of orthodontics, Kimberley is a dedicated mother of three school-aged children. She loves to spend time with her husband and children, as well as keeping active with a passion for fitness and travel.

Mauro Farella is Professor and Chair of Orthodontics, Head of the Postgraduate Programme in Orthodontics (Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry), and Director of the Research Programme “Craniofacial Research”, at the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Otago, New Zealand.

His current main research interests include clinical orthodontics, biomechanics, craniofacial growth and imaging, jaw function, oral biology, translational research using animal models, and development of wearable devices in dentistry and orthodontics. In addition, Mauro Farella is a widely recognised expert in orofacial muscles, bruxism, and temporomandibular joint research. Internationally, his past research endeavours have been supported with research grants amounting to over one million Euros.

He is Associate Editor of the Journal “Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research”, of the “Korean Journal of Orthodontics”, and member of the Editorial Board of the “Journal of Oral Rehabilitation”.

He has lectured in 22 different countries and is the recipient of several national and international research prizes, such as the Alan Docking Award from the International Association for Dental Research, and the Sir John Walsh Award, and the Research Supervisor of the Year (2021) Award, to acknowledge the excellence achieved in dental research and postgraduate supervision. Mauro Farella is a specialist in Orthodontics registered in New Zealand and practises clinical orthodontics exclusively.

Jean has had many years experience supporting Non for Profit Organisations and Business Associations and was contracted to be the NZAO Administrator and Webmaster in 2009 and subsequently was also contracted to the roles of Orthodontic Auxiliary Training Program Administrator, ERDG Administrator and most recently, FORENZAO Trust Secretary.