MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT JEN.
Jen obtained her dental degree at the University of Otago and moved to Invercargill for a dental house officer position at Southland Hospital, where she quickly fell in love with the beautiful Southland region. Following two years at the hospital she worked in a local private dental practice before returning to the University of Otago for 3 years of specialist orthodontic training. Orthodontics has been a passion for her since her university years as she was an orthodontic patient herself undergoing orthodontic treatment as a dental student.
Jen is a registered orthodontic specialist and has successfully completed the examinations to obtain a Membership in Orthodontics with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons. She is also a member of the New Zealand Dental Association and New Zealand Orthodontic Association and a certified member of the Australasian Orthodontic Board. Outside of orthodontics, Jen enjoys travelling, skiing, photography and food.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT SABINE.
After graduating as a dentist in 1989 in Germany, Sabine completed a 4-year postgraduate specialty training in orthodontics. She gained her specialist qualification and completed her doctoral thesis 1994 at the Martin-Luther-University in Germany (Dr. med.). Sabine has worked in private and public offices in Germany, USA and has held clinical lecturer and senior consultant positions at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, before she and her family moved in 2007 to New Zealand. Formally working with Phil Sanford, she has now joined Embrace Orthodontics. Besides, Sabine also works as a consultant specialist orthodontist at Southland Hospital.
She enjoys the outdoors, tramping, hiking and skiing. She finds Invercargill to be a perfect place to combine professional and private life.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT JULIE.
Julie has a long history with Orthodontics! She initially started working as a chair-side assistant after leaving school at Orbell & Sanford Orthodontist. Then, she left to travel overseas for three years in 1994, and had various employment roles before starting a family. She returned to work for Phil Sanford as a receptionist in 2009. Since April 2014, she has joined Embrace Orthodontics and enjoys working here. Julie’s extensive experience of working in the clinic, and efficient and bubbly manner puts all our patients at ease. Outside of the practice, she enjoys a good game of squash and netball and has her own little farmlet.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT SHEREE.
Sheree trained as a dental therapist in Christchurch and worked in several school clinics in Australia, where she is originally from. She became a Southlander when she met her husband and worked in a few clinics here, too, before joining Phil in 1999. She feels she has had the added benefit of experiencing full orthodontic treatment, which also included implants and temporary anchorage devices. Outside of Orthodontics, she runs a dairy farm just out of Winton with her husband.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT YUKI.
Yuki came to NZ as a 16 year-old exchange student for a year, instantly fell in love with this beautiful country. So after studying psychology for 4 years in Japan, she decided to come back. Yuki has been working as a dental assistant at Embrace Orthodontics since 2017. She loves baking and craft.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT HEIDI.
Heidi trained as a dental assistant in 1995. She has worked in private dentistry, the school dental service and now in Orthodontics. She enjoys working with children and has been here since March 2017. Outside of Orthodontics, Heidi enjoys spending time with her husband and her two kids. She relaxes by watching movies and listening to music. Heidi has first hand knowledge of wearing Invisalign aligners and braces.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT HILARY.
Hilary trained as a school dental nurse in Christchurch and worked in several school dental clinics throughout Southland.
She has also worked at Otago’s Faculty of Dentistry and private dental practices as a Dental Assistant, before starting a family.
She has been an Orthodontic Auxillary since 2010 and joined Embrace Orthodontics early 2020.
She enjoys the outdoors and fitness, cycling, swimming, yachting, tramping as well as reading, crafts, food and grandchildren.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT TIFFINI.
Tiffini moved down to Invercargill after obtaining her Bachelor’s of Oral Health in 2021. During her study, she worked as a student assistant in the orthodontic department at Dental School and is delighted to extend her experience at Embrace Orthodontics.
Tiffini enjoys spending quality time with her husband outside of work. She also likes hiking, running and serving up food in the kitchen.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT TANUJA.
Originally from India, Tanuja moved to New Zealand in 2012. She has previously worked as a Dental Assistant and absolutely loves what she does. She has a tremendous appreciation for her job as it lets her combine her technical abilities and creativity.
Tanuja likes spending time with her family, cooking, gardening and other activities.
Dr Jennifer Lee
Orthodontist
Dr Sabine Richter
Orthodontist
Julie Whitaker
Practice Manager /
Receptionist
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT JEN.
Jen obtained her dental degree at the University of Otago and moved to Invercargill for a dental house officer position at Southland Hospital, where she quickly fell
in love with the beautiful Southland region. Following two years at the hospital she worked in a local private dental practice before returning to the University of
Otago for 3 years of specialist orthodontic training. Orthodontics has been a passion for her since her university years as she was an orthodontic patient herself
undergoing orthodontic treatment as a dental student.
Jen is a registered orthodontic specialist and has successfully completed the examinations to obtain a Membership in Orthodontics with the Royal College of
Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons. She is also a member of the New Zealand Dental Association and New Zealand
Orthodontic Association and a certified member of the Australasian Orthodontic Board. Outside of orthodontics, Jen enjoys travelling, skiing, photography and
food.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT SABINE.
After graduating as a dentist in 1989 in Germany, Sabine completed a 4-year postgraduate specialty training in orthodontics. She gained her specialist
qualification and completed her doctoral thesis 1994 at the Martin-Luther-University in Germany (Dr. med.). Sabine has worked in private and public offices in
Germany, USA and has held clinical lecturer and senior consultant positions at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, before she and her family
moved in 2007 to New Zealand. Formally working with Phil Sanford, she has now joined Embrace Orthodontics. Sabine also works as a
consultant specialist orthodontist at Southland Hospital.
She enjoys the outdoors, tramping, hiking and skiing. She finds Invercargill to be a perfect place to combine professional and private life.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT JULIE.
Julie has a long history with Orthodontics! She initially started working as a chair-side assistant after leaving school at Orbell & Sanford Orthodontist. Â Then, she
left to travel overseas for three years in 1994, and had various employment roles before starting a family. She returned to work for Phil Sanford as a receptionist in
2009.  Since April 2014, she has joined Embrace Orthodontics and enjoys working here. Julie’s extensive experience of working in the clinic, and efficient and
bubbly manner puts all our patients at ease. Outside of the practice, she enjoys a good game of squash and netball and has her own little farmlet.
Sheree Preston
Orthodontic Auxiliary
Yuki Taylor
Clinic Manager /
Dental Assistant
Heidi Davies
Treatment Coordinator /
Clinical Assistant
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT SHEREE.
Sheree trained as a dental therapist in Christchurch and worked in several school clinics in Australia, where she is originally from. She became a Southlander
when she met her husband and worked in a few clinics here, too, before joining Phil in 1999. She feels she has had the added benefit of experiencing full
orthodontic treatment, which also included implants and temporary anchorage devices. Outside of Orthodontics, she runs a dairy farm just out of Winton with her
husband.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT YUKI.
Yuki came to NZ as a 16 year-old exchange student for a year, instantly fell in love with this beautiful country. So after studying psychology for 4 years in Japan,
she decided to come back. Yuki has been working as a dental assistant at Embrace Orthodontics since 2017. She loves baking and craft.
She enjoys the outdoors, tramping, hiking and skiing. She finds Invercargill to be a perfect place to combine professional and private life.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT HEIDI.
Heidi trained as a dental assistant in 1995. She has worked in private dentistry, the school dental service and now in Orthodontics.
She enjoys working with
children and has been here since March 2017. Outside of Orthodontics, Heidi enjoys spending time with her husband and her two kids.
She relaxes by watching
movies and listening to music. Heidi has first hand knowledge of wearing Invisalign aligners and braces.
Hilary Malcolm
Orthodontic Auxiliary
Chloe Gorton
Treatment Coordinator /
Dental Assistant
Hannah Schaefer
Clinic Assistant
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT HILARY.
Hilary trained as a school dental nurse in Christchurch and worked in several school dental clinics throughout Southland.
She has also worked at Otago’s Faculty of Dentistry and private dental practices as a Dental Assistant, before starting a family.
She has been an Orthodontic Auxillary since 2010 and joined Embrace Orthodontics early 2020.
She enjoys the outdoors and fitness, cycling, swimming, yachting, tramping as well as reading, crafts, food and grandchildren.
Tiffini ChaiOral Health Therapist
Larissa MillerOral Health Therapist
Tanuja DhimanSterilizing Assistant
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT TIFFINI.
Tiffini moved down to Invercargill after obtaining her Bachelor’s of Oral Health in 2021. During her study, she worked as a student assistant in the orthodontic department at Dental School and is delighted to extend her experience at Embrace Orthodontics.
Tiffini enjoys spending quality time with her husband outside of work. She also likes hiking, running and serving up food in the kitchen.
GET TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT TANUJA.
Originally from India, Tanuja moved to New Zealand in 2012. She has previously worked as a Dental Assistant and absolutely loves what she does. She has a tremendous appreciation for her job as it lets her combine her technical abilities and creativity.
Tanuja likes spending time with her family, cooking, gardening and other activities.