Top five Dentists in Tasmania

With voting near closing, we reveal the top five dentists in Tasmania, as part of our next instalment of our Best of Tasmania 2020 series. SEE THE SHORTLIST + VOTE NOW >>

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TASMANIA’S Best Dentist has been fiercely contended, but five have emerged as frontrunners, with voting set to close on Sunday.

SEE THE SHORTLIST, ORIGINAL STORY AND CAST YOUR VOTE FOR BEST DENTIST BELOW >>

Tassie’s Top Five Dentists

• Dr Jessica Peters, Bayfield Dental
• Dr Jacques Cawood, Hobart Family Dental
• Dr Ian Gurner, Ian Gurner Dental Care, Hobart
• Dr Martin Fernando, City Dental, Hobart
• Dr Girish Sasidharan, Island Dental, Hobart

A TRIP to the dentist can evoke feelings of nerves and apprehension, but a Hobart professional says a calm demeanour, a laugh or two and even some “bad jokes” is the secret to putting a patient’s mind at ease.

Dr Shannon Astill from City Dental in New Town said a good manner and explaining to people how dentistry work would help them was one of the keys to a positive experience.

“If someone is really fearful, it’s good to have a chat to them about what happened last time to have made them become fearful,’’ she said.

“For a lot of people, they always reminisce about trips to the school dentist as a child.”

Dr Shannon Astill who is at City Dental in New Town. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Dr Astill, who is married with one child, said keeping people calm was crucial, and she admitted laughing a lot and telling the occasional joke to lighten the mood.

She said the best part about being a dentist was meeting people from all walks of life and having a hands-on job where she could solve problems for her patients.

The 27-year-old, who hails from Cairns in far north Queensland, has lived in Hobart for more than three years and said she had always wanted to be a dentist.

Dr Astill said coronavirus restrictions had put a temporary halt on some dental work but she said with the state currently free of the virus, it was mostly back to normal.

She recommended people have a six-monthly check up and clean.

Whether you’re on the hunt for a new family dentist to care for your pearly whites, or you’re just looking to say thank you to your dentist for caring for your precious assets, see below.

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