About Dan Smethurst Orthodontist
Dan Smethurst Orthodontist is a leading orthodontic clinic serving Tauranga and The Bay of Plenty. We embrace the newest in orthodontic technologies to provide flexible and effective treatment options for children and adults.
Whether you’re interested in Invisalign®, SureSmile, or traditional braces, you can expect an individualised experience when you visit us. Our treatment philosophy is centred on providing excellent customer service, innovative care, and convenience for all of our patients.
Meet the team
Specialist Orthodontist
Dan Smethurst
British-born Dan Smethurst first came to New Zealand in 1990, to work at the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry. Returning to the UK, Dan gained Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He then completed a Masters in Orthodontics (with distinction) and a Membership in Orthodontics at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Dan, with his Tauranga-born wife and three boys, returned to Tauranga in 2004 and set up the practice where he is today.
Dan has embraced digital technology in orthodontics: “Digital technology in orthodontics is amazing because it helps us treat our patients better. That means faster and better treatment outcomes. That’s good for everyone. Digital technology allows us to plan our treatment cases more accurately and speeds up treatment by customising our braces and clear aligners”.
Customised braces (SureSmile) and Invisalign® are the epitomai of how advances in technology can help your treatment. Dan is the only SureSmile provider in the Bay of Plenty and is the biggest Invisalign® provider in the Bay, with Diamond Invisalign® provider status. Dan’s passion and experience with Invisalign® have led him to be involved with the training of postgraduate orthodontics students at the University of Otago in the use of Invisalign®.
Whilst away from work, Dan enjoys kitesurfing, surfing, mountain biking, and fishing.
Cheryl Downey
Cheryl is a registered Dentist from the University of Otago, with 15 years of general dental practice experience. Cheryl has been working with Dan in orthodontics for over 10 years. Cheryl will be involved throughout your orthodontic and Invisalign® journey. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Ange
Ange is a qualified Dental Assistant with many years of experience in different dental fields. She returned to New Zealand in 2021, after having lived overseas for 15 years with her husband and two boys. Outside of work, Ange enjoys socialising with friends and family, camping and exploring the outdoors.
Ella
Ella joined the team in 2021 as a chairside assistant. She is enjoying her new role in the orthodontic industry. Her favourite part of the role is seeing the smiles on patients' faces when they reach the end of their treatment journey. When she's not in the clinic, Ella loves to spend time fostering kittens for a lcoal rescue. She also enjoys the beach, travelling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Jessica
After being a patients of Dan’s 10 years ago, Jess knows a thing or two about living with braces. Whilst working chairside in practice, Jess also works heavily with Invisalign and Dental Monitoring to help keep our patients up to date with their treatment progress. She thoroughly enjoys meeting our new patients and helping those interested to understand how to navigate their treatment journey.
When Jess isn’t dancing her way through chairside assisting, she loves to spend her time travelling (the more cities in one weekend, the better!), and if she’s not waiting patiently for her next online parcel to arrive, she’ll be out brunching with friends at the Mount!
Paige
Paige has always had a keen interest in the orthodontic industry and is very excited to be part of the team at Dan Smethurst Orthodontics. She is always striving to develop professionally and brings a can-do attitude along with a cheeky smile and lots of laugher to work every day. Having had braces herself, Paige knows the journey first-hand. Outside of the clinic, you'll find Paige down at the beach trying to curate her ideal summer tan, or out with her friends and partner for a frozen margarita. She also loves to spend time at the gym or enjoying the outdoors.
Tash
Tash has been in the dental industry for many years. She is a highly trained orthodontic assistant who holds her NZ Dental Assistant Qualification. She is patient-focused and driven to provide the best experience along with the highest quality of care possible. Tash is happy to have a career that she loves and is grateful to be working with such an amazing team at Dan Smethurst Orthodontics. In her spare time she enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family as well as exploring New Zealand camping in her caravan, fishing or some well deserved retail therapy.
Suzanne Duthie
Suzanne has been in the dental industry for nearly 25 years as a Practice Manager and now a Receptionist. She enjoys her work at the front desk, greeting and arranging appointments for our patients. She also loves seeing the wide smiles of patients who have completed their treatment. In her spare time, Suzanne goes for walks, reads, and enjoys cooking.
Cathie
Cathie started her journey in the dental industry almost 40 years ago as a dental assistant and receptionist, eventually moving onto practice management. She even was a dental assistant for Dan over 30 years ago! They have kept in contact over the years, so Cathie was thrilled when she was asked to come on board in her admin/management role a couple of days a week- perfect for semi-retirement!
Shelly
Shelly joined Dan Smethurst Orthodontist after 25 years of retail management experience. Shelly is originally from Gisborne, moving to Tauranga 8 years ago with her partner. Shelly enjoys being on the front desk, and getting to greet patients as they come in the door for their appointments. In her own time, Shelly enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with family. Shelly is a bit of a self-confessed bogan as she crews for her son's stock car racing!
Eva
Eva is originally from Christchurch where she studied Marketing at University of Canterbury. She moved up to Tauranga and works on the front desk, as well as managing our patient relationship management system, social media and overseeing other marketing efforts. Eva, being a patient in the past, understands how big orthodontics can be for patients and loves ensuring their experience is as positive as possible. In her spare time she enjoys a good cup of coffee, going to the beach and spending time with friends and family.
What sets us apart
We are specialist orthodontists, committed to exhibiting excellence in all that we do. Our goal is to treat each and every patient with the highest quality of care, producing great smiles that we and our patients are proud of. From your first appointment to your last, we are committed to treating your own specific needs and desires and will work our hardest to achieve your dream results.
- Specialist care – you will receive treatment from our team of orthodontic specialists who have extensive training and experience in dental and facial aesthetics.
- Treatments for all ages - our range of treatments can serve any member of the family, whatever their age or orthodontic need.
- Convenient location – our practice is located in Tauranga and serves patients from Te Puke and Mt Maunganui.
- Free parking – we have plenty of on-site parking, making it easy to visit us.
- Flexible hours – we want to be sure that appointments fit in with your schedule, so we offer convenient opening hours.
- Latest in digital technology – by investing in the latest orthodontic technologies available, from our intraoral scanner through to digital treatment planning, we can support your treatment to progress faster and with a better outcome.
Visit us at our Tauranga practice
To find out more about our specialist team and how our advanced orthodontic treatment options lead to truly amazing results, book your consultation at our Tauranga practice.
Ready to set your teeth straight?
Book your free Invisalign® consultation today!
