Dr Arun Natarajan, one of Canterbury’s leading Specialist Paediatric Dentists, is passionate about all aspects of paediatric dentistry.
He has developed a niche way to help children and young people realise they can cope with dental anxiety and fears related to dental seings, and has presented widely at a national and international level.
Arun has a particular interest in behaviour management, dental anxiety, dental trauma, surgical extraction of supernumerary (extra) teeth or impacted teeth, children with special needs and providing comprehensive dental care under sedation and general anaesthesia.
In addition to his work at Happy Smiles, Arun works as a Consultant Paediatric Dentist at the Christchurch Hospital Dental Service and is the current president for the NZ branch of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry.
Arun has published several papers both nationally and internationally, and routinely gives lectures to dentists and school dental therapists. Outside Dentistry, Arun is a proud father to two daughters who keep him very busy outside work, and he enjoys tramping, reading, biking, socialising and food.
Dr. Arun Natarajan, one of Canterbury’s leading Specialist Paediatric Dentist, is passionate about all aspects of paediatric dentistry.
He has developed a niche way to help children and young people realize they can cope with dental anxiety and fears related to dental settings, and has presented widely at a national and international level.
In addition to his work at Happy Smiles Dental Care, Arun works as a Consultant Paediatric Dentist at the Christchurch Hospital Dental Service and is the current president for the NZ branch of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry.
Arun has a particular interest in behaviour management, dental anxiety, dental trauma, surgical extraction of supernumerary (extra) teeth or impacted teeth, surgical exposure of impacted/unerupted teeth, children with special needs and providing comprehensive dental care under sedation and general anaesthesia.
Arun has published several papers both nationally and internationally, and routinely gives lectures to dentists and school dental therapists. Outside Dentistry, Arun is a proud father to two daughters who keep him very busy outside work, and he enjoys tramping, reading, biking, socializing and food.
Emily Rades, Oral Health Therapist at Happy Smiles Dental Care. Emily graduated with a Bachelor of Oral Health from the University of Otago in 2019 and is originally from down South. Emily began her career working with the Canterbury District Health Board as an Oral Health Therapist and has also gained experience working part time at Christchurch Hospital Dental.
Emily’s goal is to help patients achieve a high standard of oral health with focus on educating her patients while providing gentle, thorough care. Emily places a big emphasis on communicating to patients, involving them in the process to gain the best treatment outcome.
Outside of work Emily is a big advocate for fitness classes and loves to discover new hiking, running trails and spends most weekends exploring different parts of New Zealand.
Our team has the knowledge and training to positively shape your child’s experience of dental care.
We work on building relationships with our young patients and their whānau before they visit our clinic, using a range of custom-developed tools to help children understand their treatment and put them at ease.
We are experienced in supporting children with a wide range of physical, intellectual and isolated behavioural needs. Please give us a call to speak to our friendly staff to know more about how we could make your child’s dental visit more comfortable as possible.
We offer a full range of dental services for teenagers, from routine care to general and surgical dentistry.
By the time they reach their teens, a significant number of Kiwi kids may have unfortunately developed apprehension around dental visits. Some teenagers having dental anxiety may also hesitate to seek dental care which can result in poor oral health and may lead to expensive and complex dental treatment in the future.
At Happy Smiles Dental Care, we recognise the impact of dental anxiety on oral health and general health. Our approach is unique and tailored to their individual needs. We will work with your child to learn about their unique circumstances, discuss different options and help them know what to expect when they visit us.
At Happy Smiles Dental Care, we will work together with a range of different specialists to deliver co-ordinated specialist dental care for your child, including:
At Happy Smiles, we will work together with a range of different specialists to deliver co-ordinated specialist dental care for your child, including:
At Happy Smiles, we will work together with a range of different specialists to deliver co-ordinated specialist dental care for your child, including: