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Advocates for Oral Health: Content Community

Preventive oral health practice is at the core of an Advocate’s professional beliefs. The community’s aim is to support and encourage oral health professionals by sharing insight-led articles across social network channels including LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

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The Community’s Aims and Current Members

 

The Advocates for Oral Health Community (AOHC) is a group of dental and oral health professionals who have a passion for preventive oral health practice. The AOHC aims to support and encourage the next generation of dental professionals through the sharing of their knowledge and experience on a range of relevant and topical issues based on their experience in the profession. Members of the community publish relevant and interesting oral health content, enabling peer to peer engagement and promoting ongoing collaboration within the dental profession.

Who are the current Colgate Advocates?

Advocate imageHaydyn Bathurst is a fifth-year student in the Bachelor of Dental Science at
Charles Sturt University. He has spent the last year travelling NSW on his placement.  As the Class Representative he is passionate about helping
others and continuing to learn more in the ever-expanding pool that is dental
science. As a member of the Colgate Advocates for Oral Health: Content Community, Haydyn aims to use this platform to connect and engage with colleagues and peers across the broad field of dentistry.

Haydyn Bathurst Social Channels:

Girl in a jacketDr Sam Koh is the principal dentist and director at Dental Boutique Mornington, with special interests in Cosmetic Dentistry and Orthodontics. Dr Koh has been awarded with prestigious fellowships from the International Academy of DentoFacial Esthetics in New York, the Pierre Fauchard Academy in London, as well as a fellowship in Orthodontics. He is the co-founder of the Young Dentist Hub, a mentor for DentalX, and a speaker/Key Opinion Leader for several dental companies. Dr Koh is a founding member of the Colgate Advocates for Oral Health Content Community.

Dr Sam Koh Social Channels:

Christine MurthiChristine Murthi is an Oral Health Therapist based in New Zealand. She is currently studying a Masters in Health Science at Auckland University of Technology. Prior to this she had secondary teaching/tutoring experience spanning more than ten years. Through this teaching experience combined with her diverse cultural background she has developed a passion for promoting diversity in clinical practice, overcoming communication barriers and connecting with the community. As a member of the Colgate Advocates for Oral Health: Content Community, her contributions to the dental community aim to promote good oral health for all and keeping a healthy smile for life.

Christine Murthi Social Channels:

Christine MurthiLatisha Sykora is a fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Adelaide. As a proud Mudburra-Jingili woman, she possesses great desire and commitment to elevate Indigenous oral health outcomes by promoting leadership and preventive measures. Latisha's journey in dentistry began in 2012, completing a school-based traineeship in dental assisting, an experience that fuelled her interest in oral disease, particularly in rural and remote communities. Her determination led to becoming a graduate Oral Health Therapist in 2019. Currently, she serves as a supporting clinician at the Indigenous Oral Health Unit (IOHU) at the University of Adelaide, while also devoting time to work in private practice. For Latisha, early intervention and education hold the key to achieving excellence in oral health. She actively demonstrates this belief by mentoring Indigenous students and serving as a Director of the Indigenous Dental Association Australia (IDAA). In 2022, she was awarded the Student Leadership Award for Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA). Through her inspiring work and leadership, Latisha joins the Colgate Advocates for Oral Health: Content Community ready to embody a lasting impact on Indigenous oral health and create a brighter, healthier future for her community.

Latisha Sykora Social Channels:

Dr Kaejenn TchiaDr Kaejenn Tchia is a recent graduate working in a corporate private practice in Darwin, Northern Territory. He is the current President of the Australian Dental Association NT Branch Inc. He has also served leadership positions for Bupa Dental Corporation including the Clinical Advisory Panel, Clinical Procurement Committee and currently the Graduate Committee. He is passionate about helping and collaborating with fellow dental colleagues, recently embarking on a new journey to help recent graduates eliminate burnout through a 6-step B.E.L.I.E.F System through his motivational coaching platform, The Limitless Dentist. Kaejenn is a member of the Colgate Advocates for Oral Health: Content Community and hopes to use this platform to raise awareness of the importance of mental health in dentistry and provide mindset tools, which can help his colleagues unlock their next level of growth and success.

Dr Kaejenn Tchia Social Channels:

Emma TurnerDr Emma Turner, a founding member of the Colgate Advocates for Oral Health: Content Community, completed her Doctor of Dental Medicine at the University of Western Australia as the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year 2020. She is an avid hospital dentist, having worked in Melbourne’s southeast and more recently in the Top End and is passionate about contributing to the future of oral health through dental education, community engagement and research. She hopes to share her insights to encourage members of the dental profession to reflect on opportunities for personal and professional growth to benefit our patients and the wider community.

Dr Emma Turner Social Channel:

Dr Isabel EvansDr Arosha Weerakoon is the owner of Tewantin Family Dental. She is also a lecturer (hon) with a Master’s in Public Health and a PhD from the School of Dentistry, University of Queensland.  Arosha’s PhD thesis is titled, ‘Dentine, Adhesive Interfaces & Physiological Ageing’. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fouchard Academy. Arosha is the Assistant Secretary for the International Dental Ethics and Law Society and a member of the Clinical Council for Country to Coast, Queensland. In recognition of her commitment to professional learning and development, Arosha was awarded the 2022 BOQ Specialist Practice Bursary for Dental Excellence from the Australian Dental Association (QLD). In 2019, Arosha was awarded the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant. In the same year, Arosha won the top prize, The Vice Chancellor’s Award, for her research pitch titled, ‘It’s about bonding with fillings’ hosted by Universities Australia. As part of her prize, Arosha completed an internship at The Conversation Media Group Headquarters in Melbourne. To date, she has published eight articles promoting oral health with The Conversation Media Group. Arosha believes that community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration and patient empowerment is the key to improving oral and general health for all. She hopes to use her role as a Colgate Advocate for Oral Health to create meaningful discussions with oral and general health professionals to improve health practices, patient outcomes and to encourage more clinicians to engage with research.

Dr Arosha Weerakoon Social Channels: