About Us

At Sanctuary Dental we treat you our client, as we do our friends and family. This means that we carefully consider everything we advise for you, so that  you receive professional treatment with personal care.

Our commitment to you  is to:

• Help you attain optimal oral health for a lifetime.
• Apply a fair fee for the quality of service we provide.
• Work with integrity to treat you as we do treat our friends and family.
• Use the latest technology to provide the best long-term treatment outcomes.
• Be kind and considerate of your emotional needs and always deliver our services gently.
• Enthusiastically provide outstanding dental care based on a philosophy of Minimal Intervention Dentistry, quality and a careful diagnosis.

Meet the Team

Dr Yvonne Vannoort BDS (Otago)

"Holistic Mouth Care is about remembering that your mouth is not isolated from the rest of your body. If you have infection and inflammation in your mouth this has a direct effect on your overall health. As Dentists, we too often focus on that one broken tooth! We need to stop and look at the whole picture and think of what is needed to give you the best long term health outcomes."

"Sanctuary Dental is my dream come to reality. It is the place that many of my ideas and philosophies that have been developed over 23 years have come together. I have invested in the best technology, a committed and empathetic team, and a first class facility to provide you the best that Dentistry has to offer."

Dr Vannoort graduated from Otago University in 1988. She practiced at Auckland Hospital and as a tutor at Otago School of Dentistry, before spending the next 15 years developing Whitford Dental. She has always had a love for helping people care for their mouth, so that they are healthier, they can eat and chew anything they want and need to, and smile and present themselves to the world in a confident way. 

Dr Abraham Thavamani BDS PG Cert.PH

Abraham graduated from Tamil Nadu Medical University in 2004 and his vision for an overseas experience brought him to New Zealand soon after. He was captivated by the serenity and beauty of this country and decided to make it his home. He has proudly become a New Zealand citizen and has now settled here with his wife Ane and young son Amiel.

In 2005, Abraham gained a Post Graduated Certificate in Public Health through the University of Auckland.  Following this he underwent the NZDREX gaining registration with the Dental Council of New Zealand.

“Dentistry is my passion and I want to give my patients the best of what I promise. I enjoy using the dental laser because it is less invasive and more comfortable to my clients. The digital cameras and the laser diagnostic tools help me explain to my clients all the options available to them so that they can make an informed decision. I am blessed to work with all these technologies at my disposal.”

Dr Christian Blaschke Staatsexamen (BDS), Dr. med. Dent (PhD), NZDREX

Dr Blaschke believes good oral health is a key influence in the overall health and function of the entire body and is continuously researching the latest developments.

He studied dentistry at the University of Giessen Germany, obtaining a postgraduate degree in Prosthodontics, and worked as a partner in a surgery focusing on metal-free dental care, endodontics and implantology.

In 2000 he immigrated to New Zealand and founded Manly Dental Care on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast. The practice quickly became renowned for its innovative, metal-free dentistry and implantology. Dr Blaschke was the first person in Australasia to offer his patients metal-free ceramic dental implants.

Christian Blaschke is one of the world’s most experienced practitioners in metal-free dental implantology, and the consultant for clinical research for Z-Systems Australasia.

As a consultant for clinical research for Z-Systems Australasia, Dr Blaschke has presented workshops and lectures on metal-free dental implantology both nationally and internationally.

Michelle Felton RDH

"Hygiene is an integral part of dentistry where we prevent, and arrest diseases of the mouth. This cares not only for your mouth, but for your overall health and well-being. My vocation is dental hygiene, and I work to complement Dr Yvonne Vannoort and Dr Abraham Thavamani in their philosophy of providing the best long term health outcomes for our clients."

"Most of my childhood was spent growing up in rural Auckland, where I developed a taste for country life and a love for animals, music and the outdoors. I worked as Dr Vannoort’s assistant for three years and it was then that Dr Vannoort inspired me with her love of dentistry and how it can help people. Having a keen interest in dental hygiene she was instrumental in providing my sound foundations of dental knowledge."

"In 2006 I was given the opportunity to join Yvonne again for the launch of Sanctuary Dental, and I become part of a great team. Our exciting practice gives clients the chance to enjoy pleasant surroundings while experiencing innovative and advanced dentistry."

Michelle's Tips

Both red and white wines are acidic and that can have an adverse effect on your teeth and gums. Eat a piece of cheese after a glass of wine to reduce the acidity in the mouth again.

Whatever toothbrush you use, be careful not to apply too much pressure as this can lead to gum recession and erosion of the tooth enamel and very sensitive teeth!

Toothbrushes are known to harbour many bacteria especially when they stay wet. Have 2 brushes (or 2 brush heads for your electric toothbrush) and alternate them night and morning. Stand them up to dry properly so the bacteria on them are reduced. The best place is in the sunshine on the windowsill.

Caron Thorne RDH

My involvement with dental hygiene has been since 1984 having graduated in Cape Town, South Africa. I have been practicing in New Zealand for 12 years and I am currently the chair person of the Auckland Dental Hygiene Association.

"I have been welcomed into the Sanctuary Dental Team in 2008 . We share the same passion to provide excellent service and pain free dentistry to our clients".

I am happily married to husband Rodney for 34 years. I have a son Roscoe and a daughter Hannah-Jane.

Sharon Fini Dental Therapist

"I share the philosophy of Minimal Intervention Dentistry with my colleagues at Sanctuary Dental, and it is my passion to educate and assist children achieve optimal dental health. I also believe that a holistic approach is important as general health can be dramatically affected by dental health."

Sharon Fini graduated as a School Dental Nurse in 1985. Since then she has also worked in Australia for the Victorian School Dental Service, as a Dental Hygienist, and a Dental Assistant in New Zealand and the UK where she lived for 13 years. This has provided Sharon with a wide range of experience of differing cultures, and children (and parents) both dentally compromised and dentally aware.  Sharon has attended children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers, and she now has three teenage children of her own to keep her in touch with the adolescent culture and influences.

Sharon works part-time at Sanctuary Dental as a provider for the Auckland Regional Dental Service. This is an Adolescent Dental Benefit Scheme which provides funding for year 9 to18 year olds so that dental checks and all treatment is free of charge to you.