Welcome to year of the White Tiger, an auspicious year which bodes many great things for us all. Let me know when you're next in whether you were able to visit the Chinese lantern festival held in Albert Park recently - it is meant to be a stunning event which I am hoping I can get the whole family along to. The year is well and truly underway now, and it's great to be back after a truly magnificent summer. Hopefully you enjoyed the weather as much as we did, and were able to make the most of some of the glorious outdoors we have in New Zealand. One present my wife Kimberly got was a beautifully illustrated book on walks offered around our country - something which has inspired both of us to get out and do some more walking this year.

We have some good and some sad news to share. Sad, because our long term Hygienist Jessica recently moved to Australia. We were very sorry to see Jess go, and wish her all the very best with her new endeavours in Sydney where she will continue her Dental Hygiene career. And my associate dentist Ant also finished up in February, and will now be working much closer to his home in Pukekohe. It is a shame to see Ant go and we wish him the very best with his future.

But, and here's the good news - we have a wonderful new Dental Hygienist, Grace Maguire, now working full time with us, and she is also a Dental Therapist. This means that Grace is fully qualified to treat children under the age of 18, in both preventative and restorative treatment. Grace is originally from Auckland, and is very excited about settling down in the city she has such fond memories of. With Grace on board, we're hoping to see more children here at Accent, and as a back to school special we are offering a check up for children including; an exam, clean, and x-rays for the great price of $100 (usually $125). We truly believe looking after your children's teeth is important, which is another reason we're so excited about Grace. Having regular thorough examinations and x-rays in combination with preventative care and good oral hygiene instruction is the best way to help fight tooth decay and keep your children smiling.

Also, after a very extensive search, Dr. Priya Bhundoo joined Accent as our newest dentist, and will be working with us two days a week with a view to more. I confess December was a very busy month for me, what with all the interviewing I was doing on top of the usual Christmas lead up - but I am sure you'll agree it's always best to take your time finding the right person. I am truly excited to welcome her into our practice and will be working closely with Priya to provide mentoring and continual training.

Priya is an Otago graduate, and after some experience with hospital dentistry decided to concentrate on work in private practice. Her philosophy of the patient-dentist relationship is centered on trust. In Priya's words "My patients come to me knowing that they are always provided with options and that the ultimate treatment is based on shared decision-making. My main aim is to act as an advisor for my patients whilst upholding strict ethics. Priya enjoys both the cosmetic and restorative aspects of dentistry, and is also particularly fond of endodontics. Outside of dentistry she enjoys rock climbing, wild water rafting and cooking. And having recently moved to Auckland with her fiancé, Priya is also looking forwards to discovering what our beautiful city has to offer.

Well that's it from me. We all look forward to seeing you this year, and hope the year of the White Tiger brings you good fortune and fulfillment.

Kind regards

Matt Sumner