Passions Archives - Bite Magazine https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/category/passions/ Independent dental news, views and reviews Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:58:19 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 Sweet tooth https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/sweet-tooth/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/sweet-tooth/#respond Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:53:38 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=41264 Running a Lebanese sweets business allows Leanne Zoghbi, an oral health therapist at Diamond Smiles Dental in Carramar, WA, to share her cultural heritage. “When I was 17 and had just finished high school, I had a passion for my Lebanese culture and Mum had a passion for cooking. Mum made a tray of baclava […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/sweet-tooth/feed/ 0 Creature comfort https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/creature-comfort/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/creature-comfort/#respond Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:34:37 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=41131 Dental hygienist Rachelle Johnson of Coastal Glo in Ulverstone, TAS, wants to give every patient a positive experience—and a furry little sidekick is helping her make this happen. “Some people bring notebooks to work. I bring Col, my certified therapy dog and trusted teammate. Col, my six-year-old Maltese Shih tzu, is Coastal Glo’s most enthusiastic […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/creature-comfort/feed/ 0 In a pickle https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/in-a-pickle/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/in-a-pickle/#respond Tue, 24 Jun 2025 22:30:15 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40988 It started out as a way to meet people but Dr Michelle Chin of Chermside Dental Care in Brisbane was soon representing Australia in pickleball. “About 12 months ago, I played in the National Pickleball League in Australia. It was an amazing experience, and I’m still astonished to say I represented Australia in pickleball, particularly […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/in-a-pickle/feed/ 0 Easy rider https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/easy-rider/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/easy-rider/#respond Wed, 28 May 2025 00:07:28 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40887 Riding his Harley on the open road is how Dr Nimesh Patel of Timeless Smiles in Pennant Hills, NSW, lets loose. “I own a Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider with a 1690cc engine. It’s a heavy bike but comfortable and fun to ride. I’m a relatively short man so a low-rider allows my feet to touch […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/easy-rider/feed/ 0 Bursting with joy https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/bursting-with-joy/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/bursting-with-joy/#respond Tue, 29 Apr 2025 22:37:43 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40718 It’s a twist here and a turn there, as Dr Stephanie Primc of Ellen Street Dental in Wollongong, NSW, creates colourful balloon animals to delight her young patients. “It all started when I was visiting our local paediatric dentist who makes balloon animals for his young patients. I saw how happy it makes them and […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/bursting-with-joy/feed/ 0 Driven https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/driven/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/driven/#respond Tue, 25 Mar 2025 22:38:57 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40516 Coalmine truckie, speedway enthusiast and oral health therapist, Samantha Barbeler, is in the fast lane improving dental health in regional communities. “My first job was as a casual employee at Kingaroy Dental Clinic in rural Queensland. My mum had been a dental assistant but pushed me to get into the mining sector to follow in […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/driven/feed/ 0 The collector https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/the-collector/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/the-collector/#respond Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:24:45 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40409 Dr Howard Chang of Smile Circle in the Sydney suburb of Five Dock enjoys finding specific pieces when adding to his trading card and watch collections. “When I need to take time off and disengage from work and study, collecting trading cards is my way to unwind. I’m not a super serious collector; I’m only […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/the-collector/feed/ 0 Voices carry https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/voices-carry/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/voices-carry/#respond Sun, 02 Feb 2025 21:31:00 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40208 A tenor in the Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers, Dr Rajah Selvarajah of Sydney City Dentist has been singing his entire life. “The Sydney Philharmonia Choir consists of a few different choirs. There’s the Symphony Choir that works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. There’s the Festival Chorus, a large group that comes together about twice a […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/voices-carry/feed/ 0 Good sport https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/good-sport/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/good-sport/#respond Sun, 12 Jan 2025 22:26:57 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=40131 After moving from Ireland to Australia, Dr Alexandria Campbell of Ed Square Dental in Edmondson Park, NSW, found a touch of home playing Gaelic football. “Dentists with recognised dentistry qualifications from the UK and Ireland can work in Australia without needing to do further exams. I was always curious about visiting Australia—the weather’s much nicer […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/good-sport/feed/ 0 Nice ring to it https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/nice-ring-to-it/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/nice-ring-to-it/#respond Tue, 26 Nov 2024 23:27:49 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=39932 It’s a multi-tone instrument but the music is sweet when Dr Veronica Lambert of Double Bay Dentistry in Sydney plays the carillon. “A carillon is a very large percussion instrument that has a keyboard played with fists and a footboard played with feet. The one I play in the clock tower of the quadrangle at […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/nice-ring-to-it/feed/ 0 Rope work https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/rope-work-2/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/rope-work-2/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2024 22:51:46 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=39788 High overhead, Dr Ebony Elliott of Advanced Dental Spa in Ballajura, WA, performs aerial acrobatics on a variety of circus apparatus. “I started aerial acrobatics when I was 23 years old. While I was studying dentistry, it was a very handy paid part-time gig. I still do paid gigs today, mainly one-off performances for special occasions. […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/rope-work-2/feed/ 0 Marathon man https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/marathon-man/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/marathon-man/#respond Tue, 01 Oct 2024 23:12:04 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=39141 There’s nothing like a 90-kilometre run according to Dr Arnold Cohen of Cottage Dental Centre in Earlwood, NSW.  “Over the past 30 years, I have run 76 standard marathons and 47 ultra-marathons. The highlight of my running career is the 90-kilometre Comrades Marathon in South Africa which I have completed 11 times. This has given […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/marathon-man/feed/ 0 Sounds too good https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/sounds-too-good/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/sounds-too-good/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:44:57 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=38460 Trios, quartets, ensembles and orchestras have all benefitted from the cello playing skills of Dr Andrew Zischke from Grange Road Dental Group in Ipswich, Queensland. “I play cello in semi-professional orchestras. I play with multiple ensembles and have performed more than 10 concerts in the past couple of years. The amount of practice needed before […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/sounds-too-good/feed/ 0 On ice https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/on-ice/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/on-ice/#respond Tue, 30 Jul 2024 22:44:43 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=37833 Canadian-born dentist Dr Sarah Edney of Power Dental Practice in Hurstville, NSW, rekindled her love of ice hockey when she moved to Australia. “When I moved to Australia from Canada, I didn’t expect ice hockey to even exist here. I had never heard of any Australian teams so it was nice to discover a small […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/on-ice/feed/ 0 Centre stage https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/centre-stage-2/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/centre-stage-2/#respond Tue, 02 Jul 2024 22:17:59 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=37231 The all-singing, all-dancing Dr Kate Xouris of Xouris Giuttari Thanos Dental in Warrawong, NSW, loves performing in musical theatre. “From a young age I was interested in acting, singing and dancing. All through primary and high school, I performed in school plays and musicals. When I started dentistry at Charles Sturt University in Orange [NSW], […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/centre-stage-2/feed/ 0 Mastering the art https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/mastering-the-art/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/mastering-the-art/#respond Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:11:30 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=36854 The detailed techniques used to create Mysore- and Tanjore-style paintings allows Dr Shruthi Gangadhar of Core Dental in Wyndham, Victoria, to connect with her culture. “I’m originally from Mysore in southern India, a place with a rich cultural heritage. In the period between the 2nd century BC and the 7th century AD, Mysore painting originated […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/mastering-the-art/feed/ 0 Big picture https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/big-picture/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/big-picture/#respond Sun, 05 May 2024 22:56:41 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=36525 The ‘big five’ game animals are favourite photography subjects of Dr Nihir Shah of Knight Street Dentists in Shepparton, Victoria. “I love to photograph elephants. They’re at the top of my list but I also enjoy photographing leopards, lions and rhinos. It’s intriguing to watch them in the wild as opposed to a zoo. Whenever […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/big-picture/feed/ 0 Driving ambition https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/driving-ambition/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/driving-ambition/#respond Sun, 07 Apr 2024 23:00:12 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=36144 His love for a TV show from the 1980s led Dr Andrew James of Creative Dental Haus in Geelong, Victoria, to purchase a 1973 Dodge Charger.  “My love of cars was instilled into me by my father. Growing up, he always had different cars, including a 1969 Mustang. From the first time I watched The […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/driving-ambition/feed/ 0 Different drum https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/different-drum/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/different-drum/#respond Sun, 03 Mar 2024 23:29:31 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=35668 Mastering the tabla is a lifelong pursuit that Dr Stephan Kantharajah of Dental Sanctuary in Neutral Bay, NSW, is happy to undertake. “A tabla is a percussion instrument that is predominantly played in the north of India. The famous sitar player, Ravi Shankar, was often accompanied by a tabla player. The tabla has a right- […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/different-drum/feed/ 0 On patrol https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/on-patrol/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/on-patrol/#respond Sun, 04 Feb 2024 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=35237 Surf lifesaving patrol captain, Dr Murray Hayes of Kawana Dental in Buddina, Queensland, has 12 kilometres of beach to keep safe. “One cold, windy day, I was off duty as a volunteer surf lifesaver at Bondi Beach, just sitting near the tower and eating a hamburger. I heard a weird, wailing noise and out in […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/on-patrol/feed/ 0 Onwards and upwards https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/onwards-and-upwards/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/onwards-and-upwards/#respond Sun, 07 Jan 2024 23:43:42 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=34927 International competitive rock climber, Dr Chase Gatland of Mona Vale Dental in NSW, believes he still has much to learn about the sport. “When bouldering in competitive rock climbing, the competition is usually spread across five boulder problems. You earn points for getting to the top but everyone falls. You might complete a couple of […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/onwards-and-upwards/feed/ 0 Jazz it up https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/jazz-it-up/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/jazz-it-up/#respond Sun, 03 Dec 2023 22:39:15 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=34575 Dr James Chiu of Burns Bay Dentistry in Lane Cove and Evergreen Dental in Chatswood, both in NSW, plays his saxophone to fit the mood, whether it’s loud and fun or soft and sexy. “When I was about seven years old, all my friends were joining the school band so I decided it would be […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/jazz-it-up/feed/ 0 Tea time https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/tea-time-2/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/tea-time-2/#respond Sun, 05 Nov 2023 23:23:45 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=34055 Afternoon tea is a treat for Dr Joy Er of AvaDent in Cannington, WA, when she uses her vintage teacups. “When I was about 18 or 19, I went to high tea for the first time and really enjoyed it. I loved the delicate fine-bone china cups that were decorated with beautiful floral designs. Soon […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/tea-time-2/feed/ 0 No hands https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/no-hands/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/no-hands/#respond Sun, 08 Oct 2023 22:39:43 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=33650 On the soft sand of Sydney’s beaches, Dr Paulo Pinho of Affordable Dentists in Sydney and Melbourne plays footvolley every weekend.  “Footvolley is a fairly new sport in Australia and it’s very technical. The popular places to play in Sydney are Bondi Beach, Tamarama and Manly. The games always draw a little crowd. Once we’ve […]

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]]> https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/no-hands/feed/ 0 Get the ball rolling https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/get-the-ball-rolling/ https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/get-the-ball-rolling/#respond Mon, 04 Sep 2023 00:11:04 +0000 https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/?p=33302 Fitness, competition, camaraderie—for Dr Rachael Chan of Victoria’s Lightwood Dental in Ferntree Gully and Smile Centre in Heidelberg and Langwarrin, the beautiful game has it all.  “I play soccer for Ashburton United in Women’s State League 2. Above that is State 1 and then the National Premier League Victoria. I have quite a bit of […]

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