Practitioners

Dr Surandar Singh

Specialist Orthodontist – Cleft Lip / Palate Specialist – Founder of Wentworth Foundation, Lecturer

Dr Surandar Singh, a specialist in his field, has successfully treated patients over three generations. He is a well-known name in the Healthcare Professionals fraternity, not only for his knowledge, vast experience and expertise in Orthodontics, but also for his work with Craniofacial deformities such as Cleft Lip / Palate and other anomalies. His philanthropic work is supreme in his field, and he founded the Wentworth Foundation (Add Link to website) which has been rendering a free service to indigent patients who are born with Craniofacial deformities in KZN and parts of the Eastern Cape since 1994. He also founded the Academy of Orthodontic and Advanced Dental Assisting (Add Link to website) to advance the knowledge of Oral Hygienists and Dental Assistants in the field of Orthodontics and Practice Management.

1975 – 1987 Dr Sikki (Surandar) Singh graduated as a Dentist at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg. He held a junior lecturer position in the department of Oral Pathology at Wits University during 1975 and 1976. He was Lecturer/Registrar in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of the Western Cape from 1981 to 1986 where he completed an M.Ch.D degree in Orthodontics and graduated as an Orthodontist. In 1987 – Dr Singh relocated to Durban and proceeded to open his first private Orthodontic Practice and has not looked back since.

Dr Sankeshan Padayachee

Specialist Periodontist, Head of Clinical Unit (Oral Medicine and Periodontology) and senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand

Dr Sankeshan Padayachee is a Periodontist and Oral Medicine Specialist qualified with a BDS from Wits University and a MChD and OMP from the University of the Western Cape. He is the head of Clinical Unit (Oral Medicine and Periodontology) and senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Dr Padayachee has worked in Port Shepstone and parts of rural Kwa-Zulu Natal during his community service, after which he worked in Cape Town as a dentist and lecturer at the University of the Western Cape. He pursued a career path in specialising in Oral Medicine and Periodontology at the University of the Western Cape and returned to Durban opening a private practice in Umhlanga. He has continued with teaching and training of students and specialists at the University of the Witwatersrand in the Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology

Dr Padayachee is an executive member of the South African Society for Periodontology, Implantology and Oral Medicine (SASPIO), the International team for Implantology (ITI), South African Dental Association (SADA) and a member and trainer of the Swiss Dental Academy (SDA). His professional attitude is focused on patient’s happiness and comfort with a service that is based on achieving the highest standard of treatment. Dr Padayachee works with a hands-on approach and is dedicated to his patient’s and to the profession

Dr. Sonia Gordhan

Dental Surgeon

Dr Sonia Gordhan has been practising dentistry for eight years. During the beginning of her career, she quickly found a speciality in orthodontics and paediatrics and has enjoyed helping patients redefine their smile profile for many years. Dr Gordhan offers a full orthodontics treatment service and actively assists the Wentworth Foundation in Cleft Lip/Palate care.

She joined the Durban North Smile Centre in 2024 with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Western Cape (SA) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Orthodontics and Dento-facial Orthopaedics from the London Dental Institute (UK).

When Dr Gordhan is not helping patients, she enjoys the outdoors with her family and precious toddler. She is well established in the dental community and as such ensures she is up to date on the latest medical treatments in her field. Patients enjoy her gentle approach and vast knowledge base.

Saras Naidu

Oral Hygienist

“It is in giving that you receive. Also, if you treat people with humility the response you will get will be amazing!”

Saras Naidoo qualified from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal with a Bachelor of Oral Health Degree. She has been working with Dr. Sikki Singh for 30 years and during this time she has gained a tremendous amount of experience in Orthodontics, Cleft lip & Palate and has further qualified to practice Oral Hygiene as an independent practitioner.

Having been part of the Wentworth foundation for more than 20 years, she says,” working with the underprivileged has taught me humility and gratitude.” Described as approachable and humble she gives her best to every patient, gaining their trust in the process.

When she’s not improving the lives of her patients, Saras loves scouting secondhand shops for old or antique furniture for her to restore, giving her a great sense of achievement once completed.

Kathy Dolloway

Oral Hygienist, Chairperson of OHASA (Oral Hygiene Association of South Africa) KZN

“She who walks with integrity, walks securely”. (Proverbs 10:9)

Kathy Dolloway qualified as a registered Dental Hygienist at Glasgow Dental Hospital in 1985 after which she practiced Oral Hygiene in three large Dental Practices until moving to Durban in March 2000. Kathy furthered her studies at the University of Durban – Westville in 2001 to include expanded functions in Orthodontics, Radiography, local Anesthetics, Emergency and traumatic restorative techniques. She opened her own practice in June 2015. Further courses in Expanded Function were completed in 2018 at the University of the Western Cape and she has been the Oral Hygienist Association KZN Chairperson since January 2018.

She believes that Oral health is essential to your overall wellness, not just acute health issues but also making a big difference to your image and confidence. Kathy’s approach to patient care is to assess your oral health type and needs, thereafter developing a program of preventive care including both self-health habits and regular preventative treatments. An ‘afterhours’ landscape designer and avid reader, Kathy’s overall wellness approach resonates with all her patients.

FATHIMA TIMOL

Speech Therapist and Audiologist | Bachelor of Speech Therapy and Hearing Therapy

A QUOTE THAT RESONATES WITH YOU:
“Always do the right thing, do your best and treat others as you want to be treated.”

I am actively involved in the running of the practice and my passion is helping my patients ensuring that they are receiving the best possible treatment.
My focus is on prevention, diagnosis and rehabilitation of speech and hearing difficulties with an emphasis on the highest quality of care. We also focus on aftercare and ensure that you receive the best possible care. We empathize with your concerns, while offering a professional service.

Please visit our website for all our services https://earstalk.com/.

Nicole van Wyk

Clinical Psychologist

I am a clinical psychologist who works with a diverse range of clients who feel stuck with their current patterns in life and in need of help getting “unstuck”, whether it’s relational concerns, trauma, grief, depression, or anxiety, to name a few.

I am a warm and empathic clinical psychologist, with a high standard of care and competence. I am a person-centered psychologist with a focus on being present with the individual in the therapy room in a respectful and non-judgmental manner. Therapeutically I work with a diverse age range from children to adults, with the therapy tailored to the individual and their needs. I do not use a “one size fits all” approach.

I also have a special interest in psycho-legal cases.

I obtained my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kwazulu Natal. I have also obtained a further qualification in medicolegal practice from the University of Cape Town.

Seeking help is often a terrifying process. You are expected to be vulnerable with this stranger whilst being fearful and anxious around what the psychologist may think or say, and whether you will be judged. Rest assured, judgment is one of the services not offered by me. No one is perfect and judgment solves nothing.

Remember: “Change is difficult, but nothing is as difficult as being stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”

Akira Singh

Physiotherapist

Akira is a qualified physiotherapist with two years of work experience in private healthcare. She completed her studies at the university of KwaZulu-Natal in 2019 and further went on to complete her community service in 2020 in Harrismith, Free State. Akira was born and raised in Durban. During her schooling years, Akira was a sportswoman and enjoyed playing a variety of sports, with her favourite being artistic swimming. This sporting background played a significant role in her becoming a physiotherapist. Akira strives to connect with her patients to better understand their concerns and aims to educate and empower her patients with the knowledge and tools to improve their overall quality of life through the median of physiotherapeutic interventions. Akira’s passion for people is what drives her.

“Strive for progress always” – unknown.

 

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