About Us
What is a prosthodontist?
A prosthodontist is a specialist dentist who deals with the restoration of missing teeth or bits of teeth using items such as crowns, veneers, bridges, implants and dentures. Prosthodontists aim to restore optimum function and aesthetics. We can help people who’ve had cancer surgery and accidents, and those with jaw joint problems or congenital abnormalities. We may even be able to help with snoring and sleep problems! To become a prosthodontist requires years of additional study on top of a basic dentistry degree.
You don’t need necessarily a referral to see a prosthodontist.
Praveen Nathaniel
Praveen is a registered specialist. He did his basic dental degree and masters training at Melbourne University. After graduating in 1986, he worked in country Victoria for four years before enrolling for his masters course. His thesis topic was Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacture in Dentistry, and he was among the first in Melbourne to look at this topic.
Praveen has held positions at the Royal Dental Hospital as Senior Registrar, at the University of Melbourne as a Lecturer and Clinical Demonstrator and at the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a Visiting Associate. He has been in restricted or specialist private practice since 1994 and set up the Melbourne Prosthodontic Centre in Mt Waverley and Moonee Ponds in 1996. A custom built state of the art clinic was built in Glen Waverley in 2007
Praveen is passionate about continuing education and keeping up with the latest developments. He has lectured at the University of Melbourne and run numerous courses there for over 15 years. He has also lectured locally, interstate and even internationally, and is involved in the dental profession at the local level in numerous capacities. He’s (or been) a member of The Dental Health Education Committee, local ADA groups, prosthodontic groups, crown and bridge societies and eleven other study clubs and speciality groups.
His opinion as an independent expert is sought after by dental companies, and he has served on numerous key opinion leader boards. He serves a pre-release evaluator for a number of companies for different dental materials.
His special interests in prosthodontics include implants and ceramics. His outside interests include street latin and ballroom dancing, woodturning, travel, photography, computing, skiing and playing the guitar and saxophone.
Edelmiro De Hoyos (Miro)
Dr. De Hoyos graduated from Mexico with high distinctions in 1999. After 2 years in general practice he completed a Master of Science degree in Biomaterials from the National University of Singapore in 2003. Moving to Adelaide he finished his Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics in 2006. He had extensive teaching experience in University of Adelaide to Undergraduates and Postgraduates. His other positions include visiting specialist to the South Australian Dental Service and Sharjah University. In 2008 he is awarded membership of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. He joined the Melbourne Prosthodontic Centre in 2008.
In his limited spare time he enjoys life outdoors playing golf and spending time with his wife and children.
Dr Wayne Chow
Wayne, originally from Hong Kong, is a Melbourne graduate, having completed his undergraduate in 1999 and post graduate Prosthodontic degree in 2012. His post-graduate thesis centered on bone research and the biology of dental implant healing.
He initially joined the Australian Army as a Dental Officer in 2000 and returned to full time Military service in 2013. During his military career, Wayne served in operations in East Timor, the Solomon Islands before being appointed Head of Corps for the Dental Corps and a Senior Medical Appointment providing clinical advice and governance to the Army as well offering a full range of services as a specialist prosthodontist to various health centres in South Queensland.
Wayne is a keen educator, was involved in undergraduate teaching at the University of Queensland Dental School and is teaching at the University of Melbourne.
Wayne’s special interests include dental erosion, oral rehabilitation as well as implants.
Wayne is married with two young daughters. In his spare time he is a keen middle-distance runner and enjoys travelling Australia with his family. Wayne is also fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.
Rebecca Wong
Rebecca Wong obtained her dental degree from the University of Melbourne in 1988. She worked in private practices in Ballarat, Auckland and Melbourne before completing her specialist training in 1996 in Melbourne. Rebecca returned to Malaysia in 1997 to start a family and fell into an academic career. She returned to University of Melbourne to complete her PhD in dental materials in 2010. Rebecca has worked part-time as a Prosthodontist at the Royal Dental Hospital Melbourne for the last 10 years as a clinician managing specialist referrals from metropolitan and rural Victoria. She is currently the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Melbourne Dental School. Outside the University and Hospital, Rebecca is an examiner for the Australian Dental Council, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and La Trobe University in Bendigo.
Rebecca has been a Blackburn North resident for the last 10 years with her two adult daughters and a Shitzu-Maltese. Rebecca enjoys gardening, watching food channels and pilates. Her favourite music genres are classical music, vocal jazz and Bossa Nova.
Carolina Perez Rodriguez
Carolina graduated from the University Complutense of Madrid in 2006. After completing her studies she moved to Oxford (UK), where she worked as a general dentist and undertook further studies in restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, and implants in London, Manchester, and France. During this time, she gained membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (UK).
In early 2013 she settled in Melbourne and while working in private practice, she completed a part-time diploma in clinical dentistry in the field of implants at The University of Melbourne. Carolina also received her prosthodontics specialist training and degree at The University of Melbourne and won the Straumann Group Award for academic achievement.
In addition to working in private practice at Melbourne Prosthodontic Centre, Carolina is a part time lecturer in the fields of prosthodontics and implants at The University of Melbourne. She is the current president of the Australian Prosthodontic Society Victoria Branch, member of the Australian Osseointegration Society, the International Team for Implantology and the Australian Dental Association.
In her spare time as a good foodie Carolina loves exploring Melbourne’s culinary diversity with her husband Liam. She also enjoys art and oil painting.