We would like to introduce you to the Sahali Dental Team.
Everyone at Sahali Dental works hard and plays an important role in bringing the best care in oral health to our patients.
Karsen Benard
Receptionist
Karsen joined the staff at Sahali Dental in May of 2024 working with Dr. Mundi. She started working dental reception in 2020. She is certified in dental administration as well as the x-ray module. She also has experience working chair side and sterilization as well
Outside of work Karsen can be found outside with her husband and their families. She also loves time to curl up to read a book.
Michelle Brezina
Receptionist
Michelle joined Sahali Dental, working with Dr. Shinkewski, in October 2020. Dental Reception is a new career for her, having worked many years in the travel industry.
Outside of work Michelle enjoys quiet time reading and hanging out with her cat. She also loves to travel, spending time at Green Lake and exploring back roads. Michelle is also a huge baseball fan as well as a Blazer season ticket holder.
Makena Kitchen
Receptionist
Makena joined the Sahali Dental team in January 2024 working with Dr. Neilson. Prior to working for Dr.Neilson, she worked at an optometry clinic, so a bit of a change. From eyes to teeth!
Outside of work Makena play lots of slo-pitch and fastball. She also likes to travel to Victoria to visit friends and family.
"I am very happy to be working with this well knit team !!"
Angela Broome
Treatment Coordinator - Receptionist
Angela joined Dr. Neilson and the Sahali Dental Team in January 2023. She is a Certified Dental Receptionist with chairside experience. She has a long background in healthcare working as a Care Aide and in Recreation Therapy.
Angela and her two teenage children relocated to British Columbia from Alberta a few years ago living in the Okanagan before moving to Kamloops. She likes to spend her free time camping, boating, fishing, snowboarding and loves live music. She loves traveling and hosting gatherings of friends and family but especially loves to spend time with her kids, husband, two dogs and her cat.
"I am happy to be a part of such a warm, family-like team."
Chelsey Brezina
Treatment Coordinator - Certified Dental Assistant
Chelsey started working at Sahali Dental in September of 2012. She works for Dr. Neilson but also can be found working with Dr. Mundi if more coverage is needed. She is one of Dr. Neilson's Certified Dental Assistants. In addition to assisting chair-side, she spends a lot of time in the dental lab making custom fit bleaching trays or pouring up study models. She took on part of the Treatment Coordinator role early 2021.
Outside of work Chelsey's time is mostly spent going on hikes with her family and their dog. They also enjoy spending quite a bit of time at Green Lake.
Lil DeVries
Treatment Coordinator - Certified Dental Assistant
Lil started working at Sahali Dental in December of 1989. She started her work chair side with Dr. McGinn. She is a licensed Certified Dental Assistant with advanced training in both Orthodontic and Prosthodontic Modules. Lil is presently the Treatment Coordinator for Dr. Shinkewski.
Outside of the office Lil enjoys staying active in the outdoors.
Ashley Doré
Treatment Coordinator - Certified Dental Assistant
Ashely joined the team at Sahali Dental, working with Dr. Neilson, in January, 2020. She is a Certified Dental Assistant and took on part of the Treatment Planning role for Dr. Neilson in early 2021.
Outside of work Ashley enjoys camping and traveling with her family.
Deanna Choppen
Certified Dental Assistant
Deanna started her career in dentistry as a Certified Dental Assistant in 1981 graduating from Okanagan College in Kelowna. Her employment has mainly been in Kamloops with the exception of 2 years on Vancouver Island. She joined the staff of Sahali Dental working for Dr. Daryl Shinkewski in Sept 2003, hoping this employment will now take her to retirement.
As being Dr. Shinkewski's assistant, she enjoy all aspects of performing her duties to ensure our patients receive the utmost care. This involves staying abreast of all current changes through yearly continuing education seminars/courses.
Outside of work, she and her husband are avid golfers and plan most of their holidays doing what they love best, whether it's in beautiful BC or going south.
Melissa Hutchinson
Certified Dental Assistant
Melissa joined Dr. Neilson and the Sahali Dental Team in August 2022. She has been a Certified Dental Assistant since 2000, taking 3 years off to be a stay at home mom. She enjoys her job and especially enjoys the patients.
When Melissa is not at work she spends her time hiking and camping and loves to watch her girls play volleyball and softball.
Alicia Kunhegyi
Certified Dental Assistant
Ally graduated as a Certified Dental Assistant in 2020. She joined the Sahali Dental team, working with Dr. Mundi, in the fall of 2021.
Outside of work Ally enjoys spending time with family and friends. She especially enjoys the time spent with her mom sharing their love of gardening.
Kim Leberre
Certified Dental Assistant
Kim joined Sahali Dental in 1979 working with Dr. Ciastko and Dr. Patch, then left Kamloops in 1993 for her husband’s job. She moved back to Kamloops with her family in 2002 when she returned to Sahali Dental team working for both Dr. Neilson and Dr. Shinkewski. She has been one of Dr. Shinkewski's Certified Dental Assistants for over 15 years.
"I have enjoyed many years working as a CDA and most of them at Sahali Dental."
Kim and her husband have 3 grown children that have provided them with 7 grandchildren. They do a lot of camping and visiting the coast being that they are both from Powell River and have many family ties.
Veronika Toderian
Certified Dental Assistant
Veronika joined Sahali Dental July 4, 1994 working for Dr. Neilson as a Certified Dental Assistant.
"I have always wanted to work in dentistry. My first job in the field was being an "after school girl" back when I was in high school!"
Outside of work, you will find Veronika busy with her 2 boys. They are actively involved in Scouts which gets them out hiking and camping!
Lori Bustin
Registered Dental Hyngienist
Lori joined the Sahali Dental staff in January 2019. She studied hygiene at Vancouver Community College graduating in 2007. She began her career as a Registered Dental Hygienist working for four years in Prince George. From there she continued her career in Vanderhoof where she worked for two more years. Lori moved to Kamloops in 2013 working for Dr. C. Wilson until joining Dr. Shinkewski's staff in 2019.
Outside of work Lori likes to spend time with friends, family and fur babies. She loves to travel, bake and read. She especially likes music and movies.
Julie Holt
Registered Dental Hygienist
Julie joined the Sahali Dental team in 2004. She is a Registered Dental Hygienist working for Dr. Mundi, Dr. Neilson and also filling in for Dr. Shinkewski.
Outside of the office Julie enjoys playing the piano, kayaking and travelling with her husband and 2 girls.
Helen Neilson
Registered Dental Hygienist
Helen has worked part time for Dr. Neilson since 1998, which is the year they became husband and wife. She graduated from the College of New Caledonia in 1990, and since that time she has also worked part time for Drs. Hallett and Murphy in their office downtown.
Helen and Glenn have two active daughters who are now pursuing secondary and post secondary education.
Other than family and career, Helen enjoys fitness, travel, paddle boarding, and trying to keep up with her husband mountain biking and cross-country skiing.
Nadine Read
Registered Dental Hygienist
Nadine graduated from the Dental Hygiene Program at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She started working at Sahali Dental in November of 1993 with Dr. Bob McGinn and became Dr. Neilson’s Dental Hygienist when he took over the practice.
“I love my job as a hygienist. I count my coworkers as family and after 25 years here I consider my clients to be friends. I look forward to seeing them and hearing about their lives, their families and their adventures.”
Nadine and her husband Shawn moved to Kamloops from The East Coast just four days after their wedding in the summer of 1993. They fell in love with Kamloops and have called it home for the past 25 years. They have 2 children, Emma born in 1997 and Nicholas born in 2003.
Outside of work, Nadine enjoys walking, running, hiking and Saturday morning coffee dates with Shawn.
Michelle Webster
Registered Dental Hygienist
Michelle has worked over 25 years in dentistry as a Registered Dental Hygienist. She joined the Sahali Dental team in 2009 working for Dr. Shinkewski.
"I am very grateful for family, friends and having this great office to be a part of!"
Outside of the office Michelle is an avid hiker, backpacker, skier and mountain biker.
Jacqui Letcher
Office Manager
Jacqui joined our office, working for Dr. Neilson and Dr. Shinkewski, in April of 2022. She began working in dentistry in 2005 and still holds a license as a Certified Dental assistant. Over the past 5 years she has worked as a dental receptionist and then transitioned into a management role.
Outside of work she spends her time with her husband and two boys. She enjoys Yoga and recently became a registered yoga teacher as of June 2022.