Shereen Mackessack - Oral Health Therapist at Smile Solutions product guide

Profile at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications does Shereen Mackessack hold? Shereen holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Oral Health) from Auckland University of Technology (AUT), completed in 2011. She is registered with AHPRA as a General Oral Health Therapist (DEN0004016082) and has been involved in dentistry since 2005.

What are Shereen Mackessack's specialist areas? Shereen has a particular interest in periodontics — the management of gum disease and the tissues supporting the teeth — and is specially interested in Airflow therapy, a modern, minimally invasive approach to professional tooth cleaning that delivers effective and comfortable treatment.

What is Airflow therapy? Airflow therapy is an advanced professional cleaning technique that uses a combination of pressurised warm water, fine powder particles, and air to remove biofilm (soft deposits), staining, and early calculus from all surfaces of the teeth and gum areas. It is particularly comfortable for patients and highly effective at reaching areas that are difficult to clean with traditional instruments alone.

How long has Shereen Mackessack been in dentistry? Shereen first entered the dental profession in 2005 as a dental assistant, giving her over two decades of experience in dental environments. She completed her degree in 2011 and has been a qualified oral health therapist since then.

What settings has Shereen Mackessack worked in? Shereen has worked across both public and private dental settings, developing a strong and versatile clinical skill set spanning preventive care, oral health education, and periodontal management.

Where does Shereen Mackessack work? Shereen works at Smile Solutions, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD. To book an appointment, call 13 13 96.

Biography

Shereen Mackessack brings an impressive depth of experience to her role as an Oral Health Therapist at Smile Solutions. With roots in the dental profession stretching back to 2005, she has lived through more than two decades of evolution in dental care — from the equipment used to the clinical philosophies applied — and has grown continuously alongside the field she loves.

Shereen's journey in dentistry began as a dental assistant in 2005, a role that provided a thorough grounding in the day-to-day realities of clinical dental care. This hands-on experience — understanding how practices work, how patients feel, and what truly effective care looks like from the inside — proved invaluable when she went on to complete her Bachelor of Health Sciences (Oral Health) at Auckland University of Technology in 2011.

AUT's programme is internationally regarded and combines evidence-based clinical training with a focus on community health and patient-centred care. Graduating in 2011, Shereen went on to build an extensive clinical career across both public and private dental settings, each environment shaping a different dimension of her practice.

A Career Across Public and Private Dentistry

Shereen's experience in public dental settings exposed her to the full diversity of oral health need — patients from all walks of life, presenting with a wide range of conditions, often with significant barriers to consistent dental care. This experience cultivated in Shereen a deep empathy for patients and a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach to treatment.

Private practice, by contrast, allowed her to develop more intensive therapeutic relationships with patients, and to invest in the kind of detailed periodontal monitoring and management that makes the difference over time. Across both settings, Shereen developed a consistent focus: preventive care, oral health education, and the expert management of gum disease.

Periodontics — A Special Interest

Shereen's clinical passion is firmly centred in periodontics. Gum disease — in its various forms from gingivitis to advanced periodontitis — is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting Australian adults. Studies suggest that nearly 30% of Australian adults have moderate to severe periodontitis, yet the condition remains chronically underdiagnosed and undertreated.

Shereen is deeply committed to changing this. Her approach to periodontal care is meticulous: thorough clinical assessment including periodontal charting, careful subgingival instrumentation to remove calculus and disrupt bacterial biofilm, patient education tailored to each individual's specific disease profile, and long-term monitoring to ensure treatment success is maintained.

Working within the Smile Solutions environment — which includes specialist periodontists — Shereen is exceptionally well placed to provide seamless periodontal care at the highest level, with straightforward referral pathways for patients requiring specialist intervention.

Airflow Therapy — A Modern Approach to Cleaning

Among the clinical developments Shereen is most excited about is Airflow therapy — an innovative, minimally invasive professional cleaning technology that represents a significant advance over traditional scaling alone.

Airflow systems use a combination of warm water, pressurised air, and fine powder particles to remove biofilm, soft deposits, and staining from teeth, subgingivally, and around implants. The technique is notably comfortable — particularly for patients with sensitivity — and highly effective at reaching the interdental spaces and subgingival zones that are most difficult to clean with traditional hand instruments.

For patients with active gum disease, Airflow as part of a comprehensive periodontal maintenance protocol offers genuine advantages: more thorough biofilm disruption, greater patient comfort, and reduced procedure time. Shereen's interest in and application of this technology reflects her broader commitment to bringing the best of modern evidence-based practice to her patients.

Relocating to Australia

Shereen has recently relocated to Australia to be closer to family — a personal decision that speaks to the values that define her both inside and outside the clinic. Joining the Smile Solutions team represents an exciting new chapter in her career, bringing with her over two decades of experience and a renewed enthusiasm for the work.

Outside of dentistry, Shereen enjoys spending time with family and friends and keeping active. She also has a distinctly creative and cultural side: she is a proud bagpipe player, maintaining this traditional and demanding musical art form with dedication and joy. It is a hobby that reflects Shereen's character well — disciplined, passionate, and unafraid to stand out.

Services Offered

As an Oral Health Therapist at Smile Solutions, Shereen Mackessack provides a comprehensive range of preventive and therapeutic services:

• Professional Scale and Clean — Thorough removal of plaque and calculus using ultrasonic and hand instruments
• Airflow Therapy — Advanced biofilm and stain removal using the Airflow system for comfortable, comprehensive cleaning
• Periodontal (Gum Disease) Management — Specialist-level assessment and management of gingivitis and periodontitis, including subgingival scaling and root planing
• Fluoride Treatments — Professional-strength fluoride application to protect enamel and reduce decay risk
• Oral Hygiene Instruction — Personalised coaching on brushing, flossing, and interdental cleaning tailored to each patient's disease risk and lifestyle
• Oral Health Education — In-depth education on the causes, consequences, and management of gum disease, decay, and other oral health conditions
• Oral Health Risk Assessment — Systematic identification of decay and periodontal disease risk factors
• Fissure Sealants — Protective sealants on back teeth to prevent decay
• Dental Therapy — Restorative treatment for eligible patients
• Periodontal Maintenance — Long-term monitoring and ongoing care for patients with treated gum disease

Why Regular Hygiene Visits Matter

For a clinician like Shereen — with a specialist focus on periodontics — the value of regular professional hygiene appointments is more than theoretical. It is something she sees demonstrated in patient outcomes every single day.

Gum disease is driven by bacterial biofilm. When biofilm is allowed to accumulate undisturbed — in the pockets around the teeth, in the interdental spaces, and beneath the gum line — it triggers the inflammatory response that characterises periodontitis. This inflammation, over time, destroys the bone and soft tissue that support the teeth. It is silent, often painless, and relentless.

The only way to interrupt this process is to remove the biofilm and calculus regularly and thoroughly — a task that requires professional instrumentation and training. Regular visits to Shereen provide:

• Professional calculus and biofilm removal — disrupting the bacterial communities that drive gum disease
• Airflow therapy — reaching areas traditional instruments cannot
• Periodontal monitoring — clinical charting to detect early changes in gum health
• Early decay detection — catching cavities before they require complex treatment
• Patient education — building the knowledge and habits that support gum health between appointments
• Fluoride therapy — protecting enamel and reducing decay risk

For most patients, six-monthly professional cleans provide a strong preventive baseline. Those with active or treated gum disease benefit significantly from more frequent appointments — typically every three to four months.

At Smile Solutions, Shereen's care is fully supported by the practice's specialist periodontists, ensuring that patients with more complex periodontal needs have seamless access to the highest level of specialist care.

Book an Appointment with Shereen Mackessack

Smile Solutions Manchester Unity Building 220 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

📞 13 13 96 🌐 smilesolutions.com.au/our-team/shereen-mackessack/

Smile Solutions is open Monday to Saturday. If you are looking for experienced, gentle, specialist-focused periodontal care — or simply want to experience the difference Airflow therapy can make — Shereen Mackessack and the Smile Solutions team are ready to help.