Pender Harbour Dental is a family practice where we are committed to preventative dentistry. That means, we promote regular checkups and cleanings so that we can help you keep your teeth clean and to catch problems when they are small. There are strong and proven links between your oral health and the health of your whole body – and we work hard to educate our patients on the best ways to create and maintain their oral health.
Our caring team has experience in most areas of dentistry and try hard to have our patients needs met right here on the coast. But, if we can’t help you, then we have a strong group of specialists we work with and can provide a referral to ensure you get the best care possible.
Connection to the community:
Dr. Hynd has coached the Pender Harbour Seals swim club for 7 years and enjoys helping young people work hard, improve their skills and have fun. Pender Harbour Dental is active in the community and supports numerous groups including the Pender Harbour Secondary Girls basketball team, harbor soccer teams, the Lions Club, the St Mary’s Hospital Auxilliary, and the Salmonid Enhancement Society. Dr. Hynd believes that sports are a great way to stay healthy and learn about key life concepts such as pride, discipline, and loyalty.
Some other things we’re proud of
In the fall of 2013, we installed a state of the art instrument sterilization center. We are committed to operating a safe and efficient dental office and are proud of our ultra modern equipment. This Hospital grade state-of-the art sterilization center far surpasses the College of Dental Surgeons’ requirements for a dental office in BC.
At Pender Harbour Dental, we are committed to our patients receiving the highest quality of care here on the coast and to minimize the number of ferry trips to Vancouver for treatment. For instance Dr. Virkela provides orthodontic care for coast residents.
Dr. Hynd has taken a great deal of advanced training in oral surgery and specifically dental implant placement, restoration and care. He takes great pride in helping people with missing teeth or loose fitting dentures.
We have recently partnered with Orbit 3D Oral/Maxillofacial Imaging and Diagnostic Services. This is a company that owns and operates a mobile CT scan unit and have started coming to the coast to provide CT scans for our patients. The state of the art technology right now is using a cone beam CT scan to do computer guided surgical implant placement. Using a CT allows us to place dental implants very precisely in order to optimize appearance and function. This is another example of how we are trying hard to use the latest technology to help our patients get the best care possible right here on the coast.
History of our clinic
Dr. Vineyard Choy started our company in 1991 after moving to the Sunshine Coast to learn dentistry from Dr. Gardner who was practicing in Madeira Park as well as teaching at UBC. Dr. Choy built a house in Madeira Park and opened a practice in the Pender Harbour Health Center. Shortly thereafter, Viney opened a second office in Gibsons.
In 2002, Viney got married and moved to Vancouver where he has a dental office in Coal Harbour. In addition, Viney commuted 2 days per week to continue to see his ultra-loyal Sunshine Coast patients. After doing this commute for several years, he decided to cut back to one day per month in order to focus on his family.
It was at this time that Dr. Lisa Virkela came on board and, along with her husband/business manager Jari, worked hard to build up a loyal following of patients. In 2007, the Virkelas decided to decrease their stress a little and sold the company to Dr. Robert Hynd who named it the Sunshine Coast Dental Group.
Dr. Hynd continues to operate the Madeira Park office and, along with Dr. Virkela, work together in attending to the dental needs of the Pender Harbour community.
In 2013, the name of the clinic was changed to Pender Harbour Dental after Dr. Hynd sold the Gibsons office to focus more time on his family and Pender Harbour Dental.
