Meet the owner
Dr. Swinkels (sometimes affectionately known as Dr. Sprinkles) has a passion for dentistry that started at a young age. She graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry from Dalhousie University in 2006, spent some time practicing in Guelph, On and the Halifax area before purchasing Tri-Harbour Dental in 2014. She loves the tight-knit community of Inverness and she finds working in a small community where we truly know our patients is very rewarding. Dr. Swinkels enjoys caring for patients of all ages and loves nothing more when an appointment ends and her patients convey that their appointment was “so much easier than they thought it would be.” She enjoys participating regularly in continuing education courses in all areas of dentistry to continually learn new skills and keep up with advancements in dental treatment. Outside of dentistry, Dr. Swinkels loves giving back to our wonderful community and acts as co-chair of the Student Advisory Council at Inverness Academy and Education Centre. Dr. Swinkels also enjoys walks on the beach with her dog Ruby, walking and running on our local trails, camping with her family and friends, and watching the Golden Girls! Not only is she a tender-hearted dentist she is also a loving wife to her husband Matt and an affectionate mom to her two boys Ben and Nathan.
Meet the team
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Wanda joined our practice in 2011. Behind her kind eyes and great listening skills is a woman who is passionate about getting to know all our patients and making sure they receive quality service and attention from our front office. Wanda enjoys helping people regain their confidence by optimizing their oral health. She does this by helping patients achieve their smile goals when scheduling their appointments and treatments in timeframes that simplify their lives. Wanda strives to ensure that your visit to our office will meet your expectations, she always makes herself available to others by assisting in answering questions. Her attention to detail and calm demeanor have been welcomed skills to our front-end dream team. During the weekends, Wanda enjoys gardening and spending time with her family. Wanda is an animal loving enthusiast which explains why she also has the purest heart.
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Annie provides a warm and welcoming service along with years of dental hygiene experience. A fascinating story about Annie is she had plans of becoming a hairdresser after high school but after a summer full of dental assisting Annie quickly found her real calling and decided to become a dental hygienist. Annie has joined our team in 2018. Behind her beautiful smile and contagious laugh is a woman who is passionate about getting to know all of our patients and making sure they receive quality care and attention from our office. Annie strives to have her patients feel comfortable enough to share their likes, dislikes, or concerns with her. She has a gentle touch and thorough record-keeping. Annie went to school in Ottawa, at the Canadian National Institute of Health. In her early years, Annie was involved in many exhibitions where she would do barrel racing which explains her love of animals especially her two dogs, Angus, and Porter. In Annie’s free time, she has recently taken up road running and recently completed her first Cabot Trail Relay. Annie is a loving wife to her husband Etheridge and is a dedicated mom to her two beautiful daughters Ellie and Maeve.
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After many years living away Allison moved with her family back home to Cape Breton. Our patients and staff enjoy her positive bubbly personality and radiant laugh. Her competence, strong work ethic and ability to connect well with patients has been a huge asset to our dental practice. Since joining our team she has thoroughly enjoyed helping patients in every way possible whether that be discussing their insurance or making them smile as they walk through the doors. Allison is a loving wife to her husband Regan and is a proud mom of three children, Ceilidh, Victoria and Alex. Allison’s free time is usually spent with family and friends, travelling with her children to sports events and other adventures, or curling up with a good book as she is our office book worm.
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Angie joined our team as a registered dental hygienist in 2010, after graduating from Dalhousie University in 2009. At our practice, Angie evaluates the oral health of our patients and educates them on ways that they can improve their oral hygiene. Angie helps each patient work toward maintaining an oral hygiene routine so that they can experience the full functionality of their smile! Angie is quick to make her patients feel at ease by building confidence, trust, and friendship with each patient. Her caring voice and understanding nature make it really easy for patients to feel comfortable. Angie loves to walk the west Mabou beach with her dog Rosco. In Angie’s spare time she enjoys photography (she has taken many of the photos we have in the office), listening to music and spending quality time with her husband Duncan.
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Larry is the ultimate handy man of our office. When we need something fixed or supplies ordered, he’s our guy. The overall patient experience is his top priority, and he works hard to ensure they feel comfortable in our office. Larry has a fast driven energy, a desire to learn and is always ready to lend a helping hand. His attention to detail ensures the high standard of the sterilization process is maintained following the most current guidelines. Larry’s organizational skills are second to none, which shows in his record keeping. He is a very key component of our dental team, and we are lucky to have such a jack of all trades. Fun fact about Larry is that he loves riding his street and trail motorcycle. On his days off, you can find Larry exploring all kinds of trails and backroads. Larry also has a passion for music and can tell you facts and stories behind not only the songs, but the artists as well.
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Born in Margaree Terry comes to us every day from the Lake. Terry left her position at Inverary Manor to start fresh. She is now a valuable member of our Tri-harbour dental team, working as a chair-side dental assistant. We are grateful for Terry’s delightful and kind manner. Her stories and enjoyable demeanor have endeared her to all of us. Terry has a way with working with people of all ages but especially children as she is first-class when it comes to connecting to patients. Patients appreciate her gentle and compassionate chairside manner. Day in and day out Terry makes an impact on our patients and fellow dental professionals. Terry and her husband Lawrence have two magnificent daughters Nicola and Isla. When not at the dental office Terry can be found grabbing an ice cream from MacKinnon’s campground or helping out with her parents’ cabins in Margaree. Terry enjoys walking her dog, cuddling her cats, and camping!
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Lauren is a local Inverness girl who has been with Tri-Harbour Dental for the past 3 summers. Lauren attends St. Francis Xavier University and she is entering her last year of study for her Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics. She is passionate about most sports but loves hockey and golf. Lauren has proven herself in almost every role in our office including head designer for the first Tri-Harbour Dental float in the Inverness Gathering parade! She loves chatting with our patients and finding ways to put them at ease, she especially loves our pediatric patients. She hopes to pursue a career in dentistry or respiratory therapy. We wish her all the best in her last year at X and hope she returns for many summers to come!
The
History
Tri-Harbour Dental has been in operation for almost 30 years. Owned by Dr. Duncan and Vincent McMaster for many years Dr. Swinkels purchased the practice in 2014. Tri-Harbour Dental continues to be an independently run practice. The office overlooks the ocean and the Cabot Links golf course which we think gives us perhaps the best views of any dental office in NS!