Established in 1955
Dental Excellence traces its origins back to 1955, when the practice was established by American dentist Dr Carl Singer.
While serving with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, Dr Singer came to New Zealand on recreational leave and met his future wife, Kathleen, in Masterton. The couple married in Chicago in 1949 or 1950 and returned to New Zealand in 1953.
Dr Singer re-qualified in dentistry at Dunedin's Dental School in 1954 and moved to Hamilton the following year, establishing his practice at the northern end of Victoria Street, above what was then a cycle shop
The late-1920s building had previously served as the Hamilton North Post Office and was one of the oldest commercial buildings in that part of the city. It later became the base for the Lugton family real estate business, now known as Lugton First National. The first floor was continuously occupied by the practice from 1955 until October 1996.
Dr Singer passed away in 1969. The practice was purchased from his widow Kathleen by Hamilton dentists Dr Jim Ward and Dr Tony Burns, before being on-sold to Te Kūiti dentist Dr Norman Harris in early 1970.
Dr Harris moved to Hamilton and owned the practice until 1986, when he sold it to Dr Zaf Khouri.
In 1994, Hamilton dentist Dr Graeme Bloxham asked Dr Khouri to take over the care of his patients when he left Hamilton. Dr Bloxham's patients were welcomed into the practice and have remained an important part of the Dental Excellence family ever since.
In October 1996, Dental Excellence relocated to 1100 Victoria Street. The move allowed patients to be cared for in a purpose-designed environment that was larger, brighter, more accessible and better equipped to meet the needs of a growing practice.
In 1997, a dental hygienist joined the team at Dental Excellence. This service has since become a vitally important part of our patients' ongoing oral health care.
In 2000, Dr Alan Miller became an associate of Dr Khouri's and together they formed Khouri Miller & Associates. The associateship concluded in 2011.
Two years later, in July 2013, Dr Fiona Bailey purchased Dental Excellence from Dr Khouri. Since then, she has continued to develop both the practice and the team while maintaining the strong tradition of quality preventative and restorative dental care established over many decades.
Today, Dental Excellence remains committed to providing trusted dental care to the Hamilton community, building on a legacy that spans more than 70 years.
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks to the following people for their kind assistance in compiling this history:
Mr & Mrs Trevor and Joan Baron, Dr Brian Burkhart, Dr Tony Burns, Dr Alan Campbell, Dr Norman Harris, Dr Zaf Khouri, Mr David Lugton, Dr Roger Miller, Dr Ian Scott and Dr Jim Ward.
