ALLIANCE DENTAL - Key Persons
Allison grew up in Quispamsis, New Brunswick. Growing up she enjoyed playing soccer, hockey, and many other outdoor activities. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of New Brunswick in 2007. After her undergraduate degree, she traveled through South America and Australia. She then entered dentistry and graduated from Dalhousie University with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery in 2013. Allison started working with Alliance Dental in 2013 and loves being part of the great dental team in Truro. She enjoys all aspects of dentistry and has a special rapport with the children that she treats. Allison recently completed conscious sedation training and is especially interested in treating children and adults with dental anxiety.
Dr. Andrew McLeod is a Grade 10 concert pianist, a 2nd-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and considers himself somewhat of an armchair psychologist. He is always a popular guy at dinner parties!
Despite his varied interests, it was dentistry he decided to pursue as his full-time career. Dr. McLeod has wanted to be a dentist ever since he was in high school, and had the opportunity to job shadow at his own dentist's office. He was enthralled with the profession from that day forward. Dr. McLeod applied the same drive and passion to his education at Dalhousie's Dental School, as he did to his piano lessons, karate practice, and his psychology degree. Following his graduation, Dr. McLeod joined forces with Alliance Dental to purchase a practice in New Glasgow and has been as happy as can be, ever since. He loves the people he works with, and he loves helping his patients achieve better oral heath. Outside of dentistry, spending time with family and friends is his top priority. And, if that time can be spent doing anything related to astronomy, computers, or fitness… then Dr. McLeod is one happy guy!
Dr. Christine Hammer grew up in Cole Harbour, N.S. Before studying dentistry, she conducted research in developmental biology, obtaining a BSc from Mount Saint Vincent University and an MSc at Saint Mary's University. She obtained a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Dalhousie University.
Christine loves that working in a dental profession allows for constant learning, the chance to help others and daily opportunities to blend science with creativity. Her dental interests include oral surgery, restorative and endodontics. Outside of the office, she enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time outdoors.
Having joined our team as a traveling dental surgeon, Dr. Corey Felix hails from Cape Breton and has often been called "the tooth whisperer". His calm demeanour helps his patients through even the most difficult surgical procedures. In addition to obtaining his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Dalhousie in 2007, Dr. Felix also has a Masters degree in Pharmacology and can offer you several sedation options to keep you comfortable during your treatment. Dr. Felix has a passion for dental implants and spends most of his ongoing training in this field so that he can stay on top of the most current and successful treatment options. He likes to "keep it real" and will take lots of time to explain procedures and answer all your questions. Dr. Felix's primary goal is to exceed his patient's expectations, be it for a simple extraction or a complex full mouth rehabilitation. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids at Grand Lake, or joining his extended family in Cape Breton. He loves to cook for family gatherings and can often be found behind the BBQ grill at his son's football games.
Doug hails from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador where he completed a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education at Memorial University. In 1993 he and his wife, Michelle, moved to Halifax where Doug pursued his education in dentistry. During their time in Halifax, Doug and Michelle took frequent day trips to the Annapolis Valley and developed a fondness for the area. Doug received his Bachelor of Science in 1995 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1999.
After graduating from Dalhousie Dentistry, Doug moved with Michelle and their two sons to Coldbrook where he began practicing and has remained. From 2008-2020, Doug served on the National Dental Examining Board of Canada and was its President from 2016- 2018. He has also been a part-time instructor at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Dentistry.
In July of 2021, Doug assumed the role of Registrar of the Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia, which is the legislated body mandated to protect the public interest in matters related to the delivery of dental care. He continues to practice in Coldbrook on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Outside the office, Doug enjoys cycling and a variety of other outdoor activities with his family. As well, he has remained active in his community both in church music leadership and community musical theatre.
Dr. Kiani studied dentistry at the Shiraz University of Medical Science, graduating with his DDS in 2001. He also holds a Master's degree in Endodontics, which he received in 2006.
After coming to Canada he attended the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University and graduated with distinction. He maintains close ties with Dalhousie, where he teaches endodontics.
Dr. Kiani owned a private practice in Iran, and he went into private practice in Halifax after graduating from Dalhousie. He has been recognized for his academic and professional achievements in dentistry. He holds several awards from Dalhousie and is the recipient of the American Association of Endodontics Award for exceptional skill in root canal therapy, the American Academy of Oral Medicine Award, and the Nova Scotia Dental Association Award.
Outside the office, Dr. Kiani enjoys reading, running, and playing tennis. He and his wife have one daughter.
Dr. Julia De Amicis grew up in the small community of Milford, Nova Scotia. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree with a Major in Biology at Saint Francis Xavier University and then continued on to Dalhousie's esteemed dental school, graduating in the spring of 2017. Dr. Julia followed in the footsteps of her older sister Carolyn and is thrilled to join Dr. Carolyn and the great team at Alliance Dental Truro.
Dr. Julia enjoys all aspects of general dentistry and strives to provide comprehensive, preventative care while building relationships with her patients.
Outside of dentistry, Dr. Julia enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She has 5 nephews and a niece that she loves to spoil! She also enjoys staying active outdoors, especially golfing and hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
As a graduate of the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry and Tatamagouche native, Dr. Lauren Ross is energized to be living and practicing in the community of Truro. Having also completed her undergraduate degree - majoring in biology - at Dalhousie University, Lauren is both proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to study and pursue her dream career in Nova Scotia. Lauren enjoys all aspects of Dentistry and is excited to build strong relationships with her patients through comprehensive care and communication.
In her downtime, Lauren is exploring the new world of home ownership and keeps herself busy with DIY home renovation projects. When she isn't working on her new home, Lauren can be found crafting, collecting vinyl records, and hanging out with friends. Lauren is thrilled to be a part of the diverse team at Alliance Dental and looks forward to getting to know and serve the community through her passion for Dentistry.
Dr. Norman Ferguson was born and raised in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. He graduated from Dalhousie Dental School in 2000. When he is not at the dental office, Norm can be found cheering on his daughters at the soccer field, hockey rink, and at track-and-field events. He also likes to play piano, act in theater, and watch soccer and baseball.
Dr. Ramin Hakimi received his DMD degree from Tehran University's Faculty of Dentistry in 1991. He has been practicing dentistry and divided his time between clinical dentistry, research, and teaching since then.
He enjoys providing dental care to all clients and has a strong focus on prosthetic dentistry, both conventional and implant-supported.
When he is not practicing dentistry, Dr. Hakimi spends much of his time taking photos, scuba diving and exploring the outdoors with his wife.
Dr. Vanessa Wilson was raised in the small village of Argyle Head, just outside the Town of Yarmouth, NS. She graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science in 1999 and with her Doctorate of Dental Surgery in 2003. Before joining Alliance Dental, Vanessa ran her practice in Dartmouth, NS and was also a clinical dental instructor with Dalhousie University. She enjoys providing comprehensive, preventative dental care to people of all ages. You'll find that Dr. Wilson always takes the time to answer questions about different dental procedures. Outside of the office, she enjoys exploring the world with her son Will and her husband, Chris. Her latest passion is stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and on a summer's day, you might see her on beautiful Lake Banook! Vanessa is also an avid traveller and enjoys travelling far and wide with her backpack on and guidebook in hand.
Dr. Yaser Issa was born in Siria. Since then, he has travelled (& worked) around the world. Travel has always been a passion of his, so much so that the airport feels like home. He has studied at four different universities in three separate countries earning him five degrees in dentistry.
He is married with three children, one boy & two girls. His children are all involved in music & some kind of sport. His son, Jad, is in his first year at Acadia University. His eldest daughter, Lara, is in grade 11; and his youngest daughter, Layan, is in grade 6. He also has a pet golden doodle, Mozzie, named after "Mozzart". Mozzie will sit and relax at his children's feet while they play the piano.
Fun fact about Dr. Issa is that if he hadn't taken dentistry, he would have loved being a physicist or maybe even a cook. He likes to cook quite a lot at home. His daughter has lovingly told him that he makes the best, tasty, "unhealthy" food ever.
Dr. Issa's pass time includes reading, swimming & fishing. His favorite movie is "Far and Away" with Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise. His favorite song is "Far Away". Favorite book is "Report to Greco" by Nikos Kazatzakis. His current dream is to vacation in China.
Job Titles:
- Building Operations Manager