Dr. Christa Engelbrecht
With a passion for general wellbeing achieved through oral health, Dr. Christa Engelbrecht opened the doors of her dental practice in Stellenbosch focusing on personal service and care during 2016 after years practicing abroad. Whilst living in the UK she received additional training under some of Europe’s top specialists in Dental Reconstruction and Aesthetics. She is an avid believer that if you do something you must do it right the first time. That is why she does not believe in short cuts, and only work with the top specialists and dental laboratories in the Western Cape to deliver gold standard treatment to her patients every time.
Dr. Christa Engelbrecht is the principal dentist in our modern practice based in the heart of Stellenbosch. She qualified as a dentist from the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) in 1999. Christa is registered as a dentist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) (reg no: DP 71536).
Christa owned and managed a dynamic dental practice in the heart of Cape Town before her husband’s business commitments took her to the UK at the end of 2000. She practiced dentistry in various settings in the UK until she bought her own practice in Hertfordshire in 2008 focusing solely on private care in a top setting. After leaving the UK in 2013 she still managed this practice remotely until it was sold in 2018.
While in the UK, Christa attended numerous courses to expand her skill set and knowledge, including a year course in advanced restorative dentistry at the highly-rated Tipton Training Clinic in Manchester, run by Prof. Paul Tipton.
read more
Christa enjoys all aspects of dentistry and has many years of experience in all fields, including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, dental implant restoration, and orthodontics. She has created and restored many smiles over her career and is excited to have added a fully digital workflow to her practice. She was also one of the early adopters of Clear aligner orthodontic treatments while still practicing abroad and have in recent years expanded her experience and knowledge in the field of orthodontics. Of particular interest is the early interceptive treatment with the Myobrace and she is excited with some of the results with the groundbreaking treatment to grow little faces. She enjoys attending various conferences and courses to not only expand her own skillset but also stay up to date with the latest changes in dentistry.
Dr. René Thiersen – Dentist
Dr. René Thiersen completed her qualification in 2001 at Stellenbosch University and holds registrations with both the HPCSA and SADA.
From 2003 to 2016, she owned a general dental practice in Durbanville, where she dedicated herself to providing general family dental care. Opting to prioritize family time, she subsequently sold this practice.
Since 2017, Dr. Thiersen has been working as a locum in Somerset West and Stellenbosch. She also enjoyed working with various Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons in theatre settings from 2007 to 2020. Dr. Thiersen finds fulfillment in the breadth of dentistry, particularly relishing the challenges of surgical procedures. Additionally, she is skilled in neurotoxin wrinkle treatment.
Emphasizing collaboration, she believes in a team approach to achieve optimal outcomes for her patients.
Married to Johan Du Toit since 2000, she is a proud mother of two teenage sons and a proud Paul Roos rugby mom.
Dr. Lara Kleyn – Dentist
Dr. Lara Kleyn, a registered dentist with the HPCSA, graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2016. Relocating to Cape Town in 2018, she has since dedicated herself to private practice in the Northern Suburbs. With dentistry deeply ingrained in her family lineage, Lara effortlessly followed suit, inspired by the legacy set by her oldest brother, uncle, and two cousins who are all members of the dental community.
Lara’s foremost priority is ensuring a comfortable and positive dental experience for her patients. Her commitment to honesty and exemplary patient care sets her apart. While experienced in all facets of general dentistry, Lara’s main interests lies in aesthetic dentistry and implantology. Having undergone postgraduate training in implantology, she excels in surgical procedures and the placement of dental implants in addition to all other restorative treatments.
Furthermore, Lara also pursued advanced training in facial aesthetics. Experienced in administering anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers, she seamlessly integrates these treatments with dental procedures to achieve both aesthetic and functional harmony.
Outside her profession, Lara loves being around her family: husband Jurgen, daughter Lisa, and golden retriever Joey. Cooking, traveling, and cherishing moments with friends enrich her life beyond dentistry.
Leigh-Anne Berry – Oral Hygienist
Leigh-Anne graduated as an Oral Hygienist from the University of Stellenbosch in 2002 and is registered with the HPCSA. Her dedication to oral hygiene and patient interaction is unmistakable.
Throughout her career, Leigh-Anne has traversed various professional settings. For twelve years, she contributed to the dental industry from the vantage point of a medical representative for GSK. Yet, her innate passion for direct patient care steered her back to the heart of dental practice. Since then, she has lent her expertise to several specialist practices, trading in her business suits for clinical scrubs.
‘I find immense fulfilment in connecting with people and am committed to educating patients on the paramount importance of dental care’. Leigh-Anne actively participates in conferences and pursues ongoing education to not only refine her own skills but also to remain abreast of the latest advancements in oral hygiene.
Outside of work, Leigh-Anne loves spending precious moments with her family.
Queline Singh – Dental Assistant
Queline is an HPCSA registered dental nurse and has been working in various roles in dental practices since 2008. She has been working with Dr. Engelbrecht 2015 and joined her full time when she opened her practice in Stellenbosch in 2016, helping her not only to set up the practice but to put all systems in place to have a smooth-running practice. Queline enjoys all aspects of dentistry and especially enjoys helping Dr. Engelbrecht in the laboratory from time to time. Her friendly and professional approach is a huge asset in caring for our patients.
When Queline is not hard at work in our practice she enjoys spending time with her husband and two young girls. Queline also loves feeding those less fortunate and spend many weekends cooking in her kitchen to distribute to people in her local area.
Marshay Margerman – Receptionist
Marshay has been working in various roles in dental practices since 2007. She joined us in February 2021. Marshay enjoys all aspects of dentistry and especially enjoys helping out in the laboratory from time to time. She loves interacting and chatting to the patients and making them feel comfortable when attending their appointments. Working with a beautiful and encouraging group of people has made this journey to be an extremely rewarding one.
When Marshay is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her 3yr old daughter Bailey and her family. She is definitely more of a summer than winter person and loves the outdoors, swimming and cooking.