Dental Hygiene of Niagara

Authorized to Self Initiate

Lisa is the proud owner of Dental Hygiene of Niagara. She graduated from Niagara College with her certificate in Level I & II Dental Assisting in 2004 before continuing her dental education at Canadore College, earning her diploma in Dental Hygiene in 2007. Following graduation from Dental Hygiene, she moved to Vancouver where she worked full time and completed the Local Anaesthesia course for dental hygienists at the University of British Columbia. 

In 2009, Lisa moved home to be closer to family as her father was losing his battle with Cancer. She opened Dental Hygiene of Niagara in 2014, running all aspects of the operation by herself within its first year.

In 2016/2017 Lisa worked part-time as a clinical instructor at Niagara College in her ‘spare time’ and to date participates in speaking to the senior Dental Hygiene students annually regarding the different avenues of the profession, like, running an independent dental hygiene clinic. She is also a member of the ‘Dental Program Advisory Committee’ at Niagara College. Lisa has been the recipient of a number of awards over the years including the GNCC’  Women in Business award in the category ‘Emerging business of the year’ in 2017 and St. Catharines 40 Under 40 award in 2019.

A note from Lisa: Being a woman business owner, mother and wife can become a little complicated at times but the experiences I’ve encountered over the years have shaped me into who I am today.  I am a true believer in experiences, and if one person can walk away from an experience being positive – we have no idea what that person will do or accomplish. I thank all my peers, past educators from all levels of education and previous employers.  Every stage of life, there was someone special who was part of shaping who I am as a person and as a professional. My goals of making dental Hygiene therapy more accessible is strengthened by my drive to provide the public with better access to healthcare and understanding of a dental hygienist’s true scope of practice.

Dr. Chris would like to introduce himself to the Dental Hygiene of Niagara team as a supporting dentist as we expand our services to meet our growing patients needs and take our clinic to the next level of available care.

Dr. Chris graduated in 2014 and will be available in guiding our growth of services to include exams, prescription and evaluation of x-rays, night guards and more! 

A note from Dr. Colosimo:
“I was amazed by what Lisa has built for a sole Dental hygiene clinic, and am blown away by the thoroughness of her patient centred care model. 

She has a very thorough knowledge of patient care and practice standards, an exceptional team behind her already, and I am excited to provide assistance and guidance as she takes the next step in expanding her clinical services.”

If you see Dr. Chris in or outside the clinic he’s always willing to have a chat, and if he’s not working in clinic or on one of his other ventures you’ll likely find him in the gym.

Dr. Chris will be joining the team shortly so stay tuned! 

Tanja joined Dental Hygiene of Niagara in October 2017, where she quickly secured her fundamental role of Office Administration.  Prior to joining DHN, Tanja had no dental background professionally, which you would never suspect.  She has quickly learned dental hygiene vocabulary, fee guide codes, and has developed an incredible understanding of the  Dental Hygiene Scope of Practice.  Tanja is applauded by her work family for  her efficiency, commitment to always being one step ahead and her honourable character. She brings many years of experience in providing excellent customer service as she owned and operated a restaurant in Port Colborne for 19 years.  Tanja sold her business to enjoy life, but, as the saying goes, “busy people enjoy being busy” and retirement just wasn’t for her- quite yet, anyways!  (Good thing! Because, we didn’t know what we were missing before we met Tanja).  

Tanja is detail-oriented and dedicated to making everyone feel welcome.  In her spare time, Tanja enjoys a fun game of golf with friends, travelling with her husband, reading and spending time with her grandchildren.  Oh! And we must not forget, baking for everyone who celebrates a birthday at DHN.  

A note from Lisa:  Tanja, is too modest to acknowledge how exceptional she is! She dismisses my embarrassing ways of reminding the world how much I appreciate her- like avoiding the camera when I try to videotape her in deep thought.  She doesn’t accept my praises without some degree of bashfulness, which just adds to why we love Tanja, so much. She has accomplished so much more than handling the chaos of the front desk.  She has guided me in all sorts of responsibilities required of me as a business owner. For example, she leaves me reminders for payroll remittance and will end up doing it if I am cutting it too close to the deadline to her liking. Tanja possesses a real ability of preparedness and indisputably is an exceptional “listener”. Tanja is not just our Office Administrator/Manager, she is the first person you encounter when you enter the office and the last person you are in contact with when you leave the office.  Her role is paramount to Dental Hygiene of Niagara and we are blessed to have her. 

Authorized to Self Initiate

Leeza is a dedicated dental hygienist with a real ability to connect and understand people.  She strives to assist in helping to improve the health and well-being of our clients. 

Leeza started her professional career obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Chemistry at Brock University.  She attended Niagara College and received a Diploma in Dental Hygiene and a Masters of Education at Queen’s University. 

Leeza’s knowledge remains current with the ever-evolving dental profession and is a Dental Programs Professor at Niagara College, full time.  Leeza continues to work part-time at DHN to remain well rounded in both a clinical setting and as an educator. She was attracted to Dental Hygiene of Niagara for the opportunity to work with a team that is committed to gold standards, advancing skills and expanding knowledge. In Leeza’s ‘spare time’ she enjoys camping, travelling, and playing with her pugs. 

A note from Lisa: Leeza holds a special piece of my heart. She was my very first employee and has been such an amazing supportive peer. With Leeza’s continuous strive for excellence, wicked work ethic, and sense of humour… Leeza is ‘the fact-checker’.

Authorized to Self Initiate

Kelly studied at Niagara College where she graduated with President’s Honour Roll certificates in Dental Assisting (2004) and Dental Hygiene (2006).  Her passion for the field drove her to secure a position in periodontal practice for six years where she focused on her instrumentation skills and gained an incredible wealth of knowledge. 

Kelly has a strong work ethic and is dedicated to client-centered care.  She loves working with a team that is committed to continuing competence, and up to date with current gold standards.  Health promotion and education are at the core of her work. Kelly is described as very thorough and detailed. 

 She enjoys being active with her two Frenchies and figure skates weekly on a synchronized team where she competes a few times per year. Kelly also hopes to continue her education in Restorative Dental Hygiene one day.  

A note from Lisa: Kelly and I go way back to where it all began in Dental Assisting at Niagara College. We have been great friends for 16 years and counting, and now we are a team here at DHN.  Kelly is a motivated, hard working, sincere human and dental professional. 

Authorized to Self Initiate

Jaime-Anne is a Self-Initiated, Registered Dental Hygienist, graduating in 2002 from Canadore College with Honours (with a Diploma in Dental Hygiene). Prior to that she received her Level 2 Dental Assistant Certification in 2000 from Niagara College. She is an active member of the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, the Ontario Dental Hygienists Association and the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association.

She prides herself on maintaining optimal infection control and continuing her education through courses and self-study to provide her clients with the most up to date knowledge. Additionally, maintaining a cheerful, welcoming atmosphere for her clients is paramount. 

When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, step-daughter and husband. She enjoys time out in nature and can be found hiking and walking the beach, capturing sunsets regularly. She loves yoga and became a Certified Yoga Teacher in 2016. Jumping out of her comfort zone to facilitate further personal growth is a standard she lives by.

A note from Lisa:  Jaime-Anne has been such an amazing addition to DHN. She has been with us since March 2019 and from the moment I met her I knew I loved her energy. I’ve picked my team based on skill, experience and, of course, personality. Even if she is having a bad day, you won’t know it. 

Meet Misha, the ink to your pen, the zipper to your jacket…you get the idea!  Misha  graduated in 2019 receiving her Diploma in Dental Hygiene at Niagara College. During her time at Niagara College she volunteered with Shiny Smiles and received the Leadership award. She successfully passed her board exam and received her licence to practice in Fall of 2019. Misha is currently working as a Registered Dental Hygienist in St. Catharines where her eagerness to learn and gain professional experience is contributing to her personal goal of becoming authorized to self-initiate one day.

Misha’s involvement with Dental Hygiene of Niagara, began when Lisa came to Niagara College as a guest speaker to discuss different avenues Dental Hygienists can take in their career. 

Upon completing the lecture, Lisa was leaving and she was stopped by Misha who expressed her appreciation for Lisa’s visit but also asked if she could send her resume.  As Lisa recalls, Misha both excited and nervously stated: ” I would love the opportunity to come to your clinic and do whatever you need! Can I please give you my resume?  I just want to learn and be useful to you so that I can gain real life experience… I can sterilize, I can file charts, answer phones, I promise I can even clean toilets”.  This made Lisa laugh, but she told her to send her resume to the office and she would see what she could do. 

Misha began working part time at Dental Hygiene of Niagara while completing her Diploma.  She assisted with sterilizing, filing charts, operatory turnover, and the list goes on.  In fact, she may have even cleaned the toilet she promised she would! All jokes aside, Misha has been such a fantastic addition to Dental Hygiene of Niagara.  She always has a smile on her face, and she possesses a special kind of positive energy that is very rare.

A note from Lisa:  Misha is currently part time at DHN as a “floater” while she fulfills her requirements to gain experience as a Dental Hygienist under the supervision of a Dentist to reach her professional goals.  Misha will always have a dental hygiene support system here at DHN.  As a team, we promote dental professionals to collaborate and grow professionally with like-minded peers.  Misha will achieve greatness in her career because her devotion for oral health and moral principles certainly are not overlooked.