Meet Our Team

Jacquie – Treatment Coordinator

Jacquie started her career in dentistry in 1997 as a receptionist and then expanded her knowledge to graduate as a Certified Dental Assistant in 2001. That same year, she joined Dr. Yamaoka’s practice as one of his surgical assistants. Following 6 years of assisting Dr. Yamaoka, Jacquie moved into the position of Treatment Co-ordinator. Her knowledge from working along side Dr. Yamaoka in surgery has proven to be invaluable in providing outstanding care for our patients. Born and raised in Vancouver, Jacquie enjoys walking her dog, music festivals, cooking and experiencing the variety of cuisines our city has to offer.

Cynthia – Treatment Coordinator

Cynthia had several years of experience in general dentistry before joining Dr. Yamaoka and Dr. Park’s practice. She enjoys learning about new periodontal procedures and working with a great team. She appreciates the opportunity to help patients achieve their goals and maintain their dental health.

In her spare time, Cynthia enjoys baking, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.

Darlene – Treatment Coordinator

Darlene has had a very successful career in the dental field and feels fortunate to have joined Dr. Yamaoka’s team in 2021. Her enthusiasm and positive energy is a wonderful addition to the front desk. When she is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and son,  baking, wine tours in the interior, catching up with friends and long morning walks in Steveston Village.

Bonnie – Certified Dental Assistant

Bonnie has been a Certified Dental Assistant since 2001. She started working in general practice, followed by a year long hiatus in Australia and travelling through South East Asia. Upon returning to Vancouver, she joined Dr. Yamaoka’s team. Working in a specialty practice has exposed her to the amazing aspects in periodontics and the excitement from learning new technical advances or meeting interesting patients. Creating positive energy with her work is important and she carries this enthusiasm to all aspects of her life. She enjoys spending time with her family, chasing sunsets and travelling the world.

Erin – Certified Dental Assistant

Erin started her career as a Certified Dental Assistant in 2003. She loves her career choice and is appreciative of her broad dental background, including both clinical assisting and teaching future dental assistants. Erin takes great pride in her work and providing only the best for patients. She is happy to be part of a team with the same values. Outside of dentistry, she can be found swimming many kilometers in English Bay or other bodies of water abroad and exploring local trails with her dog, Cargo.

Michelle – Certified Dental Assistant

Michelle was born in a tropical island called Saipan which is located in the Western Pacific and moved to BC with her family in 2003. Michelle graduated from  SFU with a major in Communications. Upon finishing school, she developed an interest in dentistry and decided to study to become a Certified Dental Assistant. Michelle is passionate about her work and especially enjoys dental surgery. Joining Dr. Yamaoka’s practice in 2019, she is very happy to be part of a team that is dedicated to providing excellent patient care. Outside of dentistry, Michelle collects sneakers and loves art, especially painting, drawing and pottery.

Betty – Certified Dental Assistant

Betty started her career in the vet industry, spending two years caring for animals before finding her true passion in dentistry. Despite her career change, her love for animals remains as strong as ever. Joining Dr. Yamaoka and Dr. Park’s practice in 2023, Betty is grateful for the supportive team that she has found. She is particularly excited with dental surgery and looks forward to learning from her colleagues. On her days off, Betty loves spending time with her family and friends, going on food adventures, and sleeping in with her cat.

Emily – Chairside Assistant

Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Emily has been a dental assistant for the past six years. Don’t let her young age fool you, as she is very experienced and knowledgeable. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, working out, searching for sunsets, and going for walks with the world’s cutest Pomeranian and her faithful companion, Kenji. She feels very fortunate to be a member of Dr. Yamaoka and Dr. Park’s team and is excited to see what the future holds.

Diego – Certified Dental Assistant

Diego started his dental career in 2014 in Mexico. He moved to Vancouver in 2019 with his wife and welcomed his son, Ander into the world in August 2023. Diego enjoys all aspects of dentistry and is excited to be part of Dr. Yamaoka and Dr. Park’s team. In his free time, he loves hiking with his family, running, live music, snowboarding and camping.

Aiste – Registered Dental Hygienist

Aiste came to Canada from Lithuania in 1997 where she was working as a dentist. She fell in love with Vancouver and decided to make it her permanent home. In 1999, she started working with Dr. Yamaoka and Dr. Basaraba as a chairside assistant. In 2007, she graduated as a Registered Dental Hygienist from Vancouver Community College. She was honored to receive 5 academic awards, one of them for the highest overall achievement in clinical and academic studies. Shortly after graduation, she returned to Dr. Yamaoka’s practice as a Dental Hygienist. In 2013, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene at UBC and has taught at UBC’s Continuing Education Program. Aiste and her husband have 2 children, Sierra and Ash and enjoy travelling and outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking, camping, biking, skiing and snowshoeing.

Dana – Registered Dental Hygienist

Dana began her career as a dental hygienist in 2003. She graduated from George Brown College in Toronto and worked for 7 years in general dentistry before deciding to embark on a move that brought her to Florida,  where she worked as a dental hygienist for an additional 10 years. While living there she met her life partner and they share a son, Jaxson. Her family decided to move back to Canada and settle in Vancouver.  Dana joined Dr. Yamaoka’s practice in 2020 and she is thrilled to be part of such an amazing team that shares her values in work ethic and providing the utmost care for patients. Outside of work, Dana enjoys exploring Vancouver and its beautiful surrounding areas and cooking and baking for her family.   She also spends her time in many hockey arenas as a hockey mom cheering on her son.

Elsa – Office Manager/Human Resources

Elsa was born in Monterrey, Mexico and received her university degree in marketing from the Technologico de Monterrey.  Early in her career, she was involved in working for non-profit organizations and later worked as Marketing Director for the first computer and software distributor in Mexico representing Intel and Microsoft. In 1995, she moved to Canada and helped transition Dr. Yamaoka into Dr. Neil Basaraba’s practice.   She enjoys being part of Dr. Yamaoka’s team to create an outstanding dental practice and patient experience. Elsa enjoys travelling, skiing, reading and finding amazing restaurants in Vancouver’s culinary scene.