Shepparton dentists sink their teeth into partnership

The co-owners and dentists at Goulburn Valley Dental Group work at a frantic pace each day to fight off their patients’ tooth decay and other diseases of the teeth, gums and mouth, while also focusing heavily on prevention.

Undeniably, the latter is the cornerstone of their practice.

“If we can solve a problem before it happens, that’s the bread and butter of what we do,” Dr Saranathan said.

“We don’t advertise as come here for this, that or the other — we’re patient-driven.

“We individualise our plans and customise them to that individual.”

Despite this tailored approach for patients, their own journeys to GVDG followed almost identical paths.

Both relocated to the area from Melbourne, initially intending to spend only a year here, but soon found themselves deeply integrated into the Shepparton community.

Now, Dr Saranathan and Dr Mackey stand side by side as owners of one of Shepparton’s largest dental practices.

As GVDG, purpose-built with state-of-the-art equipment, continues to grow, both dentists are determined to maintain its community focus.

“The practice has been around 50 years, and the goal here is to basically keep it as a family-run practice, helping the community as a whole,” Dr Mackey said.

Hence, the partnership.

Dr Saranathan said he had reached a point where he questioned who would come in and take over GVDG completely once he reached retirement age.

“I didn’t ever want to go to a corporate,” Dr Saranathan said.

“Now, we’ve got a perfect age difference there, which gives us a beautiful succession planning for the practice to keep it going strongly in the community for a long period of time.”

With precision, care and a touch of humour, Dr Saranathan and Dr Mackey have forged a partnership as strong as any iconic duo.