Preventative Dental Care in Port Alberni
Our team is committed to helping you and your family enjoy healthy and happy smiles. We love to serve our community and we hope you’ll feel comfortable and at home in our office.
Dr. Neel MinhasD.D.S.
Dr. Minhas was born and raised on Vancouver Island. He attended John Barsby Secondary School in Nanaimo. He studied at Vancouver Island University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. It was at VIU that Dr. Minhas became interested in dentistry after job shadowing dentists in the area. He moved to Detroit, where he studied at the University of Michigan Mercy School of Dentistry. While he was studying in Detroit, he provided dental care to impoverished people throughout the state of Michigan.
After graduating from dental school, and completing his American and Canadian dental board exams, Dr. Minhas returned to his beloved Nanaimo to practice dentistry. He’s a member of the Canadian Dental Association, American Dental Association, and British Columbia Dental Association. He remains actively involved in continuing his education to maintain and enhance his skills.
Outside of work, Dr. Minhas enjoys spending time with his family and working out at the gym. He also enjoys travelling and has provided dental services to remote villages in Guatemala with limited access to dental care.
Dr. Kevin Lathangue DMD.
We are so happy that Dr. Kevin Lathangue has begun practicing with us in Port Alberni! Dr. Lathangue graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2004 with a Doctorate of Medical Dentistry (DMD). He has since developed several innovative strategies with specialists who have and continue to work with Blue Ocean Dental Group including periodontist Dr. Tassos Irinakis and Mr. Mark O'neill - a certified CEREC Technician and cosmetic expert.
In addition to dentistry, Dr. Lathangue has a keen interest in developing his current business model and, as a result, has opened several other practices on Vancouver Island to facilitate his "all specialists under one roof" business model. Needless to say, this model has been very well received by communities that would otherwise go without this caliber of specialists and service.
Dr. Lathangue has continued his education by attending the University of Alberta where he acquired his Intravenous Sedation (IV) certification, which he incorporated into his practice model as one of the many specialties. Dr. Lathangue performs several varieties of minor oral surgery, including wisdom tooth removal and implant placement. He is an avid learner and has taken many courses from the renowned Dr. John Kois. In addition, he recently completed a yearlong implant course taught by Dr. Sascha Jovanovic in Santa Monica, CA. Along wtih general denistry, Dr. Lathangue is available to provide simple and complicated wisdom tooth extractions with the use of IV Sedation in our practice.
The Team at West Coast Family Dental Centre
Donna Office Coordinator
Donna grew up in Port Alberni. She started her dentistry career as a Certified Dental Assistant before transitioning to the business side of dentistry. She has worked at several dental practices over her career and now manages our office.
Donna loves to have a career where she can give back to her community. She loves being able to offer the best care she can to patients in “The town with a heart.” She and her husband have three grown children. One lives in Port Alberni, and the others are in Comox and Courtney. Her hobbies include spending as much time with her grandchildren as she can, along with gardening, woodworking, oil painting, and anything creative.
Jessica Reception
Jessica grew up in Port Hardy. She has earned certificates in the Office Assistant and Accounting Assistant programs at North Island College. Jessica is always improving her education and during her spare time she loves cooking, watercolour painting, and reading.
