Dr John Sambevski

BCom (UNSW), BDent (Hons) (Sydney), DClinDent (Ortho) (Sydney), MRACDS (Orth)

Specialist Orthodontist | Principal, Dee Why Orthodontics

Dr John Sambevski is a Specialist Orthodontist with over 17 years of clinical experience. As principal orthodontist at Dee Why Orthodontics, he provides specialist care for children, teenagers and adults, with every treatment plan personally designed, supervised and reviewed from the first assessment through to retention.

His approach is built on careful diagnosis, evidence-based planning and long-term stability, with every case planned for both function and appearance. Treatment is recommended only when it is genuinely indicated, at the timing most appropriate for each individual case, and planned with the end result and its retention in mind from the outset.

Dr John is a certified Invisalign Diamond-level provider, a recognition held by a small percentage of Invisalign providers worldwide, and also holds certifications with the Spark and Angel aligner systems. Working across multiple appliance systems means each recommendation is based on the individual case, whether that involves braces, clear aligners, or a combination of techniques, rather than on a single product.

Education and Training

Dr John's story is a Sydney story from the beginning. Born and raised here, he completed all of his schooling and his entire university education in Sydney: a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of New South Wales in 2004, a dentistry degree with Honours from the University of Sydney in 2008, and ultimately his specialist orthodontic training at the same university, graduating with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics.

During his dental training, Dr John developed a strong interest in orthodontics and undertook research in the field. He authored a thesis examining airway orthodontics, sleep apnoea and the effects of mandibular orthopaedic functional appliances on posterior airway space, later published in the Australian Orthodontic Journal.

After graduating in dentistry, he spent six years in general and orthodontic practices across rural New South Wales, including Dubbo and the Southern Highlands, as well as Sydney's western and south-western suburbs, building a broad foundation in basic orthodontics and comprehensive patient care.

Dr John was subsequently accepted into the competitive University of Sydney Orthodontic Program, completing his specialist training and graduating with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics. During his specialist studies, he conducted clinical research into accelerated orthodontics and root resorption, subsequently published in the European Orthodontic Journal.

Academic and Teaching Roles

Dr John holds a part-time academic appointment as an Honorary Associate Lecturer in the University of Sydney's Department of Orthodontics, and is a clinical instructor in the Sydney University Long Orthodontic Program, providing orthodontic education and clinical guidance to general dentists at the Sydney Dental Hospital in Surry Hills.

Teaching and examining the next generation of clinicians is part of how Dr John keeps his own practice accountable to current evidence and the highest level of patient care. The standard he teaches is the standard he works to.

Clinical Approach

Dr John practises the full scope of orthodontics, with particular interests in functional jaw orthopaedics, complex interdisciplinary cases involving compromised, missing or impacted teeth, aesthetic orthodontic appliances, orthognathic surgery, and adult orthodontics.

Every case at Dee Why Orthodontics is planned from complete diagnostic records, using in-house low-dose 3D imaging and digital scanning where indicated, and reviewed against the treatment plan at each stage. Where a case is best served by input from other specialists, such as periodontal, restorative or surgical colleagues, that collaboration is built into the plan rather than added later.

That standard extends to the whole practice. Dr John works with a close, experienced clinical and front-of-house team, each member trained and trusted to hold their part of a patient's care to the same level of detail he applies to treatment planning, from the first phone call through to retention. Careful orthodontic treatment is delivered by a practice, not by one person, and the consistency of that team is a deliberate part of how Dee Why Orthodontics works.

Dr John places strong emphasis on patient education, ensuring each individual understands the features of their case, the available options, and the reasoning behind the recommended approach. He would rather explain why treatment should wait, or is not needed, than recommend it before it is genuinely indicated.

Examples of Dr John's approach to complex cases are shared in our Clinical Insights series.

Outside the Practice

Outside of orthodontics, Dr John enjoys spending time with his young family and has a passion for skiing, basketball, tennis and fishing, and is currently learning how to surf.

Professional Memberships:

• Australian Dental Association (ADA)

• Australian Society of Orthodontists (ASO)

• Australian Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ASPD)

• American Association of Orthodontists (AAO)

• World Federation of Orthodontists (WFO)

• Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS)

• Australasian Orthodontic Board (AOB)