Rate My Professor Winifred Harding

Dr Winifred Harding is a retired orthodontist and long-serving educator at the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry. Born in Gore, she graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the University of Otago in 1978 and obtained her Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in orthodontics in 1985. After initial experience in general dental practice, she established her own orthodontic practice in Dunedin. Harding served for 39 years as a Senior Professional Practice Fellow in the Department of Oral Sciences, specializing in orthodontics. During this period, she provided invaluable clinical guidance, mentorship in professional development, career planning, and life skills to over 100 postgraduate orthodontists, profoundly shaping the next generation of specialists in New Zealand. She also managed the craniofacial clinic, caring for patients with clefts, syndromes, and special needs, and oversaw the transition to digital record systems in orthodontic practice.

Harding's commitment to professional service is exemplified by her extensive involvement with the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA), where she held key roles in the Otago branch including honorary secretary/treasurer, president, specialist representative on the NZDA board, and consumer liaison officer. She chaired conferences, served on national and international orthodontic committees, taught part-time, delivered lectures, and reviewed papers. In 2025, she received the NZDA Service Award for her 40 years of exemplary service to dentistry, presented at the NZDA's 120th anniversary conference. Her contributions to the literature include co-authorship on 'Evaluation of objective and subjective treatment outcomes in orthodontic cases treated with extraction of a mandibular incisor' published in The Angle Orthodontist in 2019, 'A qualitative investigation of specialist orthodontists in New Zealand: Part 2' in 2012, a book chapter 'Examination and Treatment Planning for Hypomineralized and/or Hypoplastic Teeth' in 2014, and 'The mutilated dentition - orthodontic considerations' in the Annals of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in 2012. Harding retired from clinical practice and teaching in April 2024.