Dr. “Sandy” MacGregor established his paediatric dental practice at the corner of Yonge and Lawrence in the 1940s.  He was the founding Chief of Dentistry at the Hospital for Sick Children and the first head of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. MacGregor had a busy practice and when Dr. Peter Tonisson joined him in the spring of 1976 as a General Practitioner, he expanded the patient base to include the whole family – from kids to parents and grandparents.  His goal was always to look after the dental care of the individual as a whole.

Dr. Tonisson’s practice was modern, up-to-date and focused on prevention. It quickly outgrew the old style 1 room operatory, and moved and expanded twice before moving to the present larger location at 3080 Yonge Street.

Dr. Macrae’s grandmother, Dr. Maret Truuvert, also had a large influence on Dr. Macrae’s practice philosophy.  Dr. Truuvert was a pioneer in her field; one of very few female dentists in her era.  She emigrated from Sweden to Canada in 1952 after completing her dental degree in Stockholm.

Dr. Truuvert attended the University of Toronto and graduated in 1956, returning there to study Paedodontics (Paediatric Dentistry) in the late 1960s.    She established her practice in Bloor West Village in 1958, where she focused on family and paediatric patients and also emphasized prevention.

Dr. Truuvert taught Preventive Dentistry at the University of Toronto for many years and  in addition to raising four children, Dr. Truuvert ran a large and busy practice.She retired in 1999 when she turned 70 but the practice continues to operate in Bloor West Village. October 2009, Vol. 75, No.

Dr. Tonisson and Dr. Truuvert, both of Estonian ancestry, cared for many members of the Toronto Estonian community in Toronto.

Estonian World Review  Estonian World Review – Trina Macrae