Dental at the Met – Calgary Beltline ★9.9

Built for people who have been avoiding the dentist

Dental at The Met, on the ground floor of The Metropolitan in the Beltline, states its premise openly: dental anxiety is the design brief, not an afterthought. The floor is kept calm on purpose, and a visit comes with warm blankets, dark glasses, noise-cancelling headphones and sedation where medically appropriate. Patients who have not seen a dentist in years are met without the guilt lecture; the practice calls itself a judgement-free zone, and reviews read the same way.

Services

General dentistry covers exams, hygiene, fillings, root canals, crowns, extractions and wisdom teeth surgery, plus children’s and seniors’ care. Gum disease has its own track: alongside conventional therapy there is Perio Protect, a custom tray carrying medicated gel into deep pockets at home for patients trying to avoid surgery. Bruxism treatment, night guards and snoring appliances are covered; cosmetic work runs to Invisalign, veneers, implants, bridges, whitening and neuromodulators. Broken teeth, acute pain and emergency root canals are taken on the day; Saturday appointments are standard.

Technology

Cleanings use a Woodpecker PT-E air polishing unit that lifts biofilm and staining with warm water and fine erythritol powder instead of scraping, which is safe around crowns, implants and braces. Perio Protect trays are made from a digital scan.

Dentists

Founding dentists Dr. Rahim Shivji (DDS, Western Ontario) and Dr. Simran Sandhu (DMD, Saskatchewan) lead the practice. Dr. Shivji holds a fellowship of the International Congress of Oral Implantology, has been recognized as an Invisalign Premier Provider since 2014, and focuses on surgery, bone grafting and implants. Dr. Sama Banaei created Pathways to Dentistry, a mentorship and scholarship initiative for students from low-income homes. Dr. Michael Ni, Dr. Kaili Hu and Australian-trained Dr. Hannah Synott complete the roster.

Who it suits

Nervous and long-avoidant patients above all. Also newcomers: treatment is explained in eleven languages, and the clinic keeps a patient care and translation coordinator, Sasha, who was born in Ukraine — so a treatment plan can be followed in Ukrainian rather than guessed at. Beltline and downtown patients walk in; heated indoor parking covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

I am afraid of the dentist. What changes here? Anxiety management is built in: quiet floor, headphones, blankets, dark glasses, sedation when medically appropriate.

Is there Ukrainian-language support? Yes, a translation coordinator from Ukraine works with patients.

Do they see emergencies? Yes, broken teeth, acute pain and urgent root canals are taken quickly.

What is Perio Protect? A custom tray that delivers medicated gel into gum pockets at home, used instead of or alongside deep cleaning. Children, adults and seniors are all treated here.

Opening hours