Our Dentists
Dr. Dhaval Patel BDS
Dr. Patel is the principal dentist here at Prairie Dental Centre and enjoys the community and patients who visit our clinic. He received his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from India in 2009 and completed one year of residency before moving to Edmonton which he now calls home. To advance his career, Dr. Patel moved to Toronto to complete the NDEB Equivalency Process, and completed his NDEB Licensing exam. The decision to return to Edmonton after graduation was an easy one, as he had spent several years establishing himself in the Alberta community.
He currently practices general dentistry which includes fillings, root canals, dental implants, crowns, oral surgery and orthodontic straightening using clear aligners. He is also a part time clinical instructor at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Alberta. Dr. Patel is passionate about keeping current with leading edge dentistry practices and invests hundreds of hours in continuing education every year. His prevention-oriented approach to oral health emphasizes self-care strategies as one of the most effective ways to improve oral health and provide patients with a higher level of care. With his cheerful personality and kind-natured sense of humour, Dr. Patel has an uncanny gift for putting people at ease during visits, and patients often look forward to their time in his chair.
Dr. Patel is an active volunteer in the community. He has volunteered at Homeless Connect since 2014 where he provides free dental services to Edmontonians alongside many other trained professionals. He is currently an active member of Alberta Dental Association and College, Canadian Dental Association, Edmonton District Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry, International Congress of Oral Implantologists and is a certified Invisalign® provider. Dr. Patel returned from completing a successful mission trip in the Dominican in October 2021.
Beyond dentistry, Dr. Patel loves to spend time traveling with his beloved wife and adorable puppy. Dr. Patel enjoys playing golf, cheering on the Oilers and has recently found gardening to be a rewarding hobby.
Dr. Simon Zhu DDS
Dr. Simon Zhu grew up in Edmonton, and attended the University of Alberta receiving his Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees. Graduating in 2015, Dr. Simon has been an integral part of the Prairie Dental team ever since.
Dr. Zhu regularly takes courses to learn about the latest developments in dentistry and takes pride in delivering great dental care to meet everyone’s individual health goals. He enjoys getting to know what is going on in patients’ lives.
In his free time, Dr. Zhu enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, playing board games, reading, hiking, and snowboarding in the winter.
Dr. Stephen Cheng DDS
Dr. Stephen Cheng has been practicing dentistry since 1988 right after graduating from the University of Alberta. He enjoys all aspects of general dentistry for all age groups and appreciates the privilege of helping patients to achieve optimal dental and general health. He has witnessed the evolution of the dental profession over the last three decades and still possesses a keen interest in constant learning and self- improvement in order to better serve his patients.
Dr. Cheng is involved in dental volunteering both locally and abroad. He has contributed to the education of dental students as a clinical instructor at the University of Alberta, his alma mater. Some of his work abroad included dental missions to Bhutan, Nicaragua, Morocco and Tibet. Dr. Cheng respects those patients who entrust him with their care and strives to earn their trust in return. In his spare time, Dr. Cheng is an avid soccer player and long distance runner, among other sports to maintain his overall health. He is a family man happily married for over 30 years, with three grown children. To list some of his hobbies, he enjoys cooking, gardening and the study of world history.
Our Staff
Diane - Office Manager
Diane was born and raised in Saskatchewan where she completed her Dental Assisting Program. She moved to Alberta in 1989 and has been working in the dental field for more than 25 years, 12 of those years as a Dental Assistant and for the past 13 years as a Dental Office Administrator. Diane enjoys working with others and meeting new people. She values the time spent relaxing with family and friends and keeps busy volunteering for volleyball and football organizations. Other interests include camping and gardening.
Shelley - Dental Administrator
Shelley was born and raised in small town Saskatchewan. She relocated to Edmonton and eventually to Leduc. She graduated from SIAST in Regina with a Dental Assisting Diploma. She has been in the dental field for 24 years both as a dental assistant and as a receptionist.
In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, golfing, curling and traveling.
Brittney - Dental Administrator
Brittney grew up in Leduc and has been living here for the past 20 years. She attended Kings University studying Psychology for 2 years. She then moved on to the Optical Sciences program at NAIT and became a Licensed Optician in 2017. Brittney joined the team at Prairie Dental in 2020 as receptionist looking to pursue a career in the dental field. She loves to interact with people and listen to their life stories.
Spending time with friends and family is very important to her as is keeping a physically active lifestyle. Camping, kayaking and hiking are amongst her favourite activities throughout the warmer months. Brittney’s passion is for art, design and nature.
Karin - Dental Assistant
Karin relocated from Munich, Germany, to the Edmonton area in 1996. She has been in the dental field as both a Registered Dental Assistant and Receptionist for more than 20 years and holds the orthodontic module certificate from the University of Alberta. She has been a part of the Prairie Dental Centre family since 2001. In her free time, Karin loves to travel and work in her garden!
Katie - Dental Assistant
Katie graduated from CDI College in Edmonton in September 2022. In her spare time she likes to go hiking, playing with her cats, and writing. Katie was born and raised in Canmore, Alberta.
Something interesting about Katie is that she can play five instruments and sing - she's really into music!
Whitney - Dental Assistant
Whitney moved from Ontario to Alberta in the beginning of 2021. She graduated in 2016 from the Lvl 2 Dental Assisting program at George Brown College in Toronto.
Whitney loves to spend her spare time with her playful dog and loving fiancé, going for hikes and travelling.
Zahra - Hygienist
Zahra has been living in Alberta with her family since 1996. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene at the University of Alberta in 2005 and has been practicing as a full time hygienist at Prairie Dental since 2007. Zahra has served as a clinical instructor at University of Alberta's Faculty of Dentistry in the past and has been an active member of the Dental Hygiene program's interviewing committee.
Zahra is dedicated to providing the best oral care for her patients and enjoys travelling, reading and spending time with her family and friends.
Francis - Hygienist
Francis was born and raised in the Philippines. He attended high school in Toronto and studied Dental assisting at George Brown College. He worked as a Dental Assistant for five years before pursuing dental hygiene at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene. He graduated from CADH in 2020.
In his spare time, Francis enjoys hanging out with friends or learning different languages. He loves travelling, biking and hiking during the summer months, and ice skating and snowboarding in the winter. He also enjoys to cook and bake like Buddy @ Cake Boss!
Ruby - Business Development Officer
Ruby grew up in Lamont and moved to Edmonton to pursue her Bachelors in Business Administration at NAIT majoring in Accounting. Shortly after, she completed her CMA designation (now CPA) in 2013 and obtained her MBA from Queen’s University in 2019.
Ruby enjoys a really good cup of coffee, working out, golfing, travelling, board games, cracking Escape Rooms, interior design and spending time with her loving husband Dr. Patel and silly dog Jasper.
Jasper - Manager of First Impressions
Jasper 33ish but goes by J. Brews his own craft beer. Can't adult. Wears sunglasses at night. Comments "not funny" on funny memes.
Check him out on instagram doing bad dog things @jasper.yeg.frenchie
