Royal Centre Dental Group Vancouver ★9.9

The downtown practice that keeps the surgery in-house

Most general offices hand the hard third of dentistry to somebody else — the gum surgery, the implant, the awkward root canal. Royal Centre Dental Group runs the other way. Dr. Ken Phillips, who founded it in 1990, trained under an oral surgeon and performs most of his own surgical extractions; his partner built his practice around endodontics; and a Certified Specialist in Periodontics and Implant Surgery sits on the roster.

Treatments

Exams and cleaning, tooth-coloured fillings, inlays and onlays, crowns, bridges, root canals, extractions and wisdom teeth. Missing teeth replaced with implants, bridges, complete and partial dentures. Cosmetic dentistry runs to whitening, bonding, porcelain veneers, Invisalign and facial aesthetics, which British Columbia’s College of Dental Surgeons brought into the dental scope of practice in 2007. Prevention covers gum-disease treatment, desensitizing exposed roots, remineralizing fluoride, night guards and sports guards. Second opinions are an appointment type of their own.

Lasers and diagnostics

Two lasers do work that would otherwise mean a blade or a guess. The soft-tissue laser handles biopsy, crown lengthening, tissue recontouring and frenectomy — releasing a tongue-tie in babies, children and adults where it interferes with feeding or speech, or has pushed a gap between the front teeth. The Diagnodent laser reads decay before it becomes visible.

The dentists

Dr. Ken Phillips — Dalhousie, 1987; founder; aesthetic and laser dentistry, and the practice’s Botox training. Dr. Ryan Bernhauser — qualified in Saskatchewan in 2004; endodontics, laser dentistry and Invisalign. Dr. Shahrzad Rahimizadeh — qualified 2018; cosmetic and surgical dentistry, clinical instructor at UBC’s Faculty of Dentistry, volunteer with the NextGen BC oral cancer prevention program. Dr. Payam Matin — a periodontics certificate and a master’s from Virginia Commonwealth University, certified in Canada and the United States. Much of the staff has been here since the founder’s first year.

Who it suits

People who work downtown and want their dentistry finished in one building. Anyone holding a treatment plan they do not trust — the practice writes that it will never be pushy or recommend treatment you do not need. Parents of a tongue-tied infant.

Frequently asked questions

Can I come just for a second opinion? Yes — both founding dentists consult; bring your existing X-rays so they need not be retaken.

Who places the implants? Implants and periodontal surgery go to a certified periodontics and implant-surgery specialist on the team.

What does a first visit include? An oral cancer check, hard- and soft-tissue examination, digital X-rays and a gum assessment.

What if it is urgent? Emergencies are slotted the same or the next day, and the rota stretches into evenings and the weekend.

Opening hours