Dr. Sen & Sen Family Dental Clinic

Dr. Sen & Sen Family Dental Clinic sits on Henderson Highway in Winnipeg's East Kildonan neighbourhood, where Dr. Christopher Shieh — known to many patients simply as Dr. Sen — runs a family dental practice built on word of mouth. Dr. Shieh says the reputation the clinic has earned over the years comes from a simple commitment: treat every patient like family, and let the work speak for itself.

From a first job to a Winnipeg practice

Dr. Shieh originally came to Winnipeg for his first job, and the city became home after that. He completed his Canadian dental credentials through the University of Western Ontario, then in 2018 took over the Sen & Sen practice on Henderson Highway. He had been working toward Canadian licensure with one goal in mind — running his own clinic. "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life," he says.

Genuine care from a Winnipeg family dental team

Asked what kind of experience he aims to provide his patients, Dr. Shieh doesn't hesitate: "Genuine care. We work as a team and we look out for the best interest of the patient. It's not about anything else."

He says many of his patients are nervous or anxious about dental work, and that the clinic's approach is built around that. "We take the time, we sit around with them, we help understand what they need, and then give them a comprehensive plan. We look at them as a whole and take care of them."

Patients echo this in their reviews. Gwen, who left a recent five-star review, writes that from the moment she walks in she feels comfortable, and that the reception staff are "always friendly and welcoming." She mentions the office's tropical plants and a screen showing exotic travel locations — small touches that, she says, almost make her forget she's at the dentist. She also notes the walls of Dr. Shieh's operatory, which are lined with cards from patients.

Mikayla, another reviewer, highlights hygienist Tamara as "friendly and gentle," and describes Dr. Shieh as "very kind and informative in a simple but effective way." Emily, who had her wisdom teeth removed at the clinic, writes that the procedure was "quick and painless with a very quick recovery."

Implants, wisdom teeth, and smile-alignment work in Winnipeg

The clinic handles general family dentistry alongside more complex procedures. Dr. Shieh highlights dental implants, wisdom tooth extractions, and simple orthodontic work focused on aligning the front teeth.

"It's basically giving patients the smile they desire," he says. "Many people come to us with no confidence, and teeth are so important — that's the first thing you notice when someone smiles." He talks about one patient who came in feeling down about his appearance. After the dental work was finished, the patient told Dr. Shieh his confidence had completely changed. "It's not that fixing his teeth got him a girlfriend or a job," Dr. Shieh says. "It boosted his confidence — and that changed everything."

Working with insurance, not around it

Dr. Shieh is also intentional about pacing treatment to fit a patient's budget and benefits. When a patient needs several procedures, he often walks them through how to split the work across calendar years so they can make full use of their annual insurance limits rather than paying out of pocket. "Let's break it down — let's do a few procedures this year and use next year's insurance for the rest. There's no rush to get everything done today."

Advice from a dentist with experience

When it comes to choosing a dentist, Dr. Shieh's advice is simple: "Look for someone with experience." A lot of his more complex cases — wisdom teeth, in particular — come to him through word of mouth, and he says he makes a point of sitting down with each patient to talk through what's possible. "They come here and we work it out with them. That's it."

A Winnipeg dentist who fishes at Lockport and travels for food

Outside the clinic, Dr. Shieh is a traveller, a cook, and a fisherman. He loves trying new food and experiencing different cultures, and is always learning."

His favourite local fishing spot is Lockport. "I always have a fishing rod and buckets in my car," he says. "Sometimes after working, I just go and sit down there for a couple of hours and then go home."

That same down-to-earth attitude runs through how he talks about the business. He keeps realistic hours so his team can have a family life, runs the clinic with his wife Dr. Zarine Alexander handling the operations side, and treats his team the same way he treats his patients. "How I treat my team is how I treat my patients, how I treat my family — exactly the same all around. You don't need anything more than that."