iDental Centre

iDental Centre is the practice of Dr. Travis Friesen and his wife Heidi Friesen, who is also a dental hygienist at the clinic. Both grew up in rural Manitoba and have lived in Winnipeg for almost 25 years. Travis graduated from dental school in 2008. Heidi graduated from hygiene in 2004. They are also parents to four children.

Heidi says Travis was drawn to dentistry through a love of science, a love of art, and a genuine aptitude for working with his hands. He wanted a profession where he could help people directly, and dentistry was a fit.

How iDental Centre Came to Sterling Lyon Parkway

The practice originally operated downtown. When the Friesens decided it was time for a new home, they looked at where their patients lived and where families were growing, and landed on southwest Winnipeg. They will mark two years at their Sterling Lyon location this September.

Travis spent his early years in the interning up north, working with complex medical cases and completing an oral surgery with his friend and mentor Dr. Harvey Spiegel led him into general practice.

A Thorough First Visit, Pearl AI, and Guided Biofilm Therapy

Every first appointment at iDental Centre starts with a thorough assessment. The idea, in Heidi's words, is to have a firm foundation before building anything on top of it. The office uses Pearl AI, which analyzes digital X rays and flags potential cavities and tartar so the dentist and the patient can look at the same image together. If something needs attention, the AI circles it. The patient sees what the dentist sees.

Gum health gets particular attention. The practice offers Guided Biofilm Therapy, a Swiss cleaning technique that uses a dye to reveal exactly where plaque is hiding, so patients can learn to reach those spots themselves, and then a warm water spray that makes the experience much more pleasant. Patients often remark afterward that their teeth look brighter, almost like a whitening. At iDental, it is included as part of a standard cleaning.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

The thing Heidi wants patients to know before their first visit is that no one at iDental is going to judge their teeth.

"Truthfully, as hygienists, I don't floss every day even though I know I should, because life can just be a little crazy a times," she says. "I believe in meeting people where they are at. In a perfect world we should all do this, but what can we do? Let's just do the best we can with where we are at."

Heidi tells a story about a patient who, while updating her medical history at the start of an appointment, mentioned she was waiting on a sleep apnea test and was anxious about it. Travis spent the rest of the appointment walking her through sleep apnea, the options available to her, and what the path forward could look like. She left understanding more about her own body than she had when she arrived, and she told Travis she had never had a health practitioner take that kind of time with her before. For Heidi, that is the kind of moment the practice is built around: patients feeling they are genuinely cared for.

The Team, Four Hygienists, and Four Languages

iDental Centre has four experienced hygienists. Support staff speak Ukrainian, Punjabi, and Hindi, so a patient who would rather discuss their care in a first language other than English usually can. The clinic is locally owned and operated, and it accepts the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Guatemala, Little Smiles, and Giving Back in Winnipeg

Travis has been travelling to Guatemala since his final year of dental school, volunteering in mountain communities where access to dental care is limited. Heidi has joined him on the trips, and between them they have quietly kept the work going for most of their careers.

Closer to home, iDental hosts free "Little Smiles" events for kids a few times a year. Children can come in, sit in the chair, enjoy balloon animals and face painting, and leave with a gift bag. Heidi has been writing children's books about going to the dentist, with timelines and tips for parents tucked into the back of each one, and every child at Little Smiles leaves with a copy. The clinic has also partnered with the Locals Market on an oral cancer awareness event, and Heidi is bringing a charity component to the Steinbach Credit Union Wellness Fair in early May.

What Patients Are Saying About iDental Centre

Reviews on Google sit at 4.9 stars across more than 300 ratings.

Josie described the clinic as clean, organized, and professional, with a team that explained each step as it happened. Bon said the office was immaculate, the instruments were the newest available, and the team made her feel like family. Kevin called his cleaning excellent and noted that Dr. Travis Friesen goes out of his way to make sure a patient's experience is comfortable.

One Line That Runs Through Everything

Heidi comes back to it more than once: love each person who walks through our doors, patients and team alike. For her and Travis, that is the heart of what iDental Centre is, and what the rest of the practice is built around.