Dr. Arohi Talwar runs Smileville Dental in Calgary, where he and his team have built a reputation on compassionate, patient-centred care. He’s a Dalhousie graduate, an award winner for Superior Clinical Skills and Patient Compassion, and a firm believer that dentists are artists. He’s also, as of recently, the person Rugby Canada calls when their national team needs a dentist on the pitch.
When Dr. Talwar walked onto the rugby pitch as Team Canada’s sports dentist for the first time, the moment hit him all at once. The crowd, the intensity, the weight of what it meant to represent the country in that capacity.
“It humbled me,” he says. “It reminded me of the privilege of supporting athletes at the highest level.”
That opportunity grew through years of work alongside teams like the Calgary Hitmen and the University of Calgary Dinos, building relationships and a reputation in sports dentistry. When Rugby Canada came calling, saying yes was easy.
Rugby places serious demands on players’ teeth and jaws. The risk of dental trauma, fractures, and soft-tissue injuries is substantial, and players go into contact with little protective gear beyond their mouthguards. A properly fitted one affects far more than just tooth protection. It influences breathing, stamina, and recovery in ways most players have never considered.
Sports dentistry isn’t just about treating broken teeth.
It’s about prevention, performance, and protection.
One conversation on the sidelines stuck with Dr. Talwar. A player admitted he had never connected his oral health to his performance on the pitch. “His appreciation reinforced how even small changes can make a meaningful difference,” Dr. Talwar says. It’s the kind of moment that reminds him why this work matters.
Sports dentistry in Canada still lags behind countries like the United States, where major teams routinely carry a dentist on staff. Dr. Talwar wants to change that. His involvement with the University of Calgary’s concussion-prevention mouthguard study is part of that push, examining how proper protection can reduce risk before injuries happen.
“Sports dentistry isn’t just about treating broken teeth,” he says. “It’s about prevention, performance, and protection.”
Working without the comfort of a full clinic setup has sharpened him. Sideline decisions have to be fast and confident, and that instinct carries back into his daily practice.
For young dentists, his advice is simple: stay curious and say yes to the unexpected. Sports dentistry wasn’t something he had mapped out from the beginning. It found him because he kept following his interests and investing in relationships. The career can take you well beyond the dental chair. Sometimes, it earns you a spot on the roster you never knew you wanted.
ARTICLE by Amir Grozdanic
PHOTOS supplied by Dr. Talwar