Arch Dental: Where local roots meet modern care

Aug 15

Located in unit 207 at the Stelmach Community Health Centre, Arch Dental brings general and family dentistry to southeast Edmonton from a dentist who grew up just down the road.

Coming back to where it started

Dr. Travis Elliott spent his childhood in Mill Woods before leaving Edmonton for dental school. He trained at the University of Alberta and New York University, then spent five years practicing in Calgary. That's where he crossed paths with Dr. Paul Delhon and his wife, Dr. Rakhee Parmar, who would later become his business partners.

"They moved back to Edmonton and conveniently so did I around the same time," says Travis. Paul had already started a clinic in southeast Edmonton, and together the two of them began looking at the Stelmach Community Health Centre site.

For Travis, the location carries weight beyond business. "I grew up in the area. I spent so much time at the rec center, both swimming and playing hockey," he says.

Now retired, Travis’ family dentist had also practiced in the area. "It was always a place that was home for me to come and receive great care. I wanted to do the same thing moving forward for the next generations to come through Mill Woods."

While Paul co-owns the clinic, Travis and Rakhee see patients full-time at the site.

General dentistry for every stage of life

Arch Dental treats patients from age one to one hundred, covering the full range of dentistry alongside more specialized work. Travis has advanced training in wisdom teeth extraction, implant placement and root canal therapy. The clinic also handles denture rehabilitation for patients dealing with loose-fitting appliances.

"We see all walks of life," Travis says. "We're a general dentistry clinic, so we do everything." For patients who feel anxious about dental visits, the clinic offers both oral and nitrous oxide sedation.

Technology built for comfort

Arch Dental has moved away from some of the more uncomfortable parts of a traditional dental visit. In place of the usual scaling and scraping, the clinic uses a GBT air-water powder cleaning system.

"The feedback on it is phenomenal," Travis says. "I personally much prefer it to the traditional method. This new cleaning system is a lot gentler and just in general more comfortable for people."

The clinic has also replaced traditional dental impressions with digital scanning equipment. "Instead of taking one of these goopy impressions, now we can scan your teeth and send that to the laboratory," Travis says. "They’ll send it back to us within a couple days." For something as simple as a nightguard, that means no more mess and a faster turnaround.

A space designed to feel like home, not a clinic

Travis points to the building itself as part of what makes the experience different for patients. "I think the building is extremely well finished," he says. "It's a great space to come in to meet and collaborate. It's a welcoming environment. There's wood features, there's greenery." He describes the overall feel as open and inviting rather than clinical.

That same vibe carries into Arch Dental’s clinic space. "There's large windows in each of our treatment rooms so that people have that calming effect of seeing outside. They don’t feel boxed in," Travis says. The clinic has added green features throughout the space to extend that atmosphere for patients who may feel anxious about dental visits.

Working alongside other providers in the building

Being inside the Stelmach Community Health Centre gives Arch Dental a direct line to other providers under the same roof.

"We see patients where we suspect that they have airway issues or other sleep related disorders," he says. "There's a sleep clinic right down the way. There's a denture service downstairs as well where we can collaborate with." He adds that Arch Dental is especially interested in working with the denture specialist to support patients with more complex oral health needs, along with the primary care clinic in the building.

A career shaped by curiosity and community

Travis traces his interest in dentistry back to childhood habits that had nothing to do with medicine at first. "Growing up, I was always kind of a tinkerer," he says. "I always wanted to work on small projects. I worked on my car a lot." That hands-on curiosity eventually pointed him toward dentistry, a field that let him combine problem-solving with helping people directly, along with his interest in running his own business.

Now practicing in the neighbourhood where he grew up, Travis is focused on giving Mill Woods families the kind of long-term dental care he remembers having as a kid, delivered in a building designed to make the visit itself feel comfortable and convenient.