Canadian media on Monday spotlighted a Calgary dentist who defrauded two insurance companies — Sun Life and Blue Cross — of more than $126,000 in false claims, primarily for root canals.
Dr. Alena Smadych, former owner of All About Family Dental on Elbow Drive S.W., pleaded guilty to fraud on what was scheduled to be the first day of her eight-day trial, as reported by both CBC News and the Calgary Herald.
Following a spike in suspicious charges, Sun Life began investigating in September 2021. One of the red flags was a single-day submission on Dec. 20, 2020, totalling $19,144 for 17 different patients. The company’s audit revealed 51 fraudulent claims between June 2015 and June 2021, resulting in a loss of $96,965.46.
According to an agreed statement of facts read in court, Smadych submitted falsified records — including fake X-rays — to support the claims.
Once Sun Life flagged the issue, Calgary police notified other providers, prompting Blue Cross to launch its own audit. Blue Cross uncovered an additional $29,307.68 in fraudulent claims related to five patients between 2013 and 2023.
In total, the two companies lost $126,273.14, making Smadych’s clinic the highest-billing general dental practice in Canada for root canals — an unusual distinction given its size.
Smadych, originally trained in Russia, had been practising in Calgary since 2013. She sold her clinic in February 2025 after being charged with the Sun Life fraud and before the Blue Cross charges were laid. The College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta confirmed that she is no longer practising.
A psychiatric risk assessment has been ordered ahead of sentencing.