Calgary Dentist Alena Smadych Sentenced to Three Years for Insurance Fraud

A Calgary dentist, Alena Smadych, has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a decade-long scheme to defraud dental insurers with fraudulent billing, Canadian authorities confirmed. The sentence marks the conclusion of a high-profile case that revealed extensive misuse of patient information and insurance systems to submit false claims totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars over many years.

Smadych, 55, who practised at All About Family Dental in Calgary, admitted to submitting invented or inflated claims to multiple insurance providers for procedures that were never performed or were grossly misrepresented. According to court records and police summaries, the fraudulent claims included root canal treatments, restorations and other dental work, with the total value of fake billing reported to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars accumulated between 2013 and 2023.

Investigators found that Smadych used the personal information of numerous patients — some unaware their identities were being misused — to support the false claims. The breadth of the misconduct led to multiple charges of fraud and triggered a lengthy police and insurance industry investigation into Smadych’s billing practices.

As part of the legal process, Smadych repaid a significant portion of the money that insurers lost to the scheme. However, prosecutors argued the scale and duration of the fraud warranted a custodial sentence to reflect the severity of the abuse of trust and professional responsibility. Crown counsel had previously indicated in court that the dentist could face up to three years behind bars for her actions.

In addition to the prison term, Smadych’s dental licence has been revoked, and she is no longer practising dentistry. The sentencing sends a strong message about accountability and the consequences of abusing professional credentials to exploit insurance systems in Canada.

The case highlighted the role of collaboration between law enforcement and insurance investigators in uncovering long-running fraud schemes. Calgary police and industry partners worked together over several years to gather evidence, review hundreds of transactions, and build a prosecution that ultimately led to Smadych’s guilty plea and sentencing.