bio
Meet The Team
Dr Kara Bagdan - Dentist
Dr Kara Bagdan is the owner and full-time dentist you will see at Bite Family Dentistry. After graduating from New York University College of Dentistry in 2019, she practiced in Taber, Calgary, and Winnipeg before coming to Banff. She was born and raised just outside of Edmonton, and completed her BSc in Biology before dental school. Kara spends as much time outdoors as possible – whether skiing, hiking, biking, golfing, paddleboarding, or just walking her dog around town. As a dentist, her philosophy is to provide quality education and treatment, while respecting that the final decisions are made by the patient.
our
Team
Dr Natali Schindler – Dentist
The previous owner and creator of Bite Family Dentistry. Natali has been a dentist for over 25 years and has moved to part-time hours. She and her husband keep their hands full with their three dogs and two cats, splitting their time between Banff and the Kootenays in BC.
Breya – Hygienist
Breya joined the Bite team as one of our Registered Dental Hygienists in 2021. She first worked as a veterinary technician for 8 years, then went back to school for dental hygiene and graduated from the Toronto College of Dental hygiene and auxiliaries with honours in 2018. She also completed the Local Anesthesia certification at the University of Alberta in 2023. Breya’s love of the mountain lifestyle is what brought her to Banff from Ontario. She enjoys hiking, road/mountain biking, kayaking, skating, snowboarding and quality time with her two black cats.
Marlena – Hygienist
Back from maternity leave!
Lenora – Hygienist
Lenora has been a dental hygienist for over 15 years, after graduating from Oxford College in 2010. She’s from a small town called La Crete, AB, but moved to Nova Scotia after hygiene school. Lenora moved back to Alberta with her husband a few years ago, to raise their two children.
Kim
Kim has lived in the Bow Valley for 20+ years, she moved to Banff from Nova Scotia to accept a job in this clinic. After an 8-year break from the industry, she returned to Bite Family Dentistry when Dr Kara bought the practice. Kim is a registered dental assistant, qualified in Orthodontics and Prosthodontics, and is a TMJ assistant with The American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, but mainly you will see her at reception. Kim enjoys scrabble, reading, playing pool, cross country skiing, and biking.
Debbie
Debbie started at Bite in 2022 as Dental Administrative, she has lived in the Bow Valley for 14 years with her family. She enjoys biking, hiking, karaoke, and binge-watching Netflix.
Jackie
Currently on maternity leave
Laura
Laura, originally from Ontario, officially moved to Banff after many visits in May of 2025, after completing her dental assisting qualifications at Niagara College. Laura is a huge lover of all things outdoors, hiking, camping, running, snowboarding, etc.
Etsuko
Etsuko, originally from Japan, has lived in the Bow Valley for 20+ years. She is our sterilization assistant, with four years experience in the dental profession. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, kayaking, and skiing.
Stef
Stef has 13 years experience as a registered dental assistant. She is originally from Ontario but moved to the Bow Valley about 10 years ago. When she isn’t working, you can catch Stef snowboarding, or down hill mountain biking.