Dr. Rubecca Shahid
Dr. Rubecca Shahid is a longevity dentist in Seattle and the owner of SMILES ON 35th. She looks after your mouth, airway and sleep, and how they connect to the rest of you, with care planned to keep you healthy and smiling for decades.
Call UsHealth beyond teeth
Dr. Shahid plans your dental care around your whole health, for the decades ahead.
Catching risk early
A thorough look at your gums, teeth, bite and airway finds problems while they're small.
Care that feels different
Unhurried visits, a conservative plan built around your goals, and no pressure to decide.
Total Body Wellness
You may already track your sleep, know your blood work and train with a plan. Dr. Shahid brings that same proactive thinking to your dental care, because she understands that the mouth is an integral part of the body. Your gums, bite and airway affect your nutrition, sleep quality, energy levels and inflammation in the body. So she looks after your mouth, airway and sleep together, never one tooth in isolation.
As the owner of SMILES ON 35th, an independent practice, she sets the standard of care herself. Every recommendation answers to your diagnosis, never a corporate quota, and your plan is built with you, around your goals.
I came to longevity dentistry through my own health journey, wanting to understand why problems start and how to prevent them. What I needed then is what I want for you now: more good years, a smile you feel good about, and a dentist who listens.
From repairing teeth to protecting health
Dr. Shahid built her clinical skill first, in a busy hospital and at dental schools on two continents. Then her own health journey changed what she wanted from dentistry. Searching for answers as a patient, she wanted to know why problems start and how to prevent them, not only how to repair them.
Her training has followed that question ever since, moving from procedures toward diagnosis, prevention and long-term health. Each step below has shaped her philosophy, approach, methods and the care you receive now at SMILES ON 35th.
- 2010
Dental school and residency in India
Earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Rajiv Gandhi University as the youngest in her class, then completed a residency at a busy community hospital, seeing an average of 50 patients a day. That pace sharpened the judgment and skill behind every procedure she does for you.
- 2016
DMD from the University of Illinois at Chicago
Worked as a dental assistant while studying for the National Board Dental Examination, then earned her DMD at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. She was class president and won the Dr. Jerry F. Balaty Award for excellence in diagnosis and treatment planning, the skill at the heart of your care, and a Straumann pre-doctoral implant award.
- Nov 2019
SMILES ON 35th
After practicing in Chicago and then Seattle after her family moved here, she bought SMILES ON 35th in Wedgwood and established the standard of care that you now experience at every visit.
- 2022
Alleman Center biomimetic mastership
Earned a Mastership in biomimetic dentistry from the Alleman Center, so your fillings and crowns keep as much natural tooth as possible and are designed to help prevent cracks and future root canals.
- 2026
Kois Center graduate
Completed the full nine-course Kois Center curriculum in comprehensive diagnosis, risk assessment, function and treatment planning, joining about 1,200 graduates worldwide. For you, that means catching risk before it becomes damage.
- Every year
Still learning
Completes nearly eight times the continuing education Washington requires, across diagnosis, gum health, the bite, sleep and airway, implants and smile design, so your care reflects the cutting edge of dentistry.
How Dr. Shahid cares for you, step by step
Each step protects the next, so your plan always follows the same order. Your exam decides which steps you need; most people need some, not all.
See the whole picture
Your care starts with knowing what is happening, and why. Dr. Shahid examines your teeth, gums, bite, jaw joints and airway, reviews your health history and completes a comprehensive assessment to catch issues early (the Kois risk assessment). Low-radiation digital X-rays, a 3D scan and, when needed, a 3D view of your bone and airway (CBCT) and a digital map of your bite (T-Scan) complete the picture.
Build a healthy foundation
Healthy gums and calm inflammation protect more than your smile. She brings gum disease, decay and infection under control before any elective care. A simple saliva test shows which bacteria are at work, a blood test looks for inflammation and nutritional gaps, and treatment, including gentle CO2 laser gum therapy, targets what they find. When results reach beyond your mouth, she works with your physicians.
About gum disease treatment
Keep what's yours
More of your own tooth stays yours. She removes only what is damaged and bonds to healthy tooth instead of cutting it down. Biomimetic fillings and crowns are designed to help prevent cracks and reduce the chance of a future root canal, and CEREC crowns are made in the office in one visit, with no temporary crown.
About biomimetic dentistry
Fix the cause, not just the damage
Worn or cracked teeth, a sore jaw and restless nights often trace back to your bite or airway. She maps how your teeth meet with T-Scan digital bite analysis and checks your jaw joints and airway, then treats the source with night guards, clear aligners or, for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, an oral sleep appliance, working with sleep physicians.
About sleep apnea care
Rebuild what's been lost
Missing or failing teeth can be replaced with work built to last. She plans implants in 3D with in-office CBCT imaging, offers metal-free ceramic implants and makes implant crowns in the office. When damage is extensive or the bite has collapsed, she plans full-mouth reconstruction.
About dental implants
A smile that lasts
A smile you love, on a foundation that holds. Once your gums and bite are healthy, she designs cosmetic care around your goals, from porcelain, composite and 3D-printed veneers to in-office whitening and gum recontouring, so the result looks natural and lasts.
About veneers
Stay healthy for life
Your results keep holding up. Cleanings, gum care, bite protection, and sleep and airway follow-up are scheduled by your own risk rather than a fixed calendar, and she reassesses regularly so any change is caught early.
About preventive care
Your first visit with Dr. Shahid
Your first visit is unhurried, and it starts with a conversation: your health, your history, what hasn't felt right and what you want for the years ahead. Then Dr. Shahid shows you what she finds on screen, so every recommendation traces back to something you can see for yourself.
Together, you build one plan, starting with the most conservative care that will last. Pricing is transparent and specific to your case, and there's no judgment and no pressure. You leave knowing what is happening, why, and what you want to do about it.
- What to expect at your first visit
- How biomimetic dentistry saves more of your tooth
- Meet the team and see our office
Why patients love Dr. Shahid
Patients love Dr. Shahid's passion for the highest quality of care, and the way she treats them like family, with compassion, dedication and gentleness. Her easy-going, jovial chairside manner helps people relax and enjoy their visits. And while few patients think about the size of a dentist's hands until those hands are in their mouth, many tell her they're thankful for her small hands.
She not only listens to her patients, she hears and understands them. Many are surprised when she asks about little details of their lives they mentioned at the previous appointment. So if something doesn't feel right, say so. She takes it seriously, looks into it and explains what she finds. Her patients trust her, too, because she keeps her knowledge fresh through continuing education.
Book Your First Visit
Caring for her community
Dr. Shahid's career began at a hospital serving people with few other options for care, and giving back is still part of who she is. She volunteers her time and skills to bring care to people who need it, with organizations including:
- Give Kids A Smile
- Community Health
- Mission of Mercy
- Compassionate Care Network
- Collaborative Underserved Relief and Education Network
At home in Seattle
Dr. Shahid enjoys sharing her life with her husband, Naj, their beautiful daughter, Aliza and their orange cat, Pumpkin, who has become a master of mischief lately!
Her favorite stressbuster is cooking, and she loves to experiment with new recipes and collect cuisine ideas from around the world. So far, she has used her creativity and extensive kitchen gadget collection to recreate recipes from six continents!
When not caring for her patients or having fun in the kitchen, she enjoys dancing, listening to music, traveling to new places, and admiring the beauty of Seattle and the pacific northwest.
Dr. Shahid's professional affiliations
Questions about Dr. Shahid
Dr. Rubecca Shahid, DMD, is a longevity dentist in Seattle and the owner of SMILES ON 35th, an independent, woman-owned practice in Wedgwood. She is a Kois Center graduate, holds a Mastership in biomimetic dentistry from the Alleman Center, and completes nearly eight times the continuing education Washington requires every year.
Dr. Rubecca Shahid is warm, easy-going and thorough. She takes time to listen, explains your options plainly and lets you decide.
A longevity dentist like Dr. Rubecca Shahid cares for your mouth, airway and sleep with your long-term health in mind. Gum inflammation has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, and your airway shapes how well you sleep, so she works to keep you healthy, and keep your natural teeth, for decades.
Yes, Dr. Rubecca Shahid is a graduate of the Kois Center in Seattle, one of about 1,200 dentists worldwide. Graduating means completing the full nine-course curriculum in comprehensive diagnosis, risk assessment, function and treatment planning, the framework behind every exam at SMILES ON 35th.
Dr. Rubecca Shahid completes nearly eight times the continuing education Washington requires of dentists every year, and has kept that pace for five years. She is also a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Dr. Rubecca Shahid earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Rajiv Gandhi University in India, then a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry in 2016, where she was president of her class.
Yes, Dr. Rubecca Shahid welcomes new patients at SMILES ON 35th in Seattle's Wedgwood neighborhood. Book online or call the office; your first visit begins with an unhurried conversation.
Away from the office, Dr. Rubecca Shahid spends her time with her family in Seattle: her husband, Naj, their daughter, Aliza, and Pumpkin, the family cat. She also volunteers with community care programs such as Give Kids A Smile.
