Meet Our Dentists

Adam Hellen

Dr. Adam was born and raised in Toronto. He graduated with honours from the University of Toronto. As a 4th generation dentist in the Hellen family, Dr. Adam was truly born and raised in Cliffcrest Dental.

Adam lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons. He is always working on different projects in whatever free time he has so feel free to ask whats up next!

Christi Steele

Dr. Steele grew up in Chatham, Ontario. She completed her Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) degree at the University of Western Ontario. She then graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry earning the Dean’s Gold Medal as well as the Bridget Wang Memorial Comprehensive Care Program Award.
Dr. Steele joined Cliffcrest in 2019. Since then, she has enjoyed getting to know her patients, their families, and providing compassionate, comprehensive care for all her patients. On mornings when she is not at Cliffcrest, Dr. Steele is a clinical instructor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry,

She not only is passionate about dentistry but is a former high-ranking competitive pairs figure skater. She enjoys running and spending time outdoors, having completed 5 marathons. Dr. Steele lives in Toronto and spends her free time with her husband, Josh, and their dog, Nola.

Gary Elman

Dr. Gary Elman was born in Montreal and moved to Toronto with his family in the late 70s. He attended the University of Toronto, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. His career then took a sharp turn after graduation, when he decided to become a dentist.

Gary joined the Cliffcrest Dental team in 1987. He divides his time between here and his other office, located in Downsview. Dr. Elman has participated in many research projects throughout his career and has contributed to several papers regarding caries detection.

Married in 1984, Gary and his wife have 3 daughters, a son-in-law, and one grandson. He is an avid skier and scuba diver. Over his career, Gary has held leadership positions in many not-for-profit organizations including Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity, Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, and Beth Tzedec Synagogue. Gary is a recipient of Alpha Omega’s Meritorious Service Award and is a Fellow of The American College of Dentists.

Stephen Abrams

Dr. Stephen Abrams was born and raised in Toronto, attended the University of Toronto, and graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry in 1980. It was at UofT that he met Dr. Warren Hellen, his partner and co-founder of Cliffcrest Dental Office.

With over 40 years of clinical experience, Dr. Abrams is active within the dental profession. He is a member of Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity and has honorary fellowships in various dental societies, including Pierre Fauchard Academy, American College of Dentists and Academy of Dentistry International.

As 20-year chair of the Ontario Dental Association's Dental Benefits Committee, Dr. Abrams has participated in the negotiation of many government-sponsored dental programs., addressing issues such as access to care and the needs of high-risk children and adults and children with special needs. A 2008 international symposium organized by Dr. Abrams was instrumental in the design of the Ontario's Healthy Smiles Program.

In 2012, Dr. Abrams in collaboration with a professor at U of T's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering introduced the dental profession to The Canary System - a non-invasive laser-based device for detection and monitoring of caries (decay) and erosion in teeth. As a senior member of the European Organization for Caries Research (ORCA) and International Association of Dental Research (IADR), Dr. Abrams has presented multiple papers on the detection of tooth decay using The Canary System.

Dr. Abrams has published over 150 papers and 2 book chapters in a number of international publications on topics including early tooth decay detection, prevention of tooth decay, dentures, restorative dentistry, and dental program design. He continues to lecture at dental schools across North America on the topic of detection and management of tooth decay. Recently, he chaired an international symposium designed to engage the research community and dental profession on the safety and efficacy of community water fluoridation.

He was one of the founding board members of ACCERTA Claim Corporation, a dental and pharmacy claims management company. His role on the board was to look at how to design, administer and implement health programs.

In appreciation of his dedication and hard work, Dr. Abrams has been the recipient of several awards for community service, these include Canada's125 Commemorative Medal of Community Service (1992), the ODA's Barnabus Day Award for distinguished service to the profession (2002), Alpha Omega Humanitarian Award (2014), and SNAPD Award for service to the Scarborough community (2017).

Treating many generations of patients, Dr. Abrams continues to learn and educate others in all facets of dental and overall health. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Rosette, and their daughter, Tamara. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, lecturing, and sharing knowledge.

Warren Hellen

Dr. Hellen was born and raised in Toronto and attended the University of Toronto. Upon graduating from the Faculty of Dentistry in 1980, he co-founded Cliffcrest Dental with his dental school classmate, Dr. Stephen Abrams.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Hellen has forged strong bonds with members of the Scarborough community and values his relationships with many generations of patients that have become a part of the greater Cliffcrest Dental family.

A member of the Ontario Dental Association, Dr. Hellen has been active in the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity throughout his career. He also has co-authored several articles in various international dental publications.

For Dr. Hellen, dentistry is truly a family affair. When he graduated from UofT, he became the 4th Hellen to practise dentistry. Since then, his son, Dr. Adam Hellen, has become the 5th Hellen dentist (4th generation!) and Warren is proud to have Adam working alongside him at Cliffcrest Dental. Warren’s father, Dr. Harry Hellen, worked at Cliffcrest for a few years before his retirement and his sister, Laura, has been the Cliffcrest office manager since 1986. Dr. Hellen is proud be part of a group of dentists who have been caring for the dental health of Torontonians for over 90 years.

Dr. Hellen lives in Richmond Hill with his wife, Ellen. His adult children all live in the GTA, as do his 5 grandsons, who he spends time with whenever possible. An avid cyclist and runner, Dr. Hellen enjoys spending time outdoors and with family and friends.

Michael Coyne

Following his undergraduate degree in BioMedical Sciences at The University of Guelph, Dr. Coyne completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at The University of Western Ontario in 2018. After one year of practising dentistry, he moved to Vancouver to pursue studies in Periodontics at the University of British Columbia.

During his residency, Dr. Coyne was appointed the chief resident of his program and earned teaching, research, and clinical proficiency awards by UBC’s Faculty of Dentistry. He successfully defended his Masters of Craniofacial Sciences and completed his Periodontal residency in 2022.

Dr. Coyne’s passion in periodontics includes digital dentistry, implant therapy, and teaching the next generation of aspiring periodontists.

In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the outdoors, woodworking, and connecting with his family and friends across the country.