Dr. Michael Riva was inspired to pursue a career in dentistry by his father, Dr. Al Riva, who practiced dentistry in south St. Catharines for nearly 50 years. Dr. Michael Riva obtained his dental degree with honours from the University of Toronto in 1986 and was elected to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon honour dental society. He also received seven other academic awards. Dr. Riva received his graduate diploma in Orthodontics from the University of Toronto. He studied under the late Dr. Donald Woodside. As part of his graduate requirements, Dr. Riva did a research thesis on "The Relationship of Facial Soft-Tissue Structures in Parents and Their Offspring" using data from the world-renowned Burlington Growth Centre. While maintaining a full-time orthodontic practice, Dr. Riva has also been a volunteer coach for young athletes in baseball, curling, basketball and soccer. He was born and raised in St. Catharines, is married with three children, and has been in orthodontic practice in the area since 1989.