Catching up with … Alyssa Orobko

Alyssa Orobko, ’13 DDS

Alyssa Orobko, ’13 DDS, has been taking her dentistry practice on the road ever since graduation from the University of Alberta — travelling once a week to Saddle Lake and several times a week to Maskwacis while also maintaining appointments at the Edmonton West dental clinic where she works alongside Dr. Deb Crowfoot, the second Indigenous doctor of dentistry to ever practise in Canada. 

Orobko loves the artistry involved in dentistry almost as much as the patient-centred care she has the opportunity to provide. “Treating people who have dental anxiety and making it a better experience for them is something that I love,” she says. 

We caught up with Orobko to find out more about her memories from the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry and where her career has taken her since.

What are some of your fondest memories from the School of Dentistry?

I think all of our socializing — our trauma bonding, if you can call it that. We had so many big tests in a row and we’d all be studying together, so I loved the camaraderie. I made so many friendships that I still have, even if we live in different cities. Our class was quite small (34 people), and we all saw each other at so many highs and lows. I have this one memory when I was having such a tough week, and one of my girlfriends left my favourite chocolates at the clinic station with a note saying “You’re a star.” I love remembering the small things like that; the ways we all helped each other through school.

What are the biggest challenges you recall?

I think the biggest challenge was time management. Dental school took up so much of our time, sometimes I would go early to get stuff done and then stay late after school for lab work. So making sure I tried to have a balance outside of school was tough for sure, but important for mental health. Going through lots of firsts was challenging as well, like the first time we had to give anesthetic to a patient or the first time we had to drill into a person’s tooth. I know we all wanted to do the best job we could for all the patients in the clinic. Trying to learn a wealth of information in four years was also hard — it seems like a long time, but there’s so much to know! I realize now that dentistry is a profession involving lifelong learning, and I’m embracing that. In the words of John Kois, an internationally renowned clinician and educator, “If you don’t know better, you can’t do better.” 

What are some of the lifelong learning activities you’ve done and how do they keep you connected to your fellow alumni?

Right now I’m part of a study club that one of my great friends and fellow grads Salman Jivani founded in Edmonton, and it’s so great to connect with other like-minded dentists and continue learning with so many other U of A grads. One friend works at the hospital and it’s nice to be able to ask questions about medically compromised patients, another friend loves esthetic dentistry, so he loves to text us photos in a group chat of cases he’s done and how he achieved certain results.

I would also say that I am part of the “Kois tribe” — together with four friends from my class I’ve done two courses at the Kois Center in Seattle, which really reignited my passion for dentistry. I’m going to my third course this May, and will do the last two in 2027. The courses are usually a week long and it’s tough to leave my three kids, but my husband has been great at supporting me to go and learn. 

What has surprised you the most about being a dentist?

Honestly, when I decided to go into dentistry, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into! It can be a very mentally taxing job, and I think the first few years coming out of dental school are tough because you want to do your best for everyone, and there are going to be things that happen that are out of your control. But I feel so lucky to have studied in a program that I feel so passionate about now and I’ve been surprised over and over by how rewarding my work can be.