Day in the Life of Jonathan Skuba

When did you graduate from the U of A?
BSc 1999, DDS 2001

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm an Edmonton-born and raised second-generation dentist practicing in North Edmonton and living in St. Albert. My pride and joy are my wife and two sons, and I'm also thrilled to be part of a close-knit family culture in my dental practice, Skuba Dental Associates. I have been involved in organized dentistry for most of my career, serving on the Council of the Alberta Dental Association and College twice (as President in 2007-2008) and have chaired the College's Committee on Facial Esthetic Therapies and Adjunctive Procedures since its inception in 2012.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be Han Solo and fly the Millennium Falcon for the longest time, but when I realized that wouldn't pan out, I decided that the next best choice would be dentistry!

Do you have a dental hero?
My father Lloyd (DDS '72) is my dental hero. I saw how the profession afforded him the privilege to be a family man — he coached sports, he was home in the evenings — and I saw how respected he was by his patients and staff. We'd run into patients everywhere we went! He built a culture in our practice that has endured for nearly 50 years, a culture that is now my responsibility to continue to perpetuate using all that I've learned from him.

My modern dental hero is my classmate Bob Ridley. He embodies enthusiasm for the profession and dedication to his patients and his co-workers that I try to emulate.

How long have you owned your practice?
I joined the family practice upon graduation in 2001, have been there ever since, and will be there until I retire! I'm now the managing partner, and we have a 24-member team, including six dentists (five of whom are Alberta graduates).

What is your favourite thing about being a dentist?
It changes by the day. Some days, the gratification comes from getting someone out of pain or helping them smile again. Some days it's a conversation with a patient that is supportive, interesting or hilarious! Some days, it's talking with young people interested in the profession or with co-workers or professional colleagues. And some days, it's the comforting fact that I don't carry workplace stresses home with me, and I can give my time fully to my family.

What's your favourite procedure to do?
I would say my favourite appointment at the clinic is consultation — developing comprehensive treatment plans with my patients. I love the notion of treatment planning being a discussion and knowledge-sharing exercise with the patient. I feel like I've accomplished something when they understand their condition and needs, appreciate the scope of options available, and choose a treatment option that they will actually value.

What has this crazy time been like for you?
It's been challenging. I have definitely had some low moments. It's scary to think about the certain and potential impacts of the pandemic on our patients, our practices and our families.

How are you coping?
I felt the worst at the beginning of the pandemic. I've always closely followed emerging pathogens, and this one unfolded like a slow-motion nightmare. It didn't take long to realize that it was easy to get buried under the media (and especially social media) onslaught. After I realized the negative impact media was having on me, I focused on moving forward and have felt much more inspired ever since.
For the kids, my wife structured our days, and that provides a lot of stress-relief. We do academics (grades 1 and 5), workout/fitness time, business time, and leisure and games. I've also had time to move forward on a couple of projects: one is a collaborative, broad-scope start-up with another dentist and a software developer. The other is a network of dentists across the province working together to develop solutions and strategies as we move toward a return to practice. I was moved by how hard my profession was taking the toll of the pandemic and wanted to put something together that could be strategic, supportive and therapeutic. Our first Zoom session will have 43 people online together!

How is your practice doing during this crisis?
I think my practice has done as well as possible, given the circumstances. So far, we've had good fortune dealing with dental emergencies via phone consultation and pharmacologic management. Our network of dental specialists have been a blessing in helping us manage more complicated cases. The patients have been incredibly understanding of the situation, and are clamouring to get back to real life. We've rescheduled almost 100% of appointments that have been missed and have nearly 1000 patients on a waitlist for short notice appointments. My co-workers have been wonderful — dedicated, understanding and focused on doing our part to hasten the recovery from the pandemic, even if that means staying at home.

Did you have this kind of business interruption incorporated into your plan?
I don't think anyone truly incorporated this into their plans! That dentistry would essentially be shut down for weeks or months was inconceivable to me. The profession is anxiously waiting to see how practice interruption insurance will work out, as well as seeing what a safe return to practice might look like. I think there has been a good response by all levels of government in terms of supporting businesses, but the longer this continues, the more adaptable we will all have to be. I've learned that the dental industry truly is an "infinite game". The objective is not at all to "win", but to keep playing by building organizations that outlast the players. Approaching a situation like this pandemic with a finite mindset is disastrous. We need not only to accept change, but to embrace it as an opportunity and adapt to the future it is bringing.

Any advice for up and coming practitioners?
Instead of endlessly scrolling the internet and social media, TALK to everyone you can: old mentors, young colleagues, your co-workers, patients, family, psychologists, faith leaders, financial advisers, practice consultants. Find your sources of negativity and eliminate or at least limit them. Be vulnerable with those you trust: you can't make it through this under your power alone. Don't despair: we are blessed to be part of an industry that inevitably will recover. We just need to be adaptable, empathetic, and alert.

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