Oxana Korj, DMD 2011, is an oral surgeon who owns Greenway Surgical in Vancouver. In honour of November being TMJ Awareness Month, we connected with Dr. Korj, who sees a lot of TMJ patients in her practice, to learn more about her time spent at UBC Dentistry and her passion for oral surgery.
What first got you interested in a career in dentistry?
I really enjoyed my time at UBC Dentistry! Our class had great camaraderie and there were many social events I always looked forward to, like Friday night beer gardens, pub crawls and Battle of the Bands.
What got you interested in oral surgery?
I was in my first or second year of the DMD program when I attended an event where specialists introduced us to their areas of practice. It was fellow alum, oral surgeon Tobin Bellamy, DMD 1998, who presented on oral surgery and it blew my mind!
I’ve always loved anatomy—specifically dissecting things and putting them back together—and seeing how complex the human body is. The body’s ability to heal also fascinates me, and part of oral surgery is optimizing healing, so it’s always felt like a great fit for me.
Tell us about the day-to-day life of practicing as an oral surgeon.
Dentoalveolar work—including wisdom teeth extractions, other extractions and dental implant therapy—is the bread and butter of what I do. Many of these procedures are done with intravenous sedation. I enjoy oral pathology and see patients for a variety of things ranging from small “lumps and bumps” that need simple biopsy procedures, to unusual radiographic findings leading to jaw resection and reconstruction.
I also see patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease. Most of these patients don’t need TMJ surgery, but some benefit from minimally invasive interventions such as arthrocentesis. I also enjoy doing hospital work such as orthognathic surgery, maxillofacial trauma and management of odontogenic infections.
What inspired you to start your own practice?
After dental school, I moved to Saskatchewan, where I practiced as a general dentist for one year. It felt like a good opportunity to explore a new place, and I wanted to get as much exposure as I could. After that, I completed my training in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery in Washington, DC, and then moved back to Vancouver where I worked as an associate for a few years.
During my time as an associate, I realized I wanted an environment that would allow me to do my best work. Opening my own practice felt like the natural next step, giving me the ability to shape the way I worked. But I would tell DMD graduates not to rush into buying a practice—it’s rewarding, but it’s not for everybody. My recommendation is to experience dentistry first before diving into your own practice and potentially getting distracted by the challenges of running a business.
What advice would you give to current dental students?
Enjoy your time as a student! School can be stressful, but this period of your life is very precious, so make the most of it.
What do you enjoy doing outside of dentistry?
I have a two-year-old daughter, so I enjoy spending time with her. I also love to run, and in the last five years, I’ve started trail running more and developed a passion for Ultras.