Drs. Don Lewis (left) and Imre Rokus (right) at the 2023 Pacific Dental Conference

What was being part of the first UBC Faculty of Dentistry class like?

There were eight of us in the class to start with, and only six ended up graduating. We were tight-knit, and I’ve kept in touch with one of my classmates, Imre Rokus.

I did three years of mechanical engineering before I became interested in dentistry—I always liked to do things with my hands. When UBC introduced the DMD program, I decided to apply but didn’t think I’d get in. I still remember getting that phone call inviting me to be part of the first DMD class!

I was married and had two kids when I started the program in 1964, so I still worked odd jobs while being in school full-time.

Can you walk us through your dentistry career?

After graduating, I worked in Parksville for a few years. Then one of my UBC professors, Dr. Lorin Lind, died in a tragic plane accident and I was asked to take over his practice in West Vancouver. I did and worked there for 20 years before selling the practice and spending 15 years doing locums—temporary work contracts—across British Columbia.

What changes did you see in the dental profession throughout your career?

When I first started practicing, dental caries were rampant, and many people had rotten teeth, so I spent a lot of time treating pain and doing restorative work. That still exists today, but there’s been a lot of good oral health education and prevention work since I started, so now dentists are also focused on aesthetics.

What have you enjoyed about retirement?

I retired 20 years ago, and one of my favourite things is not having to wake up early! Unfortunately, my wife of 40 years died two years ago, but before that, she and I went on many trips across North America together in our van and took several bus tours through Europe. I have many great memories from our trips.