Bert Smulders, DMD 1976, was a general dentist in Aldergrove, BC, for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2015. We connected with Dr. Smulders to learn about his love for dentistry, what he enjoys about being retired and his new-found passion for painting.
What first got you interested in becoming a dentist?
I always aspired to be either a medical doctor or a dentist. My family moved to Vancouver from Holland in 1969 and I struggled during my undergraduate degree at UBC because I didn’t speak English very well and I didn’t know many people. Playing UBC varsity soccer helped me get acclimatized.
I ended up talking to my dentist who was also Dutch and told him I liked working with my hands and wanted to be independent in my profession, so that steered me away from medicine and towards dentistry. I joined the UBC pre-dental society and was happy to get accepted into the program in 1972. When I started dental school, my social circle really expanded, especially after joining the beta fraternity, and I began enjoying myself.
What did you enjoy most about being a dentist?
My practice was in Aldergrove, a small town in BC, and I enjoyed being part of the community. I got to know three or four generations of families in my practice, which is very special. My team was also with me for most of my career. For example, I hired my dental assistant when I first opened my practice and we retired at the same time, so we worked our entire careers together and went through all the ups and downs of family life together.
What do you love most about being retired?
Being relaxed all the time! The most stressful part of my day used to be the moment I arrived at my practice and got out of the car not knowing what the day had in store or what dental issues my patients would come to me with. Once I sat down and saw my first patient that all disappeared, but it’s nice to not have that stress first thing in the morning.
Is there anything you miss about dentistry?
Being in dentistry gave me many chances to challenge myself, and that’s something I miss. When I started working in 1978 there weren’t many specialists around, so I completed an orthodontics course so I could offer some of that in my practice.
I also joined numerous study clubs throughout my career. The two most influential were the implant study club led by Dr. Don Anderson, and the R.V. Tucker study club which I attended for over 30 years. Dr. Tucker became my close friend—he was a mentor to me in both dentistry and more broadly in life.
Tell us a bit about your new-found passion for painting.
I had never done any painting or drawing before—I didn’t have the time and it wasn’t an effective way to support my blended family of eight children.
One day I was bored, so I turned on my computer and found a pencil drawing class. I had done two pencil drawings in my teens and enjoyed it, so I thought I’d give it a try. The result was quite good so I ventured on. YouTube came in handy when I was trying to figure out how to use other mediums such as water colours, pen and ink and acrylics. As of late, I’ve settled on using oils and pastels. My wife Lura is a great photographer, so I often paint pictures she’s taken, mostly of landscapes, animals and faces. You can find my work on my website.
What do you love about painting?
It’s like meditation for me. I also find it fascinating to start with a blank canvas and see it progress to an outline and then a fully completed painting. I don’t have a background in painting, so every project is new and exciting for me. I also value that these paintings will be here when I’m no longer around, so my kids will have something to remember me by.