Hello, my name is Joshua Schaefer. I am 28 years old, and I graduated from NAIT in 2017 from the Denturist Program. It had been a goal of mine to become a denturist for quite a while. It all started when I was six years old. My mom (Barbara Schaefer) would bring me into the denture clinic with her and let me play around with wax and teeth. When I was eight years old, I told my mom I wanted to be a denturist. She agreed and encouraged me but did not “hold her breath” because you and I both know that kids say the silliest things!
However, by the time I was 12, I had a lot more exposure to the family denture clinic. I would go to work when I had a day off school and even helped out on summer vacations. When I was in Senior High School, I searched online for the requirements for the Denturist Program at NAIT. This was the time I really set my sights on becoming a denturist.
After graduating high school, I took some time off school to work and earned some money to travel the world and pay for my schooling. After backpacking in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia with my younger brother for 75 days in 2013-14, I was accepted into the denturist program at NAIT. Now I could start working towards my goal of becoming a Denturist.
I have since travelled again with my younger brother. We went to the Philippines for a month. We saw the most beautiful beaches and met many very nice people! I enjoyed travelling pre-COVID-19, and I look forward to travelling again once it’s a bit more safe. In my spare time, I enjoy being active, spending time with my friends and skiing when the weather permits me to do so!
I am happy to be giving amazing new smiles to all my patients, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me. I am a 3rd generation denturist, following in my mom’s footsteps while she is following in my grandfather, Gerhard Schaefer’s footsteps. So, I guess you could say it’s in my blood! Hopefully, we will see you in our office soon!
– Joshua