The founder of Grand Lake Dental, Dr. Karl Jobst is a highly respected dentist whose state-of-the-art practice is known for being among the most spacious and technologically advanced in the area. Equipped with the latest dental equipment, Grand Lake Dental is able to provide a wide range of dental services in the least invasive manner possible. In addition to this focus on technological advancement, Karl Jobst DDS works diligently to ensure his patients are able to receive the highest level of dental care through his pursuit of opportunities for continuing education. For nearly two decades, Dr. Jobst has been treating patients in the Grand Lake area according to an exceptionally lofty standard of care.
Growing up in nearby Lamar, Missouri, Dr. Jobst completed his undergraduate work from Missouri State and subsequently enrolled at the University of Tennessee College of Dental Medicine. After earning his degree in 1998, Dr. Jobst founded the practice that would eventually come to be known as Grand Lake Dental. In the years that followed, Dr. Jobst continued to pursue postgraduate work through programs that include those offered by the University of Southern California and the Las Vegas Institute, including an anesthesiology program that has made Dr. Jobst one of just a handful of dentists permitted by Oklahoma’s Dental Board to administer IV sedation.
A longtime resident of the area, Dr. Jobst is an active member of his church and frequently participates in a variety of community-minded functions. If he is not spending time with his family, Dr. Jobst is likely to be found sharpening his flying skills, as the dentist holds a private pilot’s license and has over 600 flight hours. A dedicated dentist, Dr. Jobst can cite a wealth of professional accomplishments earned over the course of his lengthy career, but he is most proud of founding a dental practice in which patients can expect consistently outstanding treatment provided by a well-trained and caring staff of medical professionals.
1. What was your best/favorite subject in school?
I’ve always been very passionate about education and I can honestly say I enjoyed just about every subject I took throughout my academic career, so it’s particularly difficult to identify a single favorite subject. Other than the courses I encountered in dental school, I really enjoyed the biology courses I took in high school along with the political science courses I took as an undergraduate.
2. What was your first job?
I never imagined myself working for someone else, so I have always pursued entrepreneurial endeavors. While I was still in high school and even throughout college I had a few small businesses that I was able to run during whatever spare time I happened to have.
3. Where and how did you first get into the industry you currently work in?
I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in dentistry even before I began working on my undergraduate degree, and I was already planning on starting my own practice once I completed my doctorate.
4. How have those jobs prepared you for what you do now?
I founded my private practice immediately after finishing my dental degree, but all of those small businesses I ran certainly helped me in developing a keen understanding of the entrepreneurial side of running a practice. Obviously, the training I received in dental school along with the postgraduate work I continue to pursue was of particular importance in preparing me for my current role.
5. Describe the best day of work you’ve ever had.
I am grateful for every day I am able to help a patient, but opening our new office was certainly a day that stands out in my mind.
6. How do you keep yourself motivated?
Knowing that my patients are counting on me to assist them with their dental care is all the motivation I need, and this is why I have continued to pursue postgraduate programs and why I have invested so much in keeping our practice outfitted with the most advanced dental technology.
7. What kind of business ideas excite you most?
Ideas that push industries forward are always very exciting in my eyes. In dentistry, there have been a number of recent innovations that have made certain procedures far less invasive and much more comfortable for patients.
8. Have you ever tried any unorthodox techniques to attract attention to your business?
No, we use a very traditional approach. In fact, the overwhelming majority of our new patients come from referrals made by existing patients.
9. What personal achievement are you most proud of?
I am quite proud of the fact that my practice has grown so much over the years that we are able to support a wonderful staff of dental professionals in addition to the care we are able to provide to our patients.
10. What wisdom you would have liked to share with yourself when you first started out?
I would have invested in a larger space right from the beginning. I may not have utilized all of the space right away, but it would have been much easier to expand the practice on an incremental basis over time rather than all at once. That being said, I certainly can’t complain about the way things have turned out and I am quite proud of what Grand Lake Dental has become over the years.