‘Premium Dentistry Health Care Had Been My Wife and I Priority for 32 years’ – Dr. Karunmi, Principal Dentist, Schubbs Dental Clinic

Running a professional dental clinic for over three decades in Lagos with competence and professionalism has been a strong passion for Dr. Bode Karunmi.

The clinic that started in 1989 from a unit apartment at his residential home with his wife is now a standard clinic with branches in the state.

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Recalling how Schubbs Dental Clinic came into existence, he said: “My wife and I started 32 years ago at Apapa where we were living in a storey building and the clinic was downstairs in the same building before we later expanded to acquire more space after we had fully occupied the building with patients coming from all over the state.

Dr. Bode further explained that they opened another branch in Ikoyi, running simultaneously with the one in Apapa.

“The clinic became busy and fully occupied to the extent that patients from mainland annex and Ikeja were complaining how difficult it was for them to access the clinic, so we had to open the third branch in Ikeja”

Schubbs Dental Clinic has grown into branches in three locations including Apapa, Ikoyi, and Ikeja with 80 members of staff, twelve dentists, and four specialists. The wife who is also a dentist but doesn’t practice anymore, now works as an administrator in the clinic.
Dr. Bode had his dentistry education at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Upon his dentistry completion, he realized that he wasn’t really fulfilled and therefore decided to go into private practice and worked with three dental clinics to acquire a wealth of experience on the job before finally setting up his own clinic.

Speaking on his clinic set up, he maintained that there were challenges setting up the clinic because he had to take a loan to get a space for the clinic and acquire medical equipment with a 45% interest payment.

“There were challenges and thank God, we scale the hurdles and thanks to my wife. She has always been in the background making sure that all things work fine and our staff team as well.

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He spoke about professionalism, stressing that honest and sincere care for patients are basic principles that build trust and confidence in people, not the love to make quick money from them.

“I don’t see patients as money-making machines but as people who need medical help. We try our best to ensure that they are satisfied. Right now, I am seeing three generations of patients; grandparents, adults, and grandchild, all these amounts to trust as we seek international standards through international conferences on dental health care delivery. I still practice six days a week like when I started because I enjoy the practice”, he said.

He further played down the negative mindset of some Nigerians questioning the country as a place to do business.

“Nigerian businesses are doable once you abide by certain basic principles and called on the government to provide enabling environment for business growth.

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I strongly agree that it is doable and you need to focus on it is just for the government to play its own part and create a conducive environment for people to thrive. Nigerians are people who really love hope and are ready to give their all”

He, however, advised young people to focus on their endeavour in life and urge them not to be money-centric, adding that success comes with certain principles that need to be followed.