After generations of patients, years of memories and an abundance of smiles, Dr. Daniel J. Johnson is retiring from dentistry at Old Oaks Dentistry in Pleasant Prairie.
Johnson worked for over 36 years in his own practice, 9809 39th Avenue, Suite 1, but has been around the field for much longer than he worked at his father’s practice as well.
A retirement party for him will be held on his last day before retiring this Thursday, from 4 to 7 pm, at the practice that is open to the public.
How did the practice start?
In 1945, during World War II, Dr. Warren Johnson (my dad) graduated dental school and was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base worked in their dental corps. He and his mom moved to Kenosha, and he started practicing there on nights and weekends. He worked in Uptown Kenosha for Dr. Munt on the corner of Roosevelt Road and 22nd Avenue above a pharmacy. In 1950, he opened his own office on 14th Avenue.
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How did you become involved?
I worked with my dad. I started work in the office when I was about 13, as my older sisters did, too, when they were young. I started in general office cleaning and worked my way up from there.
I went on to Marquette University and met my wife, Patty. Then I went to the University of Minnesota for dental school for a change of scenery. I graduated there in 1986. I came back and worked three years with my dad.
Did you always want to be a dentist?
As a kid I thought I wanted to be three things: a contractor/architect, a priest or a dentist. Dentistry combined three things that I loved: working with my hands, working with people and science. I love science.
What area have you specialized in?
In my practice, I always took a lot of interest in patients that had cancer, because my mom died of cancer at age 40, when I was 17 months old, and I worked loosely with Cancer Treatment Centers of America, with some of their patients .
And also, in my years of practice, I discovered more than 18 cases of oral cancer. I always wanted to catch it as early as I could, because I felt under my watch, I didn’t want anybody to lose their mom, brother or sister, and I wanted to be a resource as to where they could go if they did develop oral cancer.
How has dentistry changed?
Many things have changed. I remember having to use chemical X-ray development for X-rays in the early days. Today, all the X rays are digitized. You can bring them up on a computer screen. (And there’s) the whole 3D scanning that is coming out, and the ability to mold crowns out of images, 3D images that you take in the mouth. All these things are great developments.
What don’t people know about you?
Every Monday morning I make fresh bread. I have some patients who only schedule on Monday because of the bread, but it’s more for staff who need something for lunch.
What’s after retirement?
I just finished a four credit Spanish class for Spanish 101, and I’m taking Spanish for healthcare providers this semester at Gateway Technical College, because I hope to do some missionary work, or what God might call me to do. I’m planning to be involved in our young family’s lives. We are expecting two more grandsons this year, and we have a wedding in July. So, before the end of July, we will have three new members coming to our family.
How does it feel to retire?
It will be different because I put all of my life’s efforts into the practice, growing the practice and my family.
I will miss my patients, but I will see them out in the community.
dr Leah Fax. She grew up outside Madison and graduated from Marquette University with a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Science. She stayed in Milwaukee another four years to earn her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Marquette University School of Dentistry. She has been treating patients at our office with me since July 2022.
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