There has been a Dr. Reagan providing dental care in Lowell for nearly 70 years. It just hasn’t always been the same Dr. Reagan.
“My dad started in 1953,” explains Dr. Jim Reagan, the current owner of Reagan Family Dentistry. His father – Dr. Bob Reagan – started the practice after leaving the military, where he served in the South Pacific during World War II. “Dr. Shepard told him we needed a dentist in Lowell,” his son says.
So Bob Reagan and his new wife packed up and headed to the city. Once here, he took over for Dr. Doug Oatley who was getting ready to leave the area after working in Lowell for 20 years. Bob Reagan worked for two years above Christiansen’s before moving to the practice’s current location at 207 W. Main Street in 1955.
As a high school student, Jim Reagan spent time in the office as a dental assistant, and he says that chairside experience made all the difference in him wanting to enter the profession himself. In 1984, he graduated from dental school and joined the practice, working alongside his dad until the latter’s retirement in 1993.
Today, Dr. Jim Reagan continues to offer a full range of dental services at the W. Main Street location, and he has nearly 40 years of experience under his belt. That’s one of the things that he says makes Reagan Family Dentistry unique: “You can’t teach experience.”
New Technology, Same Great Service
During his 38-year career, Reagan says technology has obviously changed. What’s more, the practice has expanded its services beyond cleaning teeth and filling cavities to include dentures and cosmetic dentistry such as implants and whitening. And while new and existing patients can still call the office to set up appointments, the business website allows people to view a calendar and book their own time.
“The future of dentistry is really good,” Reagan says. “There are so many different ways to keep teeth [now].”
Still, technology is no substitute for hands-on skills and experience. “Computers won’t help me pull a tooth any better,” Reagan notes. Even the latest tools can’t replace the level of expertise that comes from four decades as a dentist.
Reagan is also unique in that his entire career has been spent in Lowell. “I was born and raised in Lowell. I live in Lowell,” he says. “I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.”
As a mainstay in the community, Reagan Family Dentistry has seen generations of families walk through its doors. Dr. Bob Reagan is remembered for his professional competence, community involvement and kind demeanor. That’s a legacy that lives on today in the quality care provided by Dr. Jim Reagan as he follows in his father’s footsteps.
To learn more about Reagan Family Dentistry, visit their website or follow their Facebook page.
Leave a Reply