Dr. Dan Henricksen of Henricksen Family Dental has traveled around the world and studied many different sciences, but he always knew he wanted to return to Chehalis and follow in his father’s footsteps as a dentist.
“As a kid I always used to watch my dad do his work,” Dan says. His father, Dr. John Henricksen, provided dental care to Lewis County and the surrounding areas for over 40 years. “After school I’d come to the office and thumb through anatomy and science books,” Dan says. “I was the only one in my family interested in that kind of stuff.”
“I debated a lot between medicine and dentistry, in terms of which way I wanted to go. One of the reasons I chose dentistry over medicine is that I like to sculpt and work artistically,” he says, “and to be able to integrate that with medicine at the same time.”
Dan graduated from W. F. West High School in 1997, and went to serve as a missionary in Recife, Brazil. He lived there for two years, working with the LDS church on service and cleanup projects, in addition to sharing his faith.
He returned to the United States in 1999, fluent in Portuguese and nearly fluent in Spanish, which he notes is helpful as a dentist. He studied at Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, and graduated with a bachelor’s in biology. Dan moved to Tulane University in New Orleans – just eight months after Hurricane Katrina – to earn his master’s degree in cell and molecular biology.
In 2010 Dan knew that dentistry was the path for him because of its combination of science and arts. “I like working on really detail-oriented stuff,” Dan says. “As a dentist, if you’re off by even a quarter of a millimeter, people will feel it. The tolerances in dentistry are extraordinarily small – sometimes patients can feel even a tenth of a millimeter difference. It sets up a challenge, and makes every day interesting and different.” Dan enrolled at Indiana University School of Dentistry, where he served as class president and was active in the American Dental Association.
Upon graduation, Dan took over his father’s practice and last year officially purchased the business. “I always knew I wanted to end up in Lewis County,” Dan says. “I love it here; I knew eventually I wanted to come back and live here.”
Dan brings the latest techniques to the practice. His practice offers a full selection of cosmetic options including teeth whitening, as well as taking care of restorative needs such as root canals, extractions, crowns, bridges and more.
Dan notes another interest of his is researching the latest and greatest advancements in dental materials. And he’s proud that Henricksen Family Dental offers some of the lowest fees in Washington State.
“I love it here,” Dan says. “It’s great to work with people that I knew as a child and are now patients. I like that quite a bit. It’s really nice to be part of the community again.”
Dan is involved in Twin Cities Rotary, which is something his dad participated in for many years. Through his business Dan has donated to many auction events for schools in the community such as Centralia Christian School and St. Joseph School as well as sponsored a youth soccer team and individual kids showing their livestock at the Southwest Washington Fair. “That’s what I was raised on, community involvement, and it’s been exciting to get involved again.”
Henricksen Family Dental
1292 S. Market Blvd in Chehalis
360-748-4481
www.chehalisfamilydentist.com
