Wilmington dentist retires with a smile: '53 years is a long time to do anything'

For more than a half-century, one of the constants of life in Wilmington has been Dr. H.A. "Hal" Nicholson III's dental practice on Doctors Circle across from Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center on South 17th Street.

In December, however, things changed — just like so many other things have in Wilmington recently — when Nicholson, 82, retired after 53 years on Doctors Circle. In a letter to his patients announcing his retirement, Nicholson wrote that he's been in practice "probably longer than any other local dentist. Over the years, I have met so many amazing patients and developed countless relationships for which I will forever be thankful."

During an interview, Nicholson allowed that "I could have retired before, but I got old, I guess. It's time to go," he said with a chuckle. "Fifty-three years is a long time to do anything."

He said he plans on spending more time with friends and family, and indulging in his longtime hobby of duck hunting.

Full disclosure: I'm 53, and Nicholson is literally the only dentist I've had since I was in the second grade. I have taken to heart the advice he's always given me about brushing, flossing, cleaning and rinsing my teeth, advice that has served me well. (Bonus advice: Nicholson asked me to tell you not to discount how much having a good, balanced diet, and avoiding sweets can improve your dental health.)

But now, me and a bunch of other people are going to have to adjust to a new reality in which Nicholson's professional and comforting manner isn't part of going to the dentist anymore.

Nicholson's office will still be there with most of the same staff — including Cheryl Tripp and Lula Huggins, both of whom have worked for him for 40-plus years — but with a new dentist, Dr. Lucas Fogaça, who's taking over Nicholson's practice.

Nicholson said he had other offers to take over his practice. But after meeting with Fogaça, a Wilmington resident for the past 10 years, Nicholson said he "determined he was just what I was looking for."

Childhood dentist memory No. 1: These adorable, tooth-shaped footstools placed in various parts of Nicholson's office.

"Somebody came by selling those things," Nicholson said. "They had three or four of them and I bought them all."

His staff loved them so much that he's allowed a couple of people to take a tooth footstool home over the years, but a couple of the items still remain in the office.

Nicholson first came to New Hanover County from the University of Tennessee's College of Dentistry in Memphis to work with the North Carolina State Board of Health. He then spent two years in the United States Army Dental Corps, including one year working at the 8th Field Hospital in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

When he got out of the Army, Nicholson came back to Wilmington and worked for a year under Dr. Ben Smith at 1606 Doctors Circle, a practice Smith's son, Clayton B. Smith III, now runs.

Nicholson built his current office from the ground up in 1971 and went into practice for himself.

"There weren't a whole lot of people over there," Nicholson said. "There was a giant ditch in front of my office, and they had to (fix that) before we could open."

When he did open his pratice, Nicholson said, there were less than 30 dentists in the three-county area and no pediatric dentists. If a young child needed a dental procedure, it had to be done under full sedation at the hospital. Now, there are more than 300 practicing dentists in the Wilmington area.

Nicholson said he's seen lots of changes in dentistry since he started: "Implants, digital dentistry, a lot of new materials and things like that." He said the results that he and other dentists can deliver these days are "a lot more pleasing to the eye nowadays" then they used to be.

Childhood dentist memory No. 2: At Dr. Nicholson's for my bi-annual checkup, the hygienist was clearly agitated. She quickly apologized, though, explaining that the young person just before me had come in for a cleaning immediately after having eaten a bag of potato chips.

"Some people think they shouldn't brush their teeth before they come to the dentist," Nicholson said, perhaps reasoning that they're going to get them cleaned anyway. Dr. Nicholson's too nice to say it, but I think we can all agree that those people are wrong.

Nicholson's career lasted long enough that he eventually saw the children and even some grandchildren of many patients he first saw as kids.

And while most days in his office were happily uneventful, not all were.

"I had one mother faint while I was taking out (her child's) baby teeth," he said. "I was working when all of a sudden I heard a thump on the floor."

Since he's retired, Nicholson said, he's gotten "lots of cards and feedback" from his patients. When he went out to eat the other night, he said, multiple patients approached him to offer their thanks and well wishes.

"I've had a good time doing dentistry in Wilmington," Nicholson said. "There's been some sadness with people … but it's been mostly positive. It's been a good thing."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington, NC, dentist H.A. 'Hal' Nicholson retires