Article by:
Naiomi Pitre
“I like the work. I love the people. I sometimes almost feel like I’m cheating. People are paying me to do what I love to do. From what I hear, that isn’t what they call work,” Dr. Justice states with a sincere, disarming smile.
Dr. Owen W. Justice, Jr., DDS was born in Durham, North Carolina and graduated from high school in the class of 1961. Shortly after graduating from North Carolina Central University in 1964 with a double major in Chemistry and Biology, Justice was drafted into the United States Air Force and served his country proudly until 1971.
During this time, he would also marry his college sweetheart, Nancy Jones, whom he had met in 1962 at a school assembly. They have now been happily married for fifty-two years and have two wonderful twin sons. Justice enjoyed his time traveling the world working in many capacities for the military, including – but not limited to – fulfilling duties such as being a weapons controller and a space surveillance officer.
In 1971, Dr. Justice separated from the USAF and decided to attend Dental School at the University of North Carolina. He was the very first black student admitted, and three and a half years later, he was the first black student to graduate! After a brief stint with the Department of Health as a public health dentist, he did rejoin the military as a captain in 1975 with full intentions on being a career military man. However, Owen would make the life-altering decision in 1979 to instead open his first dental practice in North Las Vegas, and he hasn’t looked back.
The loyal patients that have been coming to see Dr. Justice at Cheyenne Decatur Dental since he opened this latest location in 1998 are thankful for that. They have consistently referred their friends and family to the soft-spoken and gentle doctor year after year. Incredibly, almost forty years after Dr. Justice made the decision to open his own private practice, he still averages seeing up to 20-25 patients a day.
“Everyone is treated as an individual. I am very good at what I do, and I have been doing it a very long time. I believe in giving my patients choices and educate them so that they can make informed decisions for their own dental health,” Dr. Justice explains. “I do not overtreat. I say, power to the people! It works better for me and everyone involved that way.”
Cheyenne Decatur Dental has plans for expansion and growth within the next five years with a focus on bringing on an associate dentist. This carefully chosen individual will have the unique opportunity to learn under the mentorship of Dr. Justice, who brings a wealth of practical application knowledge and experience to the table. The training will include understanding and implementing the morals and standards of integrity that he has upheld over the past four decades and have made his practice the thriving success that it is today. Also, a third dental hygienist will be added to the dynamic team.
Dr. Justice has a clear vision for moving forward. “We are eager to expand the volume of patients we are able to see efficiently and effectively. When someone needs dental care, they need it now. They aren’t wanting to hear the scheduler tell them that the earliest appointment to see the dentist is in two weeks. They’re in pain now. We try to make it a point to be able to see them either same day or next day. That is part of how you retain the clients that you have and gain additional ones, too.”
For more information on Dr. Owen W. Justice, DDS, and Cheyenne Decatur Dental, located at 3226 North Decatur Blvd in Las Vegas, Nevada, please visit www.cheyennedecaturdental.com. You may also phone the office at (702) 648-6800 to schedule your next appointment today.