Fish Hoek dentist Dr Johan Kloppers is retiring and will close his 45-year-old practice in December.

He says he started out as a teacher - with legendary Springbok rugby player Naas Botha as one of his pupils - before he found his way into dentistry.

“It was always an ambition to become a dentist, but I was never a very good student at school.”

With a BSc in zoology and botany and a teacher’s diploma, he spent two years in education before returning to Pretoria University at the age of 26 to study dentistry.

“I commuted for five-and-a-half years, driving an old DKW, and qualified as a dentist.”

The decision to settle in Fish Hoek came after a fateful drive along Baden Powell Drive.

“I’ll never forget it - a beautiful rainbow over Fish Hoek. I turned to my wife, Marietjie, and we both said, ‘This is where we’re going to make our living.’”

In 1979, Dr Kloppers joined Fish Hoek dentist Ray Viljoen as an assistant before taking over the practice in 1980.

Dentistry has changed a lot over the years with technology and materials transforming the field, he says.

“We were still taught to fix things with pliers and a piece of wire - good, basic dentistry. But through the years, materials have become more refined, and it’s moved into the digital era.”

But he believes that, ultimately, it’s not the materials or the equipment that count, it’s the person using them.

“It’s the cook, not the stove, that cooks the food. The same applies to dentistry.”

Dr Kloppers recalls helping a patient recovering from addiction who needed extensive dental care.

He helped him get dentures, but it was their conversations about faith that left the deepest impact, he says.

“I gave him a Bible I had in my office. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes when he held it against his chest. He’s been back, reading his Bible. That, to me, is the highlight of my dental career.”

Recalling the more light-hearted moments, he says: “Sometimes, a patient I run into will say, ‘Doctor, I must come and see you,’ while pointing to their mouth. I often think to myself how glad I am not to be their gynaecologist.”

Reflecting on what he will miss most, he says: “It’s not easy saying goodbye to patients I’ve had since 1979... Saying goodbye to those friends is the hardest part.”

An avid photographer, Dr Kloppers is looking forward to spending more time on his passions for photography, hiking, and Bible study.

“I can go on holiday without my wife, but I can never go without my camera,” he jokes.

Glenda Mangiola, his secretary said: “We are all going to miss his sense of humour and his many stories. He is a rare gem with a heart of gold. We wish him many happy years in retirement.

#career-change

Fish Hoek’s Dr Kloppers calls it quits after 45 years

New challenge for Ocean View policewoman