A MANTECA TRADITION SINCE THE 1920s
Our story starts in 1920s Manteca
The Roaring Twenties roared in Manteca. Manteca was founded as a city in 1918, as World War I ended. The Manteca and Lathrop area was an emerging agricultural and transportation center, with the Transcontinental Highway coming through Mossdale. In addition, the completion of the Tioga Pass Road meant more traffic on the 120 from Mossdale into Yosemite National Park and across the Sierras.
A practice that grew with Manteca
A lot has changed since Dr. A.J. Donogh started our dental office in Manteca in 1925. After graduating from UCSF, Dr Donogh earned his dental license on January 1, 1925 and then started practicing dentistry in the then new town of Manteca. When Dr Donogh and his wife moved to the coast, Dr Lloyd L. Henry took over Dr. Donogh's dental practice in May of 1931. (PHOTO: The original Manteca High School with its beautiful now-demolished Spanish colonial mission tower. Mrs Henry was the first valedictorian at Manteca High School.)
A local hero
Dr Lloyd Henry practiced dentistry in Manteca from 1931 until he passed in 1980. Well-known and respected as a local dentist for almost 50 years, Dr. Henry faithfully served his patients through good times and bad. During the Great Depression, Dr Henry was known to help patients in need by bartering livestock or farm products. He very quietly, without fanfare, took care of so many needy patients.
A Manteca original
MANTECA’S DOWNTOWN IN THE 1940S: Looking east from Maple Ave down Yosemite Ave. Back then, our practice was located at the intersection of Main and Yosemite. Back then, that was also the intersection of Highway 99 and Highway 120! We were the first and only dental practice in south San Joaquin County for many years. Dr Henry shared office space with Manteca’s Judge – Manteca was a lot smaller in those days. One of the original chairs can be viewed at Manteca’s Historical Museum.
The heart of the community
In 1947, Dr Henry and his wife Winifred moved to our current location at 132 Sycamore Ave — and they were both always deeply involved in the community. Mrs Henry co-founded Manteca’s Garden Club and tended her famous Rose Garden there from the 1950s until her demise circa 2000. Dr Henry helped to bring Doctors Hospital to Manteca.
A legacy of service
FIGHTING FOR MANTECA’S PUBLIC LIBRARY & QUALITY OF LIFE: Dr Henry & his wife Winifred Henry devoted their lives to making Manteca a better place to live. Through their advocacy and leadership, the current Manteca library building became a reality. Dr Henry was chair of the committee that got the current Manteca library built back in 1962. Mrs Henry was an original founder of Manteca’s Friends of the Library group.
Growing with Manteca…
DOWNTOWN MANTECA IN THE EARLY 1970S: Manteca got its first traffic light and McDonalds restaurant in 1980. From 1980 to 2020, the city would quadruple in size!
The Cuevas Era
DENTISTRY IN THE HEART OF MANTECA: Dr Ricardo Cuevas and his wife Richa took over the practice in 1994 when Dr Henry’s son, Dr Chip Henry, passed away. Dr Chip Henry had taken over the practice in 1980. From 1994 to 2015, Dr Ricardo Cuevas and his wife Richa became fixtures in the Manteca community. They volunteered countless hours through Manteca’s Rotary Club, the Boys and Girls Club, Manteca Chamber of Commerce, and the San Joaquin Dental Society. Dr. Cuevas served on the Board of Directors for Manteca CAPS and the Manteca Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed to the Manteca Vision 20/20 Committee and the Manteca Library Task Force Committee, was the founding President of the South San Joaquin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Cuevas served as President of the San Joaquin Dental Society from 2003-2004 and had been a volunteer at many health fairs in the San Joaquin County.
Into the 2020s…
THE CAJEE BROTHERS: In 2016, Dr Mas’ood Cajee became the fifth dentist-owner in the practice after Dr Cuevas and his family moved to the East Coast. Soon, Dr Mas’ood’s brothers — Dr Nabeel Cajee and Dr Na’eel Cajee — joined the practice as they graduated from dental school and their advanced trainings in implants, oral surgery and endodontics respectively. As the team has grown, the practice remains committed to its founding values: providing the latest state-of-the-art dental care with legendary customer service.
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A legacy serving the community since 1925.
DOWNTOWN MANTECA TODAY: 95 plus years later, we are now on our 5th generation of doctors. Today’s dentistry is a lot different than it was in the 1920s and 30s — but our values remain the same. We have a laser focus on legendary customer service along with the latest technology. (PHOTO: Manteca Bulletin )
>> Read Dr Lloyd L Henry's bio at the Manteca Hall of Fame website.
>> Read Dr Mas'ood Cajee's bio.