Our History
Endodontics was officially recognized as a dental specialty by the American Dental Association 1963. Founder Dr. Dan Jacobs was a visionary. He opened an endodontic practice in 1962, a year earlier, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At that time, many people viewed this choice as quite a risky venture because most endodontic specialists were choosing to work in urban centers like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh where population was denser and practice success was more likely. Dan’s office was embraced and soon so busy that his brother Dr. Milton Jacobs left his own dental practice in Pittsburgh to join him in 1963. They worked together in an office on North Second Street in Harrisburg, becoming Endodontics Associates.
The year 1972 proved to be a very pivotal year in the history of Endodontics Associates for two reasons. First, hurricane Agnes caused severe flooding in the Harrisburg area which devastated all the homes and offices near the Susquehanna River, including their office. Second, Dan decided to move to Florida and start a practice there while Milton chose to clean up and rebuild the practice in Harrisburg. To accomplish this, he began looking for some much-needed help for his practice that was in great demand.
It was 1974 when Dr. Gregory Kadel and Dr. Alan Ehrenreich arrived but still there was greater need. In 1976 Dr. Henry Rankow joined in prompting the practice to expand to a second location on Chocolate Avenue in Hershey. After several years of continued growth, Dr. Timothy Futato joined the group in 1981. The foundation was laid for the Endodontics Associates of today.
As root canal treatment became more widely recognized for its success in saving teeth, the service which Endodontics Associates provided to the community continued to advance. In 1983 another Harrisburg office was opened on Colonial Road. With so much accomplished, Milton finally retired in 1985 leaving a legacy of wisdom and life experience.
Following his retirement, the decision was made to consolidate the Harrisburg offices and close the original North Second Street location in order to continue to modernize and grow. The next logical step was to provide convenient service to the West Shore patients; so, in 1989, the office on Saint Johns Church Road in Camp Hill was opened. Expansion to a third office meant welcoming more quality specialists to fulfill the mission. Currently, Endodontics Associates is proud to include the following providers: Dr. Wayne Paymer (1996), Dr. Robert Drnach (2000), Dr. Shane Curtis (2020), and Dr. Darrell Curtis (2021).
Through the years the goal of Endodontics Associates has been to provide the community with the most current, highest quality and caring treatment possible. Today, the philosophy remains unchanged. There is pride in the accomplishments of the practice and the determination to continue to maintain the support and confidence of both the dental community and our patients.