Dr. Niles Guichet.

Niles Guichet born August 1930 and passed away peacefully in January 2022 at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California surrounded by 4 generations of love and support.

Niles was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as an only child.  His worldview was influenced by both of his parents.  His father was the chief engineer on the largest sternwheeler paddle boat ever built- it was three stories high and had pistons 12 feet long and 3 feet wide.  Niles listened to his dad describe this engineering marvel and observed his dad building, repairing, and explaining how mechanical things worked. To be an inventor, a person needs to be fearless, and Niles showed traits of that in high school with his ability to design and build functional model airplanes. His intellectual potential was recognized in his teenage years and Niles was able to start LSU early and graduate from Loyola Dental School at the age of 22 with the highest scholastic average in his class. 

Niles grew up only 1.5 miles away from Emily in Baton Rouge, but they did not meet until Niles was 22.  At the time, Emily was 17 and her career path was to become a nun.  When Emily met Niles at a community gathering, she felt compelled to secretly pass notes to a complicit sister in the convent who would get the notes to Niles.  They were busted by the head sister and the net result was Niles got Emily kicked out of the convent- and family lore is that Emily was complicit in wanting to get kicked out.  They married soon thereafter and had 67 wonderful years together, entertained regularly, and spent many years attending AP meetings sharing good will.   

After graduation from dental school, Niles served for one year in the U. S. Navy as a dental intern and then two years in El Toro Marine base.  He narrowly missed being sent to Korea.

After his military service, Niles started in private practice in Anaheim, California.  In the following 12 years,

Niles would practice full time but also started the Denar Corporation and was awarded 16 patents related to occlusal instrumentation, the Denar D5A, Pantograph and Filed Inspection Gauge. Niles’ Dad frequently visited and worked with Niles at the manufacturing plant where Denar articulators were made. Sons Gregory and David would later join Niles in a very successful private practice that they started in 1986 where the three of them worked together until Niles retired in 2011.

Niles was ahead of his time in seeing the importance of diagnostic information to identify occlusal patterns for improving clinical care. He lectured worldwide, was a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and served as president of the American Equilibration Society and American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry. He was awarded the prestigious ACP Dan Gordon Award in recognition of lifetime achievements in contributions to Prosthodontics, dentistry, and scholarship in the health professions. The PCSP honored him with the Life Member Achievement Award and the Academy of Prosthodontics with the Distinguished Service Award.

Many have fond memories of our time as residents in graduate prosthodontics at USC when we were invited to the Guichet house.  We would sit poolside relaxing and listening to Niles talk about occlusion, and then Emily would make us sandwiches and bring us drinks.  It was like a second home.  Great memories, much needed, and forever appreciated.

Niles was profoundly accomplished, and Emily was key to the impact Niles had in many of his personal successes.  As a couple, they were generous with all they interacted with and had a legion of friends with many deep personal connections.  Niles is survived by his wife Emily, children Drs. Gregory and David Guichet, Eric Guichet, Emily Guichet, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Niles Guichet was successful clinically, academically, as a mentor, son, father, and grandfather.  Niles and Emily built a multi-generational family dynasty of success and service. Niles will be missed but never forgotten.

Prepared by Academy Fellow,
Dr. Donald A. Curtis