Dr David Travis ran his own dental practice, Dental on Keppel, for more than 40 years before selling it five years ago and reducing his hours.

Ready for a change, he got in touch with Dr Nigel Swan to inquire about joining his practice in William Street and struck up a deal.

"I've known Nigel for 40-plus years and I asked him and he said 'Yes' to whether I might come and work with him," Dr Travis said.

Patients to the office will come across Dr Travis one and a half days a week, while Dr Swan will be there more often.

While Dr Travis could retire if he wanted to, he would rather not let his skills go to waste.

"The truth is, you spend all this time learning how to do dentistry well and there's a strong inclination not to just throw that away, to use all the stuff you've learned rather than stop," he said.

"That's the main reason."

He has plenty of knowledge to impart on his patients about the importance of good oral health and regular check-ups at the dentist.

"A healthy mouth is very much part of general health, more than was realised once upon a time, and good oral hygiene and occasional good dentistry is an absolute necessity for most people ," Dr Travis said.

Although he'll be in a new building, Dr Travis said he is already very familiar with the staff and looking forward to working with them.

"It'll be a bit like being at home," he said.

The feeling is mutual for Dr Swan.

"I'm looking forward to working with David. I'm sure we'll work together as a team beautifully," he said.

"[We have] similar levels of experience and are both involved in the university programs."