Dr. Daniel Nielson is a native of Kansas City, and moved to Olathe in 1974 when his father came to join the dental practice of Dr. Barney Graham. After graduation from Olathe South High School in 1992, Dr. Nielson was off to the University of Kansas, subsequently obtaining his undergraduate degree in Human Biology in 1997. In that same year he also obtained his certification at Johnson County Community College for Emergency Medical Technician, which led to six years of employment in Kansas City, KS, with MAST Ambulance.
In 1998 Dr. Nielson was accepted into the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry and obtained his doctorate of dental surgery (DDS) with honors in 2002. In his fourth year of dental school he was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national dental honor society. Upon graduation, he entered into private practice with his father where he remained for six years, until deciding to change the direction of his dental career.
In 2008 Dr. Nielson re-joined the faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City as a teaching Fellow in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department. This led to his acceptance into the rigorous Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency through the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, based out of Truman Medical Center on Hospital Hill. Dr. Nielson’s extensive training included rotations in anesthesiology, endocrinology, cardiology, pulmonology internal medicine, critical care medicine, neurosurgery, trauma surgery, plastic surgery, pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology and a preliminary general surgery certificate.
After Dr. Nielson’s rotations were complete, he devoted 30 months to studying both the diagnostic and surgical aspects of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Truman Medical Center, St. Luke’s Health System, and Children’s Mercy Hospital. This exceptional five-year training path has comprehensively developed Dr. Nielson’s skills and allows him the confidence to provide surgical services in both an office-based as well as a hospital-based oral and maxillofacial surgery setting. Dr. Nielson is licensed in both Kansas and Missouri as a surgical provider and as well as to administer general anesthesia.
Dr. Nielson practices exclusively in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and focuses on wisdom teeth, dental implant surgery, and facial trauma. He continues to take advanced training in various aspects of the specialty, which includes: advanced implant surgery, advanced osseous regenerative techniques, and facial trauma reconstructions.
Dr. Nielson brings highly developed skills and knowledge to Great Plains Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery that he gained as a general dentist and emergency medical technician as well as through an in-depth residency at area hospitals. Dr. Nielson values being a second-generation dental provider to the community, following the 40-year respected reputation of his father, Dr. Donald Nielson.
As a husband and proud father of two wonderful children, Dr. Nielson and his wife Sara, fill their time rooting on the Jayhawks their kids and supporting their local Olathe community.
Education
• 1993 to 1997: University of Kansas, BS in Human Biology
• 1996 to 1997: Johnson County Community College, EMT-B
• 1998 to 2002: University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry, Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS)
• 2008 to 2009: University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry, Teaching Fellowship in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
• 2009 to 2013: University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Certificate (OMS)
• 2011: Preliminary General Surgery Certificate (PGY-1)
Surgical Training
• 2008 to 2009: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Internship, UMKC School of Dentistry, KCMO
• 2010 to 2011: General Surgery Internship – Truman Medical Center, St. Luke’s Health System, Veterans Administration, KCMO
• 2009 to 2013: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency – Truman Medical Center, St. Luke’s Health System, Childrens Mercy Hospital, KCMO
Hospital Appointments
• AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Dental Licensure
• 2002 to present: State of Kansas
• 2008 to present: State of Missouri
Board Certification
• Board Certified, American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
Professional Associations
• President of the Kansas Dental Association 2023-24 (KDA)
• Member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)
• American Dental Association (ADA)
• Kansas Fifth District Dental Association
• Fellow of the American College of Dentists
• Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy
• Midwest Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (MAOMS)
• Greater Kansas City Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Fellow of the Mosby Surgical Society
• Olathe South High School Father’s Club
Awards
• 2001: Phi Theta Kappa
• 2001: Alpha Sigma Lambda
• 2002: Omicron Kappa Upsilon
• 2009 & 2010: Emergency Room Consultant of the Year, UMKC School of Medicine
• 2013: Surgical Achievement Award, UMKC Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
• 2022-23: Dentist Of The Year, Kansas 5th District Dental Society