Dr. Thom grew up in the small town of Dublin, Georgia. After graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, he worked as an engineer at a paper mill for nearly seven years. He then decided to attend dental school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. It was while in his pediatric dental residency in Augusta that he met his wife Anna who was assisting him during a dental procedure. Anna has worn many hats throughout her career in dentistry, working as an assistant, front desk associate, and everything in between. Dr. Thom loves saying, quite accurately, that Anna has been in dentistry longer than he has!
After his residency, Dr. Thom and Anna settled in Atlanta where he was an associate in a large pediatric dental practice, but eventually they wanted to sink their teeth into something bigger and smaller. While in dental school, Dr. Thom would come to Aiken to get away from the pressures of school. It reminded him of the small town he grew up in, and he considered starting a practice in Aiken even while in his residency. Anna, who grew up in Augusta, had fond memories of coming to Aiken as a child. As the time came to consider opening their own practice, Aiken was the obvious choice to start a new chapter and raise their three children.
Just like children benefit from seeing a pediatrician for their general healthcare, we believe that your childs dental health will benefit from seeing a pediatric dentist. Children are not just little adults and just like the pediatrician knows the specific needs of your childs overall health, a pediatric dentist understand the specific needs of your childs dental health. As your child develops into the pre-teen and adolescent years, we will adapt our care to their developing needs. A pediatric dentist is particularly trained in understanding the personalities of young people and in creating an environment where they can be comfortable and easily receive quality dental care. Also, as parents ourselves, we have a good understanding of the unique needs and concerns parents have about their childs teeth and gums. We have fun staff with the demeanor to relate to kids and make them feel comfortable and at ease.
A pediatric dentist is trained to treat any young person. Dr. Thom has had patients who were just a few weeks old, a few years old, and a few decades old (kids in college!). Pediatric dentists also have training in treating special needs children, as well as treating children under several types of sedation techniques. Whether your child is an infant or a teenager, we are trained to provide the special care he or she will need. Starting your child early with a pediatric dentist is a good way to ensure the development of good habits that will benefit him or her for a lifetime. As your child grows, starts to lose baby teeth, and gets permanent teeth in the pre-teen and adolescent years, the care Dr. Thom provides will adapt to your childs changing needs.
Pediatric dentistry is all about creating an environment where kids are happy and not intimidated. Its about patience and understanding. Its about treating the child first and the teeth second. We have fun staff with the demeanor to relate to kids and make them feel comfortable and at ease.
We first will work to make your child comfortable in the dental setting and will address any concerns or worries your child may have. Only after your child is comfortable will we worry about the teeth.
We want your child to leave our office happy. Sometimes that may mean we dont get everything done that we intended to get done. The most important thing is that your child leaves feeling accomplished, happy, and ready to come back to the dentist. If theres any way we can avoid it, we will not push your child just to get a procedure done.
My kids love coming here and that says a lot. The staff is kind, understand and know how to help the kids feel comfortable and relaxed. The waiting room is beautifully done but the best part is the game room and small theater for the kids. They look forward to going to the dentist now.
My son had an extraction today and it went so smoothly! Dr. Thom is an amazing dentist! He shows kindness and compassion for his patients and is super helpful and informative for the parents. Both of our children love Kitfox Dentistry. All of the staff are great with children. Thankful to have such a wonderful pediatric dentist in our area. Keep up the great work! And thank you!
My two year old twins sat in the dentist chair and got their first official cleaning yesterday. I thought there would be tears because they can be apprehensive sometimes but thanks to Dr. Thom and staff my kids did amazingly well! My husband and i were thrilled. I would recommend that everyone bring their child here.
Pediatric dentistry is all about creating an environment where kids are happy and not intimidated. Its about patience and understanding. Its about treating the child first and the teeth second. We will treat your child the same way we would treat our own children.
Our #1 goal is for your child to have a good experience. We believe that any dental treatment can be accomplished without fear or tears. We first will work to make your child comfortable in the dental setting and will address any concerns or worries your child may have. We will explain things to your child in a fashion thats appropriate for their age without using scary sounding words. Only after your child is comfortable will we worry about the teeth.
As your child is ready, he or she will receive a cleaning, an exam, and possibly a Fluoride treatment and radiographs. Some children may not be ready for a cleaning and exam on their first visit. They may simply come in for a chance to look around, sit in a dental chair, and then pick out a prize and thats all ok! The more your child is at our office, the more comfortable he or she will be and the sooner theyll want to have their teeth sparkled and counted! We will determine your childs comfort level and will use that to determine what well do that day. Many children wont cooperate for a full cleaning and exam until around the age of 3, and most children wont be ready for cavity detecting x-rays until the age of 4 or older. Regardless, there is still significant value in your child seeing the pediatric dentist by the time he or she is 1 year old or within 6 months of the first baby tooth coming in.
Yes! Parents can come back for first visits and cleanings. Usually, its okay for parents to accompany their child for treatment visits like a filling or an extraction; other times it may be better if the parent is not back with the child. Weve all seen kids who behave great for their teachers at school without their parents, but as soon as the parents are around, they start misbehaving. Weve also seen kids who behave well for one parent but not for the other. Each child and parent is different, so you and Dr. Thom will work together to help figure out what scenario works to make sure your child has the best experience possible.
