Blue-collar orthodontist
Published 9:12 am Tuesday, September 2, 2014
A Nebraska-born former strength and conditioning coach has taken over the Main Street Orthodontics practice from Dr. Ed Guyer.
Dr. Nathan Thomas admits he did not follow the traditional path toward becoming and orthodontist, but believes the winding road helped him find his calling.
“It was a very atypical route,” said the 36-year-old, who purchased the business from Guyer on July 30. “I feel like I got a second chance to have my dream job.”
Thomas was born in Fremont, Nebraska, where he lived for a short time because his father, an engineer, was frequently moving to pursue better business opportunities. After hopping around the country from Iowa to South Dakota to Kansas, Thomas’ family eventually settled down in St. Joseph, Michigan, where Thomas attended Lakeshore High School during his sophomore through senior years.
Of all the places he has been, Thomas said he enjoys the Michiana area
the most.
“I like the environment and the climate the best,” he said. “There are small cities and big cities nearby and I like that you can enjoy what they have to offer without living there.”
After graduating in 1997, Thomas entered the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln with a pre-dental focus. Going into his senior year, Thomas, an avid weight lifter, decided to pursue a career in strength and conditioning, as he did not like the prospect of four more years of dental school.
Thomas majored in exercise science and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He then went to work as a strength and conditioning coach for the UNL athletic department for five years while completing a master’s degree in nutrition.
Shortly after leaving UNL, Thomas said he got the itch to get back into orthodontics.
“I decided that it (strength and conditioning) was not a good long-term profession,” he said.
Thomas returned to the University of Nebraska Medical Center where he met his wife, Cheryl, and earned his D.D.S. degree with distinction in 2011. From there, he pursued specialty training in orthodontics at the State University of New York at Buffalo and received his Certificate of Orthodontics in 2014.
Having numerous ties to the Michiana area — his parents live in St. Joseph and his brother is a dentist in Bridgman — Thomas looked for a practice nearby and found Guyer, who had been practicing for 25-plus years.
New Niles orthodontist Nathan Thomas works on a patient. Thomas takes over the Main Street Orthodontics practice of Ed Guyer, who has been practicing for over 25 years. (Submitted photo)
He said his goal is to offer the best quality orthodontics and customer service in the area.
“Our mission is excellence, teamwork and customer service,” Thomas said. “That will be our guiding light for this practice.”
Thomas said his upbringing has allowed him to break the mold of the stereotypical medical professional.
“I am more of a blue-collar guy with a humble personality, but I’m also a perfectionist,” he said. “I think our patients will notice that customer service and quality are our number one priorities.”
The name of the business, located at 315 E. Main St., Niles, is changing to Nathan Thomas Orthodontics. For more information, visit the website nathanthomasortho.com or like him on Facebook. Call him at (269) 684-2355.
