Dr. Thomas Gilbert feels very lucky to be able to practice in the city where he grew up. A strong sense of community was instilled in him as he grew up in Royal Oak, where he played every sport under the sun with his neighborhood friends and enjoyed movies at the old Royal Oak drive-in.
Dr. Gilbert's passion for dentistry and excellence in treatment started early. Both of his parents were teachers and administrators at Detroit Country Day School, where he excelled in academics, soccer, and lacrosse. He majored in biology and psychology at Albion College, where he also continued to play varsity soccer and lacrosse. He received his Doctor of Dentistry degree from the University of Detroit Dental School in 1985.
His love of learning continues both in his professional and personal life. An avid reader who loves mysteries and suspense, Dr. Gilbert averages two to three books at a time for pleasure, on top of reading dental journals and current research papers to provide the most innovative and comfortable treatment for his patients.
Dr. Gilbert is a firm believer in continuing education. One class that he has taken is Invisible Braces by Invisalign, where his patients range from early teens to 80-year-olds. He has also learned how to place and restore implants, which has opened up a whole new option of treatment for his patients. Dr. Gilbert was also one of the first to complete the specialized course in Lumineers.
Family is one of Dr. Gilbert's top priorities. He and his staff at Royal Oak Dental treat their patients as if they were family. Dr. Gilbert met his wife in 10th grade and married her 10 years later. Together, they have four children, a dog, and two cats. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, fitness training at the gym, target practice, movies, musical theater, and the Red Wings (ask to see his autograph collection!). His motto in life is Mens sana in corpis sana, which translates to "A sound mind in a sound body."
Dr. Gilbert's focus is to provide the most professional level of treatment and comfort to his patients. As Dr. Gilbert will tell you, he has had a lot of treatment done on his own teeth, and he knows what his patients go through. People have asked, "But you are a dentist! How can you have so much done to you?" He tells them, "When I was growing up, I wanted to be a cowboy."