Convenient Access from Thornton
A search for a dentist in Thornton, IL often ends just past the village limits, at Smiles For Miles in neighboring Lansing. From the village hall the trip takes about 11 minutes, and nearly all of it follows one road heading east. Our practice has cared for families in this corner of the Southland since 1946, and long-time patients may remember us by our former name, Pallotto Dental Care.
Start at Thornton Village Hall, 115 East Margaret Street, and follow Hunter Street for a few yards before turning onto Margaret Street eastbound. You roll past a craft distillery operating inside Illinois' oldest standing brewery building, built in 1857, and Margaret Street quietly becomes Thornton-Lansing Road. Stay on it for roughly 2.25 miles, past the access road for Wampum Lake Forest Preserve, until you reach Torrence Avenue (IL 83).
Turn south on Torrence for a short block, go east on Ridge Road for about a mile, then head south on Burnham Avenue for half a mile. The office is at 18610 Burnham Ave Ste D, Lansing, IL 60438, on the stretch of Burnham between 186th Street and Otto Street. Door to door it covers 4.6 miles in roughly 11 minutes, all on surface streets with no expressway or toll road. Pull up the office on Google Maps, or see our directions for nearby South Holland and Glenwood.
Three Generations of Care Down the Road from Thornton
Thornton is a small village with deep roots. John Kinzie platted it in 1835, and its name honors a commissioner of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The village incorporated in 1900, and today's Village Hall stands where the old township hall once did. A place with that much continuity tends to value the same thing in a dental office.
That is where our own history fits in. Smiles For Miles carries a legacy that spans three generations of local dental care. We still treat whole families, from first checkups to full restorations. The goal is a relationship that lasts, not a one-time visit.
The quarry is the village's best-known landmark. Gurdon Hubbard dug the first pit in 1838, and Thornton Quarry has grown into one of the largest aggregate quarries in the world, about 1.5 miles long and 450 feet deep. Since 2015, part of it has worked as a stormwater reservoir in the regional Deep Tunnel system, with room for 7.9 billion gallons. Compared with navigating around that giant pit, the route to our office is refreshingly simple.
Wampum Lake, a Cook County forest preserve site along Thorn Creek, sits just off the drive to our office. In August 2019, 380 acres there were dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve. The creek has shaped local life from the start, since the first settler, William Woodridge, built on its east bank in 1834. History fans can see quarry fossils and the village's first fire engine at the Historical Society museum on North Hunter Street, inside a former 1904 church.
Dental Priorities in a Village Where Many Residents Are Over 65
The village skews older, with roughly one in five residents aged 65 or above. In an established village like this, the dental questions tend to change with age. How do you replace a missing molar, redo an aging bridge, or fix a partial plate that no longer fits?
Those are prosthodontic questions, and they are exactly what our lead dentist trained for. When a patient needs several teeth replaced, we compare implants, bridges and dentures side by side. Our 3-D cone beam imaging shows bone height and nerve position before any implant is planned. That detail lets us explain the trade-offs in plain terms.
Prevention still matters at every age. Older mouths face more root decay, dry mouth from medications and wear on worn fillings, so regular exams catch small changes early. We also use VELscope, a light-based oral cancer screening tool that helps the dentist examine soft tissue during an exam.
The village also has young families. Wolcott School, the only school in District 154, covers pre-K through 8th grade, and those students benefit from cleanings, checkups and good habits set early. Our Wednesday and Thursday hours run until 7 PM, which leaves room for a visit after classes let out.
Retirees who like a morning or midday visit have options too. Monday and Tuesday hours run from 9 AM to 4 PM, and we open at 8 AM on alternating Fridays and Saturdays, closing at 2 PM. Because the drive never touches an expressway, it suits anyone who would rather avoid fast merges and heavy truck traffic.
Treatment Options for Anyone Seeking a Dentist in Thornton, IL
Dental Implants
An implant replaces a lost tooth root and supports a crown that stands on its own. For anyone weighing a long-standing gap, 3-D cone beam imaging shows whether the bone can support one. New patients receive a free implant consultation.
Dental Crowns & Bridges
Large old fillings eventually crack, and a crown protects what remains of the tooth. Bridges span a gap using the neighboring teeth. Both are practical ways for longtime residents to update dental work done decades ago.
Preventative & General Dentistry
Cleanings, exams and digital x-rays form the base of every plan. For Wolcott School kids and their grandparents alike, steady checkups keep problems small. Visits are scheduled around your week, including Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Loud snoring and restless nights can point to sleep-disordered breathing. Our team evaluates those concerns and explains the dental treatment options. Dr. Shin is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Meet Your Lansing Dental Team
Board certification sets Dr. Jun Soo Shin, DDS, MS, FACP, apart: he is a prosthodontist and a member of the American College of Prosthodontists. His interests center on complex treatment planning, digital dentistry and implants, the kind of work an aging smile often needs. Dr. Jee Sun Kim, DDS, and Dr. Eric (Jee Hwan) Kim, DDS, share the practice with him.
Insurance, Membership & Financing
Our in-office plan, Smiles For Miles VIP, is built for people with no dental insurance: one annual membership covers exams and needed x-rays, with savings on other treatment. Insured patients can use most private coverage, but Medicaid and HMO plans are not accepted. We also take cash, checks and most major credit cards.
Smiles For Miles is great! The team is so friendly and made me feel super comfortable. The doctor was awesome and the hygienist cleaned my teeth beautifully. 10/10 experience!
Olivia T.
My family has been using Smiles For Miles for almost 12 years now and we love them. The doctors are the best. The team is excellent and helpful. Try them out, you won’t be disappointed.
Christine A.
I had a great experience at Smiles For Miles! The doctor and dental assistant were very kind and professional. The office team is also very friendly and the office is always decorated for different holidays. I would highly recommend this practice to anyone looking for a new dentist in Lansing, IL.
Gabe B.
Yelp
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Smiles For Miles from Thornton, and how do I get there?
Our office is 4.6 miles from the village hall, about an 11-minute drive. Take Margaret Street east as it turns into Thornton-Lansing Road, then Torrence Avenue south, Ridge Road east and Burnham Avenue south. For anyone wanting a dentist in Thornton, IL without a highway commute, that single eastbound road does most of the work.
What can Thornton seniors do about dry mouth from medication?
Frequent sips through the day, sugar-free gum and alcohol-free rinses help, since saliva protects teeth from decay. Many common prescriptions reduce saliva, so bring a list of your medications to each visit. The doctors watch for root cavities and gum problems that dry mouth tends to cause. Denture wearers should mention sore spots too.
Can parents book checkups for themselves and their kids together?
Yes, family members can usually be scheduled back to back. The Wednesday and Thursday hours, which run until 7:00 PM, make it easier to fit everyone in after school and work. The front desk can line up the appointments so one trip covers the household and nobody waits long between visits.
Is there a prosthodontist near Thornton for dentures or implants?
Yes, Dr. Jun Soo Shin is a board-certified prosthodontist, and he practices about 11 minutes from the village. Prosthodontists focus on replacing and restoring teeth, including implants, crowns, bridges and dentures. New patients can book a free implant consultation to talk through options and ask questions before committing to any treatment.
How can retirees without dental coverage save on routine exams?
The simplest route is our Smiles For Miles VIP membership. It is an annual in-office plan that covers exams and necessary x-rays and adds discounts on other services. For larger work such as implants or a new set of dentures, CareCredit and Cherry financing can spread the cost into smaller payments over time.
Schedule Your Visit from Thornton
If you have been putting off care while looking for a dentist in Thornton, IL, an 11-minute drive east solves it. Call 708-991-3981 to book, and mention whether you are a new patient. Explore other communities on our areas we serve page, or visit our main site for Dentist Lansing, IL details. You can also learn more about the Thornton Township government and its services.
