Atoka Family Dentistry

Dr. Ken Larkins and his staff are proud of the fact that Atoka Family Dentistry was voted Tipton County's second-best dental office last year in The Leader's annual readers' poll.

A framed certificate sits in the reception area.

There are at least a dozen dentists in the county. Considering Atoka Family Dentistry has only been existence for a little more than a year, it says a lot about how popular the place is.

The 2,500-square-foot facility has four suite-style examination rooms, each with a flat screen television. All suites have state-of-the-art massage chairs and a friendly staff that tries to make everybody feel at home.

“I think it's a combination of all of the above,” Dr. Larkin says when asked why he thinks Atoka Family Dentistry is do popular. “Our patients love it here.”

Dr. Larkins is a New Orleans native who came to Memphis to attend the University of Tennessee-Memphis Dental School. Upon graduation he began working on the staff at Covington Dental Care.

Last year Dr. Larkin, who has lived in Atoka for three years and has a five-year-old daughter named Kennedy, decided to open up shop for himself, and the results have been great. The office is located on Highway 51 in Atoka, in between Family Dollar and Movie Gallery, a perfect location in an ever-expanding Atoka business district.

The staff includes two dental assistants, a receptionist and office manager Evelyn Black.

Black moved to Tipton County in 2003. She has seen the number of patients steadily grow.

“So far the feedback from the community has been very receptive,” says Black. “We see a lot of patients. We're getting a lot of new patients all the time. We love our location. People know we're here.”

Dr. Larkins takes patients as young as three years old.

“We have a lot of families that come in,” says Black. “We encourage that.”

Atoka Family Dentistry accepts all insurance. In addition to general dentistry, Dr. Larkins performs minor surgery and offers all kinds of dental service, including six-month braces plans for adults.

The office is open Monday through Wednesday, from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., and takes appointments up until 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The office recently began staying open on weekends as well.

In addition, Atoka Family Dentistry is the only dentist's office in the area with a 24-hour emergency number (606-4944).

“We're trying to access all of our patients,” says Dr. Larkins. “A lot of them work, and we wanted to make it easier for them.”

What: Atoka Family Dentistry

Where: 11092 Highway 51, Suite B

Hours: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday – Wednesday; 9 a.m. -3:30 p.m., Thursdays; Open on weekends by appointment

Contact: 840-2323; emergency – 606-4944

(By Jeff Ireland, Freelance Reporter)