Meet the Doctors
Dr. James E Mikula DDS
Dr. Jim has known dentistry all his life. After deciding to go into the dental field he graduated from The
University of Detroit Mercy Dental School
and began working alongside his father, Dr. Edward Mikula in 1986. From there he started his own practice in 1994, at the same location we are currently. He was raised in the area and now resides here in Livonia with his family. Dr. Jim believes it is important to build relationships within the community he serves. Mikula Dental is proud to sponsor and support local charities, schools, and other organizations!
An interesting fact about Dr. Jim is that he graduated from Albion College receiving a bachelors degree of Liberal Arts with majors in both Psychology and Anthropology. Years later, following in his footsteps, all three of his children attended and graduated from Albion College. If you ever visit the college, look for their family brick!
When he is not seeing patients, Dr. Jim enjoys spending time with his wife Diane and their three children Jacob, Olivia and Madeleine. When the weather is nice, you can catch him playing golf with his son, working alongside his wife in their garden or relaxing Up North with his family.
When it comes to your oral health, Dr. Jim believes that our office and our staff works for you, the patient. Whatever you need, we will do everything in our power to make it happen. By combining our extensive dental knowledge and experience with your oral health goals, we will take care of you.
“My philosophy revolves around you (the patient). This is your mouth, so I am here to advise and help you attain your goals of oral health. Many variables enter into care; apprehension, costs, time, needs and priorities. My job is to listen to you and then help you navigate to your desired endpoint.” -Dr. Jim
Dr. Ivana Thornton DDS
Dr. Ivana Thornton is a class of 2000 graduate of Federal University of Bahia, a Brazilian School of Dentistry. She completed the Internationally Trained Dentist Program at the University of Michigan in 2017 to recertify her Brazilian DDS degree.
She believes that professional excellence is achieved through a long-standing learning and practice. The years of practice allowed her to get people out of pain, improve their oral health and create beautiful smiles. She strives to deliver gentle and painless dental care while developing relationships with her patients. Her extensive dental education includes a Masters, fellowship in periodontics, teaching overseas and in the US. Dr. Thornton is currently an adjunct faculty at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. The teaching of clinical dentistry to doctorate dental students is one of her passions.
Michigan became her home after marrying a Michigander Ford engineer working in Brazil. Family is her cornerstone and her favorite thing is spending time with her husband and young daughter. In her spare time, she also enjoys volunteering at church, traveling, biking, camping, stand up paddle boarding, skiing and scuba diving.
Dr. Shane Thomas DDS
Dr. Shane Thomas is a local who graduated from Brother Rice High School in 2008. He then received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Physics from Wayne State University in 2012. After, he obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2016. Since graduating, he has spent five years as an Associate Dentist in Pontiac at a Federally Qualified Health Center providing dental treatment to low-income and homeless populations.
Dr. Thomas is an active member of the American Dental Association, the Michigan Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. He also is involved in monthly meetings with the Detroit Christian Medical Dental Association.
Dr. Thomas’ favorite aspect of dentistry is that he’s able to create trustworthy, authentic relationships with his patients, providing them with the best quality service concerning their oral health. He values patient education regarding his treatment recommendations so that the patient is fully informed before making any decision. He also works to ensure that the patient’s goals are best achieved. He prides himself on relating with his patients and meeting them wherever they are, especially about their previous dental experiences.
Dr. Thomas enjoys spending time with his wife, Tanya, and creating memories with his 3-year-old daughter, Lana. He loves staying active, playing basketball, flag football and working out. He is actively involved with his church community, mentoring younger men, and looks forward to continuing serving there alongside his wife.