Kid-friendly dentist starts practice on Elgin's west side

If you talked to Matt Karsten a few years ago, you might have thought he was working for a king who likes to travel.

Karsten was prepared to spend the rest of his new career working on crowns and bridges.

But during the 36-year-old Elgin native's residency at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, he met a boy named Chase.

And that encounter inspired Karsten to open his own practice, Kids First Pediatric Dentistry.

Chase was a scared 3-year-old that needed a tooth pulled - and then some.

"I'll never forget the look on that kid's face," Karsten recalled.

"He was afraid for his life."

Karsten wanted to help. So he read up on psychology and the principles of pediatric dentistry.

By Chase's second appointment, the little guy was a little less scared. After the fifth visit, Chase was OK.

And both left as changed people.

"(Chase) gave me the biggest hug," recalled the father of five. "Once I started treating kids, it was a no-brainer."

After earning his degree, Karsten set his sights on Elgin.

Karsten, a 1990 graduate of Dundee-Crown High School, figured the practice would help fill a void.

A plumber by trade and a U.S. Army veteran, Karsten and his friends gutted and refurbished a 2,000-square-foot office at 1534 Weatherstone Lane on Elgin's west side.

"It was a smoke stained, yellow carpeted, just gross office," said John Pierotti, a sales representative for Benco Dental who sold Karsten more than $120,000 worth of equipment.

That figure doesn't include the playful and whimsical murals, high-definition televisions and other amenities to help put kids at ease and make them feel at home.

"It's all based around the kids, making them happy. A lot of kids have a bad image of the dentist," Pierotti said. "Matt's taken that into account."

Karsten says colors and cartoons don't mean a hill of beans if he doesn't do his job right.

He doesn't have a formula per se to help kids feel comfortable because each patient is different.

But a few constants are to talk to them, get them talking, and give undivided attention.

"If you're not there every minute, you're done," he said.

"You're never going to treat that kid."

Plus, you'll never hear the words "drill," "shot" or "pull" - as in a tooth. Instead, they use kid-friendly words like "wiggle" a tooth and "sleepy spray" for nitrous.

Although the practice has only been open since mid-August, Karsten is developing a loyal clientele.

One of them is Jennifer Schening, a South Elgin-based pediatrician.

Schening received fliers from Karsten and decided to bring her two kids, ages three and a half and 16 months, for a checkup.

The youngest child sat on Schening's lap for the exam.

Karsten diagnosed the older child with five cavities, even though a regular dentist gave the child a clean bill of health just six months ago.

Schening said she also learned the proper way to brush her kids' teeth.

"I am very impressed with him and very impressed with his office," Schening said.

"He made the kids feel very comfortable. I highly recommend him."