Dr. Thomas Arnold, also known as Dr. Happy Tooth, is a descendant of three generations of health professionals (his grandfather was one of the first African American dentists in the South), Dr. Arnold never considered any occupation other than dentistry. He grew up "hanging around the dental office," watching his grandfather work while discussing community politics. His father was a general medical practitioner in Detroit, Michigan. According to Dr. Arnold, "In my practice, one of my primary goals is to eliminate the fear patients have toward dentistry and to present the discipline in a fun and enjoyable way. Dr. Happy Tooth is my way of presenting the issue of dentistry to kids in a non-threatening environment. It also presents dental hygiene as a pleasant learning experience."

Dr. Thomas H. Arnold D.D.S.

Dr. Arnold attended the same college as his parents, Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee and went on to Meharry Medical College, the alma mater for his father and grandfather. Good fortune was with him when he was accepted into San Francisco’s Mt. Zion residency program in 1972. Mt. Zion has one of the leading residency programs for dentists in the country and only accepts three graduates per year.

Dr. Arnold made a name for himself in the Bay Area when, in 1974, he teamed up with Dr. Collins, author of Your Teeth, a handbook on personal dental care, and Dr. William Pitman, the first African American dentist to open a practice in the East Bay in 1930. Within a year, Dr. Arnold had over 100 patients of his own. Today, Dr. Arnold, and his wife and dental practice partner, Dr. Wendi Wilson have over 3,000 loyal and "happy" patients.

Dr. Arnold is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, on the hospital staff at Mt. Zion, Herrick and Alta Bates, and is a member of both the National Dental Association and the Berkeley Dental Association. He is also on the board of directors for the West Berkeley Health Center and the Berkeley Dental Society.