11 March 2024

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In Memorium: Thomas Porter, D.M.D.

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Thomas Porter, D.M.D., a clinical professor in the UF Department of Community Dentistry & Behavioral Science, passed away on Friday, February 23, in Kentucky with family members by his side. He directed the UF College of Dentistry’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency program at the St. Petersburg Dental Center from its inception in 1991 until his retirement 30 years later, sharing his wisdom and expertise with hundreds of residents during that time.

He was dedicated to the oral health profession and to his responsibility to educate the future leaders in dentistry.

One of his former residents said, “He was a man who gave all he had to help each and every one of us – sometimes firm, sometimes soft, but always with the genuine intention of making us better. Perhaps there is no better way for us to pay tribute to this great man than for each of us to continue to build on the foundation he laid for us, continue to strive to do the best we can, supporting and encouraging each other, with no sense of competition but a spirit of camaraderie. He would be proud of our efforts and, in a way, he will never really be gone.”

Porter earned his bachelor’s degree in 1972 and his dental degree in 1979, both from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He then completed a general practice residency program at the Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital in Oklahoma City in 1980. He received board certification from the Academy of General Dentistry in 1996. Before he joined UF faculty in June 1991, he was on faculty at the University of Texas from 1982 to 1991. He was also active in organized dentistry during his career.

Source: https://dental.ufl.edu/