Saturday, April 11, 2015

Peter K. Thomas DDS - The Harder Right

Remembering My Mentor

In 1974 I entered the international dental program (Special Students) at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry.   They had a two year doctorate training for foreign trained dentists which was quite remarkable at the time.  Not only did the teach the complete dental training but they included Gnathology with guest speakers like Charles Stuart and Peter K. Thomas.

I want to remember one of my teachers today, his name was Peter K. Thomas DDS, an internationally renowned teacher and lecturer of restorative dentistry. In 1974 and ’75 at the USC  (now the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry) I attended courses from him. He was an inspirational mentor and encouraged nothing but the best, the harder right rather than the easier wrong. Once I graduated he invited me to join him at the Laguna Beach Study Club where he pounded in the refinement of Gnathological reconstruction and the art of cutting fine preparations and waxing up ideal gold onlays.  PKT took a shine to me and I certainly loved him. He always referred to himself as Papa Thomas and the picture below captured the affection between us.
 
Dr. Peter K Thomas with Dr. Neil McLeod in Laguna 1977

It was Dr. Thomas who got me into the International Academy of Gnathology which had some really elegant meetings. We had a dinner for Dr. Thomas in West Los Angeles which was arranged by the renowned master dental technician and laboratory owner Renzo Casellini (Swiss Quality Dental Ceramics and Dental Implant Studio) The image below was taken at that dinner and shows Peter in a private moment his hand on my hand. I was strongly encouraged to strive for the best by Peter. He always quoted Michael Angelo "Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle"
Dr. Peter K. Thomas and Neil McLeod at dinner


8 comments:

Rahul said...

This question maybe bit unusual but I was just wondering what is K for in Dr. Peter K Thomas. Sorry for inconvenience sir.

Unknown said...

Kenneth..he was my uncle

Rahul said...

thanks, that was amazing. i always admire Dr Peter.

MsAndrea said...

It was for Kenneth. He was my father in law. I was married to his son Charles (Duke) Ellis THOMAS. Our daughters are Jennifer Thomas and Jill Thomas

PEREIRA said...

j ai tres bon souvenir de ce GRAND MONSIEUR

Lors de son passage en FRANCE invite par le docteur JACQUES YVES MEYER cabinet situe au 24 LA CROISETTE a CANNES
Et sa venue au labaratoire de monsieur LE GUILLOUX qui etait situe AVENUE DE MADRID AU CANNET

Je ne saurait jamais remercier MONSIEUR PETER K THOMAS
pour la grande evolution qu il a cree tant que pour les dentistes et prothesites dentaires
et son influance sur mes 42 ans de prothesiste

R. PEREIRA

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Faith Yordan said...

Peter Thomas did my husbands teeth all gold and perfect. Then he did my teeth all crowns upper and lower. He was a dear friend of my husband Philip Yordan academy award winner writer of many pictures such as EL CID and KINGS OF KINGS. Many dentist have showed off my teeth from Peter THOMAS and one even took x-rays for free so he could put the dental work in his museum.What a wonderful human being Peter Thomas was.Faith Yordan.

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