You can rest assured you’re in good hands with a dentist if you know he teaches other dental professionals. Dr. Charles Tozzer is an instructor at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. He has shared his knowledge in other ways, advising the American Dental Association on the creation of dental software programs and consulting on the development of educational materials. In addition, he has conducted lectures both nationally and internationally on cosmetic dentistry.
Dr. Tozzer graduated from Emory University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, then received his DDS degree from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in 1979. He holds dental licenses in North Carolina and California. His professional affiliations include:
- American Dental Association
- North Carolina Dental Society
- California Dental Association
- Orange County Dental Society
- Irvine Medical-Dental Society
- Orange County Implant Study Club
Read Transcript
Why did I get into dentistry is a good question. About 10 years old I made the decision. It's hard to tell you exactly why, but it's really easy as you're growing up that you focus just to continue to pursue that in one area. I think I first wanted to be a cowboy at about three or four. After that it was dentistry and it's always been.
My educational background basically is four years of college and then four years of dental school. College was at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dental school was The University of North Carolina. I had the extreme honor of being able to teach at that dental school and also out here at USC Dental School and we worked with dental students teaching a lot on our nonprofits.
The most rewarding part for me is the contact and working with patients. I really enjoy when we help patients overcome fears and turn them into happy patients. Someone that comes in that has a real apprehension when we work through that, I tell the patients of fear exposed never has the same power over you. Fear concurred never has that power over you. So we worked with a lot of patients that have had bad experiences in the past, which is unfortunate, but we work to become the good experience they have.
Dr. Tozzer is the founder of Dental Care for Children (DCFC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to providing free dental care for underserved children. The foundation has participated in more than 310 clinics in the United States, Mexico, and Haiti, donating time, money, and dental services to children who would otherwise not receive proper and basic care. DCFC has helped start clinics in Guatemala, El Salvador, Morocco, Uganda, and Nicaragua.
A member of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Tozzer has received numerous honors and awards for his selfless service to others, including an honorary Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Irvine Rotary Club as well as recognition from the cities of Huntington Beach and Irvine.
