UTSD threads together family among generations

Memories of UTHealth School of Dentistry at Houston, advice, and laughter fill the air each time the Anton, Crofcheck, and Tipton families gather for dinner.

Margaret “Maggie” Crofcheck, DDS ’87, and Michael Anton, DDS ’87, share their school pride with two of their five children:  Sam Anton and Robert “Bobby" Anton, plus a nephew, Nicholas Tipton — all of whom are current dental students at UTSD.

Nicholas (second year), Sam (third year), and Bobby (fourth year) grew up like triplets, and their bond strengthened as they grew to have an affinity for dentistry. Now enrolled at UTSD at the same time, they’re able to share invaluable advice. Bobby, being the oldest, passed down guidance he learned from his parents to Nicholas and Sam and adding advice from his own dental school experiences — ranging from the current curriculum to food options in the UTSD building and close by.

“Academically, they really helped me get into the mindset since undergrad is very different than dental school,” Nicholas said. “Having two guys that could actually come in and show me how to apply topics, such as wax ups, has really helped me along the way.”

Once Nicholas, Sam, and Bobby announced they were going to dental school, Maggie and Michael gave them books on dentistry, allowed them in to assist in Michael’s practice, Oral Surgery Associates, for a year, helping them see what it would be like to work with patients long term or in complex scenarios. 

“I remember going to my dad’s office at a pretty early age,” Sam said. “My first memory was that I could go there and get a toy. Getting exposure early gave us a first-hand look at what the field of dentistry entails. It was cool going into his office as kids and actually seeing some of the procedures going on.”

As the young men pursue a dental education at UTSD, Maggie and Michael have reconnected with former classmates, professors, and the institution at large.

“We’ve been out since 1987, so we rarely got up to the dental school for much; maybe just some continuing dental education courses,” Michael said. “We’ve definitely reconnected with the school, which has been really nice, because you have a different perspective being out of school for a while.

“When I was a resident, Dean John Valenza was head of the General Practice Residency program with Memorial Hermann, but I lost track of him. It’s really nice to see that people like him are there educating our family.”

Maggie and Michael have become involved in the UTSD Family and Friends Association. Michael spoke during White Coat Ceremonies about his experiences in dentistry, and he and Maggie were able to put the coats on Sam and Bobby.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it was to put coats on our boys. It was the best thing in the world and so wonderful,” Maggie said.

Since the Anton, Crofcheck, and Tipton families live in the Greater Houston area, they have been going through the COVID-19 pandemic together.

“From a student standpoint, it’s brought us closer together,” Sam said. “Bobby and I went home, and since our parents had to go through what we were going through [in dental school], they understand studying for long periods of time and the commitment it takes.”

Their shared experiences in school and life bridge generational gaps and pave the foundation for significant opportunities in dental care in the years to come.

“We’ve definitely thought about opening our own family practice. If we were going to follow in the family footsteps, we would both need to specialize in oral surgery or periodontics. I’m in the process of applying to oral surgery residency now, so we’re definitely on the right track,” Bobby said, adding, “we’ll see.”