John Kent, DDS, FACD, FICD
Boyd Professor

Former Department Chairman 1973-2008

 

Dr. John (Jack) N. Kent, is a 1963 graduate of University of Nebraska School of Dentistry and 1969 graduate of the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency training program. At the age of 35 he was appointed Head of OMS at LSU Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry and Chief of OMS at Medical Center of Louisiana (Charity Hospital) in New Orleans 1973 - 2002 and 2003 - 2008.  Simultaneously he also served as Head of OMS, Division of Surgery, at LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, 1978-2003.
 

Dr. Kent was appointed the 33rd Boyd Professor of the LSU System in 1983, and is one of 7 Boyd Professors in the history of the LSU Medical Center. He served 9 years on the Executive Board of Hotel Dieu/University Hospital in New Orleans in which he was Chairman of the Eye, ENT, OMS department for 6 years. He was President of the Louisiana Society and the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dr. Kent occupied the James R. Peltier Endowed chair, the first $1 million chair in the LSU Medical Center, as its first eminent scholar from 1988 to 2012.
 

Dr. Kent's teaching and research rendered him an authority in orthognathic surgery, facial deformities and reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery, dental and facial implants, facial bone grafting and biomaterials with authorship in 25 textbooks and over 250 journal and abstract publications. He is the coauthor of the first textbook on orthognathic surgery and facial deformities in the United States and is a Fulbright Scholar.  Since 1974 Dr. Kent has directed nearly 100 OMS continuing education courses.  Dr. Kent has been the P I of numerous research projects totaling several million dollars, and along with Drs. Mike Block, Marilyn Zimny, and Sam McClugage, provided integrated OMS residency with PhD training for 9 LSU residents.  Dr. Kent is the recipient of the coveted Geis Foundation Award,  the Louisiana Dental Association's Distinguished Service Award, the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon's Harry Archer Award, the 2014 AAOMS Presidential Achievement Award, and the 2016 Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Life Time Achievement Award.  Dr. Kent has served on the editorial board of several surgical, medical and dental journals including the Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery where he was the Surgery section editor for several years. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and was President of ABOMS 1987-88.
 

Dr. Kent worked tirelessly to expand and promote LSU OMS well beyond his voluntary retirement in 2014.  Jack, along with outstanding faculty such as Director of Research, Michael Block, and several Program Directors over 3 decades such as Michael Zide, Dale Misiek, G. E. Ghali, Jon Perenack, and Rob Laughlin, led the resurgence of the OMS programs in Louisiana to international prominence.  During this time 150 residents generated a remarkable body of clinical care and scientific contributions to the literature. Many of these residents  became respected leaders in their communities and in organized OMS & Dentistry. Dr. Kent achieved the rare trifecta  of excellence as a clinician, an educator, and a researcher. Dr. Kent's mission was to inspire and educate OMS residents to provide the highest standard of care for patients entrusted to them.
 

To all his former residents Jack is "FOREVER CHIEF".