Meet Dr. Porter
Brent J. Porter, D.D.S., M.S.
As a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Porter feels truly blessed to be an advocate and educator for children's dental health in this community and county. He feels honored to have cared for the children of Santa Cruz County for the past 20 plus years!
Dr. Porter is a native Californian and spent his early years in the coastal communities. After he finished his pediatric residency at UCLA, he and his wife, Karen moved to Santa Cruz County, and opened Santa Cruz Children’s Dentistry. Over the years, his family has grown to five children: four boys and one girl.
It is so pivotal that your child’s first visit to a Santa Cruz pediatric dentist is a positive one! At Dr. Porter’s office your child will experience a new age in children’s dentistry. It is his passionate goal to promote prevention, dental education, and chair-side parental support. This proven philosophy has dramatically reduced the time his patients spend in the dental chair. Most recently, this positive preventative educational approach is now impacting a second generation of patients!
His passion includes children with autism, cerebral palsy, and post-traumatic stress due to negative early dental experiences. Dr. Porter grew up with a brother who has special needs. Because of this experience, his skills and heart for these special children are at the very center of their dental experience.
Education and Continuing Education
Dr. Porter graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. He went on to achieve his Doctor of Dental Surgery while simultaneously completing the didactics for his Master of Science in Oral Biology, from the
With his love for education and children he continued at UCLA for specialty training in Pediatrics with an emphasis on Orthodontics, craniofacial growth, and development. In addition, he has trained and become a Conscious Sedation Dentist and keeps current his ACLS Certification. He attends several courses each year for the development of his practice. These include courses in orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, sedation, and office management. He keeps current with new developments in the field of preventative pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and sedation to provide the BEST possible care experience to his patients.
Professional Affiliations
- American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Certification
- California Society of Pediatric Dentistry
- American Dental Society of Anesthesia
- International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals
- American Dental Association
- California Dental Association
- Monterey Bay Dental Society
Outside the Office
Over the years, my wife and I have enjoyed watching our children embrace life, faith, friends, and family. We enjoy being active playing disc golf, pickle ball, mountain bike riding, one wheel riding, embracing ocean activities and sea glass hunting.
Vacations are mostly spent on road-trips and adventures in our family van. By road, we have visited 13 states taking in the amazing beauty of our country. The highlights include horseback riding in the Grand Tetons, skiing at Oregon’s, Mount Bachelor, and exploring the underground caves of South Dakota.
Community Support
At the office of Brent J Porter D.D.S., we are the proud supporters of Second Harvest Food Bank which provides nourishment to families and children in need. We also enjoy supporting many children’s charitable organizations including Make a Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, and a very special camp for handicapped kids called Camp Attitude. In addition, we support our local community by sponsoring Santa Cruz Gymnastics and Capitola Junior Lifeguards.
