Dr. Taft received his D.D.S. degree from Emory University School of Dentistry in 1983, entered the Navy following graduation and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U. S. Navy Dental Corps. He completed a one-year general practice residency (GPR) at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Portsmouth Va, followed by serving as clinic Prosthodontist and Division Officer at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine,
Dr. Taft graduated from the Prosthodontic residency program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Bethesda, MD in 1990, and entered the fellowship program in Maxillofacial Prosthetics at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX receiving a certificate in 1992
Dr. Taft served in various clinical and leadership positions at Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA, Chairman and Program Director for the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Fellowship Officer program at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School from 1997 – 2001 and later as professor in the Naval Postgraduate Prosthodontics Residency Program, 2002.
Other positions held include: Director of Graduate Programs, Medical Joint-Service Education Director at the Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, Bethesda, MD; Dean of the Naval Postgraduate Dental School and Specialty Leader to the Surgeon General for Postgraduate Dental Education; Deputy Chief, United States Navy Dental Corps; Department Chair in Prosthodontics, at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School; and most recently as Chairman of the Comprehensive Dentistry Department, and Professor and Interim Program Director at the Graduate Prosthodontics, Comprehensive Dentistry Department both at the UT Health, San Antonio, School of Dentistry.
Dr. Taft is a Diplomate, Board Examiner and Past President of the American Board of Prosthodontics, Fellow/Past President of the American College of Prosthodontists, Fellow, Academy of Prosthodontics, Past President of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Director of ADT North America, CODA site visitor, and past Specialty Leader to the Surgeon General for Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Implant Dentistry. His personal awards include two Legions of Merit, three Meritorious Service medals, two Navy Commendation medals and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals, Professor Emeritus, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Presidents Exceptional Service Award, Deans Award for Teaching Excellence, Andrew J. Ackerman Award and the Judson C. Hickey Scientific Writing Award (JPD).
