Mark Howley Interviews Dr. Linda Thornton About Beating the Odds and Becoming a Leader in Dentistry

The Mark Howley Show

Dr. Linda Thornton’s life is a masterclass in resilience. When she sat down with Mark Howley on The Mark Howley Show, it wasn’t just to talk about dentistry—it was to share the incredible journey that got her there. From a childhood filled with music and discipline to breaking barriers in the military and leading in the field of prosthodontics, Dr. Thornton’s story is one of perseverance, reinvention, and never backing down from a challenge.

Mark, always an insightful and engaging interviewer, opened the conversation with a simple but powerful question: How did you do it? He wasn’t just asking about her success—he wanted to know about the failures, the struggles, and the lessons she learned along the way.

Dr. Thornton didn’t hold back. She grew up in suburban Philadelphia, a Black woman in the 1960s and ’70s, at a time when opportunities weren’t handed out easily. But in her house, failure was never an excuse to quit. Her father had a vision—his daughters were going to become doctors. That wasn’t a suggestion; it was a mandate. They were going to push forward, no matter how many doors closed in their faces.

And plenty of doors did. Racism was a reality she faced head-on. Restaurants turned them away, water fountains were off-limits, and in one particularly cruel moment, a man spit in her sister’s tea simply because they were Black. Mark, who never shies away from tough conversations, listened intently. How do you keep going in the face of that? That’s what he wanted to know.

Dr. Thornton’s answer was simple: You keep going. She refused to let ignorance stop her. Instead, she used every setback as fuel to push forward. That determination led her to dentistry, but she didn’t stop there. She joined the U.S. Army, choosing the military not just as a career but as a way to become the best in her field. And she did—becoming the first Army-trained female prosthodontist, a title that didn’t come easily. She spent years mastering full-mouth rehabilitation, implants, and oral surgery, working with soldiers who needed to be combat-ready.

Mark, always fascinated by the real-world challenges behind any profession, asked about military dentistry. It’s one thing to learn in a textbook, he said, but what’s it like in the field? Dr. Thornton explained that it’s about thinking fast and working with what you’ve got. A soldier can’t afford a dental emergency in the middle of deployment, so she had to make sure every procedure was done right the first time. That kind of precision and pressure wasn’t for everyone, but for her, it was exactly where she needed to be.

But before dentistry, there was music. And that’s where Mark really leaned in. He’d done his research. He’d seen The Thornton Sisters perform. What he couldn’t believe, though, was that the tiny 9-year-old behind the drum set was actually Dr. Thornton. That was you? he asked, genuinely surprised. She laughed—yep, that was her.

Her family band wasn’t just a hobby. They were serious musicians, trained by none other than jazz legend Count Basie. They played alongside The Supremes, The Temptations, and others. Their story was so incredible that it became a book and later a movie, The Ditchdigger’s Daughters. And yes, it even landed them on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Mark was fascinated. How does someone go from a childhood in music to leading in dentistry? For Dr. Thornton, the two weren’t so different. Music required discipline, timing, and precision—the same qualities needed in prosthodontics. And, of course, her father always made it clear that music was a stepping stone. It was a way to pay for school, not a career path.

Mark, always one to catch the small but meaningful details, asked something most people wouldn’t even think about: How do dentures affect musicians? It was an unusual but brilliant question, and Dr. Thornton smiled. Musicians who play instruments like the saxophone need their dentures fitted perfectly, or they’ll never be able to play the way they used to. It’s not just about appearance—it’s about function, about making sure they can still do what they love.

The conversation flowed from music to medicine to life itself. Mark asked about joy—what kept her going after all these years? Dr. Thornton didn’t hesitate. Joy is what fuels her. It’s what has kept her moving forward, despite every challenge, every failure, every roadblock.

Before the interview wrapped up, Mark had one last request. Are you still playing the drums?

She is. Arthritis makes it tougher, but she’s getting back into it. And right there, live on the show, she picked up her drumsticks, played a rhythm, and sang along. It wasn’t perfect, but that didn’t matter. It was real, and it was her.

Mark sat back, clearly impressed. He’s had plenty of guests, but Dr. Thornton’s story was one for the books. “Dr. Linda Thornton,” he said, “just wow.”

And honestly, that summed it up perfectly.

Watch The Mark Howley Show episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKdrxOWQlXU&t=2s

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