Every dentist has a story.
For Dr. Tom Larkin, the path into dentistry—and the life that developed alongside it—was never linear.
From an early age, two influences were shaping his thinking in parallel.
He grew up near a college campus, surrounded by medical and dental students who lived in boarding houses on both sides of his home. Watching their routines, their conversations, and their commitment to their craft made a lasting impression. It introduced him to the idea that dentistry could be more than a job—it could be a life.
At the same time, his father was introducing him to a completely different way of thinking.
An engineer, mathematician, and illustrator, his father had developed one of the earliest slide rules designed to predict winners in horse racing.
Long before analytics became mainstream, he was blending probability, pattern recognition, and intuition. That mindset stayed with Tom.
By high school—and continuing through dental school—Tom spent his summers working as an usher at the racetrack. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it placed him in close proximity to highly successful and influential individuals. One of those relationships would later play a pivotal role in shaping both his dental career and his continued involvement in racing.
Tom went on to attend Creighton University for both his undergraduate studies and dental school. Even then, he was already thinking ahead.
In one of the more unconventional chapters of his journey, he began building his first dental practice while still a junior in dental school. Weekends were spent framing walls, hanging drywall, and learning what it truly meant to build something from the ground up.
“I wasn’t just learning dentistry…I was learning what it meant to build something from nothing.”
As graduation approached, one of those earlier racetrack relationships resurfaced.
The same individual Tom had come to know while working in the box seats reached out with an opportunity to relocate to Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was a significant pivot at a critical moment, but it wasn’t random. It was connected to a thread that had been present all along.
Dentistry and racing had been developing side by side—and this was the first time they intersected in a meaningful way.
That chapter in Arkansas became a bridge…not a detour, because in 2009, Tom made another move—this time to Lexington, Kentucky. And this one felt different.
Tom in the Green Room at Keeneland Race Course
Lexington wasn’t just another location. It was the horse capital of the world, and from the moment he arrived, it felt like home. The landscape, the culture, and the rhythm of the racing calendar created an environment where both sides of his life could coexist naturally.
At the same time, his professional focus began to expand.
He became involved in teaching at the University of Kentucky Dental School, where the “builder” in him gravitated toward practice management. His interest extended beyond clinical dentistry into the architecture of a practice—how it’s built, how it functions, and how it creates value.
That work led to writing, teaching, and eventually collaboration.
Through his involvement with Ideal Practices and its founder Jayme Amos, Tom helped build educational platforms that focused on helping dentists think differently about their practices—not just as clinical environments, but as systems.
Over time, one area consistently stood out: dental hygiene.
It had always been a strength in his clinical work, but through teaching and consulting, Tom began to recognize how underleveraged it was across the profession.
That realization led him deeper into prevention…which naturally expanded into the broader conversation around the oral-systemic connection, influenced in part by Dr. Brad Bale.
Dr. Tom Larkin and Dr. Brad Bale
From there, the Larkin Protocol emerged…a culmination of more than 15 years of clinical experience, teaching, and system development.
“Dentistry was never just about procedures…
it was about building something that works – for the doctor, the team, and the patient.”
Years later, those two worlds came together again in a way that felt both unexpected and natural.
In September of 2022, Tom was invited to join a group of dental colleagues at Churchill Downs in Louisville for a Bourbon & Beyond gathering hosted by The Profitable Dentist.
Tom sharing his expertise with Steve Parker and the TPD group at Churchhill Downs
For the first time, he shared his process publicly. He brought out his father’s slide rule and walked through how he approaches selecting winners. That evening, he selected a trifecta cold. One of the attendees, Emme Sanders, followed the pick—and cashed in.
“It wasn’t about the bet…it was about sharing a way of thinking…and watching someone else experience it for the first time.”
At the highest level, that same discipline carried forward.
At the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, Tom competed against more than 700 of the best in the world, finishing 16th.
National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas
“This was never about gambling…it was always about solving the puzzle.”
And yet, one of the most meaningful moments came back in dentistry.
Nearly a decade after working with a young dentist early in her career, Tom returned—temporarily—to clinical practice, covering for Dr. Rachel Riley Woody during her maternity leave. 
What he experienced was clear.
Healthier patients.
Happier patients.
A stronger team.
A practice built with intention—not excess.
“That practice wasn’t built to scale…it was built to last.”
In the end, the same pattern runs through both dentistry and horseracing.
Curiosity becomes discipline. Discipline becomes mastery. And mastery creates the opportunity to contribute something meaningful.
“What begins as curiosity becomes discipline…and eventually becomes the opportunity to contribute.”
Enjoying a day at Keeneland Race Course with the Bale family.
