Theophilus Annor | USA | Soaring High
- EA
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
Digital Dental Lab Instructor | Graduate | Product Design, Jewelry Making & 3D Modeling
In the quiet town of Asamankese, Ghana, a young boy wandered through scrapyards, gathering discarded tin cans and bits of metal—not for mischief, but for art. That boy was Theophilus Annor, and his love for creating with his hands would eventually launch him into an extraordinary journey that blends science, art, and culture in ways few could imagine. Today, Theophilus is soaring high as a graduate student at Temple University, making waves in both the dental and artistic worlds. As an MFA candidate in metals, jewelry, and CAD-CAM at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, and an Instructor and Assistant Dental Digital Technician at the Kornberg School of Dentistry, Theophilus is redefining what it means to be both a craftsman and a clinician. Armed with a passion for precision and innovation, Theophilus has been celebrated for his groundbreaking work in designing occlusal night guards, crowns, diagnostic models, and other dental appliances with pinpoint accuracy using advanced 3D printing and CAD-CAM technology. His pioneering efforts didn’t go unnoticed—Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry recognized him for pushing the boundaries of dental technology and patient care.
But behind his technical brilliance is an artist’s heart. By night, Theophilus transforms the same digital tools into creative instruments, designing intricate jewelry that carries deep cultural symbolism from Ghana—motifs like Agyinduwura, Gye Nyame, and Sankofa, each telling stories of identity, resilience, and spiritual devotion. “Creating restoratives is just like making jewelry,” he says. “There are overlaps between arts and dentistry.”
After earning his undergraduate degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, one of Ghana’s premier institutions for the arts, Theophilus set his sights abroad to master the intersection of art and technology. Encouraged by a friend, he discovered Temple University’s renowned CAD-CAM program—one of the oldest in the U.S.—and found not just education, but transformation.
Under the mentorship of Doug Bucci, head of Tyler’s metals and CAD-CAM program, Theophilus quickly became a standout. He worked as a 3D Print Lab Technician, guiding fellow students and faculty through advanced printing techniques, while also gaining hands-on dental lab experience at GCDL/Golden Ceramic Dental Lab and Kornberg.
Now, with roles that blend instruction, innovation, and artistry, Theophilus is shaping not only teeth and metal, but the future of interdisciplinary design. He dreams of continuing his career in dentistry in the U.S., while nurturing his artistic practice that bridges modern technology with traditional Ghanaian values.
Whether he’s designing a crown or crafting a culturally rich pendant, Theophilus Annor is proof that creativity knows no borders—and that sometimes, the path from the scrapyard to the spotlight is paved with precision, passion, and a 3D printer.
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