Dr. Thomas F. Dowling was born in Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and is a native Marylander. He attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Wheaton and later graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. He then enrolled in the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Univerisity of Maryland Dental School graduated in 1979.  Later, Dr. Dowling was able to obtain a health professions scholarship thru the US Army and served his year-for-year commitment on active duty with the US Army as a general dentist. In addition, he was able to obtain his Dental General Practice Residency at Womack Army Hospital.  After completing his active duty assignment, Dr. Dowling then obtained his orthodontic training at Georgetown University's Dental School and, in addition, received a Master's of Science from Georgetown's Graduate School.

Dr. Dowling's association with the military is one that continued for over 25 years. He completed his years of service at the rank of Colonel in the Maryland Army National Guard.

Dr. Dowling has been in private practice since 1985 and is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontists, the Maryland State Orthodontic Society and the Southern Maryland Dental Society. From 1990-1992, he was an assistant adjunct clinical professor at the University of Maryland, Orthodontic Department, Baltimore, Maryland.

When asked about his most difficult and gratifying task, he was quick to reply, "No question. it's been raising my family of  six children.  Raising a large family is easily the most humbling, yet electrifying, job on the planet. There's never been a dull day.

Since the majority of Dr. Dowling's patients are children and teens, Dr. Dowling believes that he has been given a modest, yet unique, insight into the role of family life with most of his patients. "Even within the same family with the same two biological parents, there's huge amount of diversity within the human race. No two people are ever alike and it's important for all of us, especially health care providers, to remember that fact."