For more than 30 years, Dr. Richard "Rick" Hardt has provided exceptional, comprehensive dental care to families in Porterville and throughout Tulare County. As one of the few practices in the area that has served the same community for over two decades, Dr. Hardt continues a tradition of dentistry that has been guided and refined through generations of his family — fathers and grandfathers alike — resulting in high-quality care paired with an excellent patient experience.
Dr. Hardt grew up locally, completing grade school and high school in Tulare County after his family moved to Lindsay, California — a neighboring town to Porterville. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, near Napa, before completing dental school at Loma Linda University. In 1989, he returned home to practice alongside his father.
Since then, Dr. Hardt has continued to advance his training in modern, digital dentistry, including CEREC restorations, intraoral scanning, and soft-tissue lasers. He has also been trained to place and restore dental implants through implant seminars and hands-on implantology training.
Above all, Dr. Hardt believes in building long-term, trusting relationships with his patients rather than focusing on quick results. He sees his role as providing patients with all the information about their oral health and treatment options, so they can make the best decisions for themselves.
Dr. Hardt is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and the California Dental Association (CDA). Outside of the office, he enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, fly fishing, and bicycling.
