Dr. Lythgoe graduated from the College of Idaho with a dual degree in Zoology and Chemistry prior to attending and earning his dental degree from the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, in Seattle.
After completing a Rotating Dental Internship in Norfolk, Virginia, he served as a dental officer in the U.S. Public Health Service for four years. He then successfully completed the two-year endodontic residency program at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California.