Smiles for Seniors brings University of Iowa dental students, faculty, and community partners together to provide free dental care for older adults while giving students meaningful hands-on experience.

Dr. Hebl turned a dental service trip into The Guatemala Project. It has built nearly 300 homes in Guatemala.

With support from the Gerber Foundation, Jeff Banas and Mike Kanellis are leading a study to evaluate a simple, home-based approach that could help prevent tooth decay among children at highest risk for disease.

The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics has named Dr. Ahmad Alkhaza'leh graduate program director for the Advanced Education Program in Operative Dentistry, effective Aug. 3, 2026.

Anelise Viapiana Masiero's research project supported by the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics' Clinical/Dental Education Research Initiative Support Program (CRISP) has generated new findings that could help clinicians improve root canal treatment outcomes while advancing understanding of emerging endodontic materials and techniques.

Erliang Zeng, Jeff Banas, and Karin Weber-Gasparoni at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics have received a new National Institutes of Health R01 award to better understand how early preventive interventions influence the oral microbiome and protect children from developing tooth decay.

Matthew Lee, a resident in the Department of Periodontics at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, was selected as a Smigel Scholar for the 2026 American Society for Dental Aesthetics Annual Conference.

Aline Petrin, assistant professor at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, has received a National Institutes of Health award to advance understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying nonsyndromic orofacial clefts, the most common craniofacial birth defect worldwide.

For second-year dental student Ingrid Streitz, music, mental health advocacy, and dentistry all share a common purpose: building trust, strengthening communities, and helping people thrive.

Through compassionate patient care, education, research, and outreach—including the Geriatric Mobile Unit—Iowa is helping shape the future of care for older adults and people with disabilities.