Why Choose Iowa Orthodontics?
Leading Researchers
Our faculty are leaders in their fields, conducting groundbreaking research year after year. Our team is a part of the Iowa Facial Growth Study, the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, and many more State programs. We are dedicated to further the orthodontic profession to better help our patients.
Award-Winning
Our faculty have coached the residents to win more American Board of Orthodontic awards for well treated cases than any other school. These cases comes from patients treated in our clinics by our residents, and they regularly place #1 among over 70 orthodontics programs in the country for quality of care.
State of the Art Technology
Our facilities are equipped with some of the best tools available. We have a CBCT (Cone-Beam computed tomography VaTech), an Intraoral Scanner (iTero), 3D printers (SprintRay), in-house, aligner-type orthodontic appliances, and much more.
Multidisciplinary Care
Our college features a comprehensive dental care team including experts in aesthetic dentistry, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, periodontics, and pathology. Thus, we bring the college's elite academic quality of care to any kind of dental need, no matter how complex.
Specialty Program Overview
After achieving a dental degree, dentists may wish to specialize in Orthodontics by enrolling as a resident in an accredited Orthodontic Program.
Iowa’s graduate program in orthodontics prepares residents to practice orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. The programs' objectives are to provide residents with an in-depth education in biological and biomechanical principles related to orthodontics; to teach residents to diagnose, establish treatment plan, and provide patients with comprehensive orthodontic care in a state-of-the art facility; and to develop residents’' research and service skills.
Opportunities are available for research and independent study in the department, and there are special facilities for research in biomechanics and craniofacial growth. Multidisciplinary interactions with other departments within and beyond the College provide residents with learning and research opportunities such as pre-clinical/clinical biomechanics in orthodontics, surgical orthodontics, cleft lip and palate treatment, speech pathology, animal study, genetics/genomics, human growth study, and artificial intelligence.
Degree
Master of Science and Certificate in Orthodontics
The Master of Science program in orthodontics requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit. Residents must satisfactorily complete a thesis based on a hypothesis-driven original research project to qualify for an M.S. in addition to the Certificate in Orthodontics.
Satisfactory completion of 24 months (July – June) of intensive requirements qualifies residents to receive the Certificate in Orthodontics. Requirements include didactic courses, seminars, clinical practicum, oral defense and successful submission of a thesis project.
Application Process
Questions and inquiries about the specialty program or the application process can be directed to Dr. Kyungsup Shin, the specialty program director, by email at kyungsup-shin@uiowa.edu
Materials
The application deadline is August 1.
The Orthodontics MS program application process is described at http://grad.admissions.uiowa.edu/academics/orthodontics-ms and the application is available online at apply.admissions.uiowa.edu/admissions/graduate.page
Requirements
Admission requires the D.D.S. or its equivalent and satisfaction of the Graduate College Requirements.
(http://grad.admissions.uiowa.edu/academics/graduate-college-admission-requirements)
Department Requirements
Faculty in the University of Iowa Department of Orthodontics feel that residency program participation in the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program is fair and beneficial to applicants. We also feel that it is in the long-term best interest of the specialty. Consequently, we have decided to interview applicants who are applying exclusively to programs participating in the Match.
Orthodontic Residents
Orthodontics residents are dentists who are pursuing additional training in orthodontics. Most residents begin private-practice in orthodontics immediately after completing our advanced training program. Residents provide the primary orthodontic care for their patients and their work is overseen by our world-class orthodontics faculty.
Waheed Awotoye
2nd Year Resident
"I grew up in Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria and attended dental school at the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria where I earned my dental degree in 2015. Thereafter, I came to the United States for my Ph.D. in Oral Science at the University of Iowa. I love soccer and in my spare time you may just find me playing soccer, spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy reading, teaching, listening to news podcasts and watching talent shows (AGT is my favorite)."
Ben Bouchard
2nd Year Resident
"I grew up in Northeast Michigan near the small village of Spruce and attended Michigan State University for undergrad and the University of Michigan for dental school. Now, I am excited to be a part of the University of Iowa! In my free time, I enjoy traveling, hiking, paddleboarding, playing video games, and watching movies."
Larkin Jacobson
2nd Year Resident
"I am originally from Iowa and my family still lives there. However, I have called many places "home" as I traveled extensively for youth and Junior hockey, including stops in Kansas, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado - where I played hockey for the University of Denver. I received my D.D.S. from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Outside of the clinic, my passions are family and sports. I have a beautiful family consisting of my wife, our 1-year old daughter, and our dog. When we're not traveling, taking walks, or hanging out at home, I look for any opportunity to play hockey, golf, or cycle."
Kathryn Jehle
2nd Year Resident
"I was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas. I didn’t travel too far from home to attend dental school at UMKC in Kansas City, Missouri. In my free time, I enjoy cooking recipes and featuring them on my cooking Instagram, cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs, and spending time with family and friends. I am very excited to be joining the Hawkeye family!"
Abigail Simmer
2nd Year Resident
"I grew up in Rock Island, IL then, moved to Iowa City for dental school! I enjoy Iowa City and the many people I have met here along the way! I’m excited to be back learning and growing with the orthodontic department”
Elaine Boosalis Toaddy
1st Year Resident
"I am originally from Maple Grove, Minnesota and completed my dental training at The University of Iowa in 2019 before serving as a general dentist for five years in the US Navy Dental Corps. I am excited to be back in Iowa City to continue my Hawkeye education! In my free time, my husband Andrew and I enjoy going on our daily walks with our two black Labrador retrievers, Hawkeye football games, hiking, traveling, reading a good book, and spending time with family."
Melika Farshad
1st Year Resident
“I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Shiraz, Iran. Before moving to Iowa, I lived in New York City, where I received my dental degree from New York University College of Dentistry. Outside of the clinic, I enjoy cooking and baking, playing tennis or pickleball with friends, and catching up with women's basketball games, especially the Hawkeyes!"
Sydney Sanchez
1st Year Resident
"I am from Parkston, South Dakota, and I graduated dental school from the University of Iowa. Outside of clinic, I'm usually doing something outdoors with my husband, reading a good book, or enjoying time with friends, family, or my cat."
Amanda Seaberg
1st Year Resident
"I am from West Des Moines, IA, and received my D.D.S. from The University of Iowa College of Dentistry. I enjoy spending time with my husband and our extended families, running/working out, playing pickleball, and getting together with friends."
Lyda Sypawka
1st Year Resident
"I am from Greenville, North Carolina. For dental school, I attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated in May 2024. When not in the clinic, you can find me going on a long outdoor walk, reading psychological thriller novels, or taking on some sort of DIY project."
Research
The focus of the thesis project is to create new knowledge to advance the specialty of orthodontics. Alumni and supporters of the department have established the Dr. George Andreasen Memorial Fund in honor of Dr. Andreasen, former faculty member and department head who spearheaded the application of Nitinol wire in the specialty of orthodontics. This substantial fund provides support for orthodontic resident research projects. The University of Iowa is a Big Ten university and offers research facilities in all areas of endeavor.
The majority of Iowa thesis research projects result in publications in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), the Angle Orthodontist, Progress in Orthodontics, and Seminars in Orthodontics.
Courses
General system theory, control theory, cybernetics, systems analysis; role of applied human biologist; human biology as a science.
Literature concerning orthodontic diagnosis; treatment of particular problems; case histories of patients treated in graduate clinic.
Skills for treatment of disfiguring malocclusions; use of edgewise biomechanical therapy; laboratory focus on typodont exercises.
Principles in biomechanics applied for comprehensive orthodontic treatment combined with case-based didactic clinical review.
Theories, processes; use of accepted facial growth concepts in treatment of individuals with malocclusions during active growth period.
Render orthodontic care in state-of-the art clinical facility. The scope of treatment ranges from early interventions to comprehensive care for adolescents with craniofacial anomalies.
Evaluation, discussion, criticism, defense of diagnostic and treatment approaches to orthodontic non-surgical cases that have been completed for orthodontic treatment.
Case-presentation seminar for difficult, challenging, on-going cases that have been treated by 2nd-year residents.
Residents’ thesis project: pre-proposal, thesis progress meetings, oral examination, and completed thesis submission.
Literature review on required articles for ABO-board examinations and current biological, technical publications.
Use of cephalometric radiographs (lateral and/or postero-anterior) in formulating orthodontic diagnosis, treatment plans for malocclusions; cephalometrics as a tool for craniofacial structure research.
Literature on anatomy, phylogeny, ontogenesis, physiology of craniofacial structures.
Evaluation, discussion, criticism, defense of diagnostic and treatment approaches to orthodontic cases that need, are undergoing, or have completed surgical orthodontic treatment.
Evaluation, discussion, criticism, defense of diagnostic and treatment approaches to orthodontic cases that need, are undergoing, or have completed surgical/non-surgical orthodontic treatment for patients with cleft lip and palate.