College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics

Dean's Message

Memorial Day is next Monday. It is an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the soldiers who have given their lives for their country. It is a somber reflection, but one that reminds us about what is important. As we honor this national holiday, please take some time to remember those we have lost. ~Clark Stanford

Updates for May 26, 2023–June 1, 2023

NIH Awards Nguyen Training Grant to Investigate Midface Development

Tim Nguyen, a T90 trainee in the Iowa Institute of Oral Health Research and a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, was awarded an F31 grant. Read more about his research on the Iowa Dentistry website.

Flag display outside the Old Capitol building

Military Service and Iowa Dentistry

From our career-retired military dentists who spend the second half of their career teaching at Iowa to our veteran students, from our esteemed alumni who carry on the Iowa legacy throughout their military careers to our veteran patients who wouldn’t have access to dental care without our college, Iowa Dentistry is committed to those who have served in the United States uniformed forces.

Attendees at the Prosthodontics Awards Luncheon

2023 Prosthodontic Student Award Luncheon

The annual Department of Prosthodontics Student Recognition Lunch took place on May 16, 2023. This event serves as a platform to acknowledge and honor students who have demonstrated exceptional skill and extraordinary dedication in the field of prosthodontics. The prosthodontic faculty take great pride in their role of educating and mentoring exceptional students in prosthodontic courses.

Iowa Dentistry's got talent!

On Friday, May 19, faculty, staff, and students showcased their skills at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Photos and a description of the festivities are available on the Iowa Dentistry website.

Congratulations cake with Iowa Black and Gold colors

Oral Science Graduate Program Celebration

The Oral Science Graduate Program celebrated 2 successful dissertation defenses and 7 successful Master's thesis defenses this academic year. Congratulations to our graduates!

Congratulations to Wattawan Wongpattaraworakul!

On May 17, Wattawan Wongpattaraworakul successfully defended her dissertation, Novel Prognostic Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, under the direction of Andrean Burnett. Congratulations to Dr. Wongpattaraworakul!

YouTube Video about patient-centered care

Why Iowa: Person-Centered Care

Person-centered care is a way of thinking and providing care by taking into consideration the preferences, beliefs, and values of the person. Focusing on the elements of care, support and treatment by using health and social services as equal partners. Patients and their families are at the center of decisions. From the dental student curriculum to our graduate training programs and our clinics, person-centered care is at the heart of who we are.

Kudos to you

Nathan Christenson: "Universally friendly and professional providers, be they students or faculty. Things can take slightly longer, but that is more than accounted for in the price that you pay for the services. While obviously I did not enjoy my visits, I have never had a time where I did not feel that I could ask any questions that I had, or that I was not receiving anything less than excellent care."

Collaborative and Innovative Research

Jurado CA, Karimi K, Kim R, Nurrohman H, Deemer E, LE C, French K, Tsujimoto A. Effects of over-the-counter at-home whitening products with LED light on surface roughness of partially- and fully crystalized CAD/CAM lithium disilicate ceramics. Dent Mater J. 2023 May 24. doi: 10.4012/dmj.2022-219. PMID: 37225497.

Abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of over-the-counter (OTC) at-home whitening products with LED light on partially- and fully-crystalized CAD/CAM lithium disilicate ceramics. Two partially-crystalized CAD/CAM lithium disilicate ceramics, Amber Mill and IPS e.max CAD, and one fully-crystalized CAD/CAM lithium disilicate ceramic, n!ce Straumann, were used. The specimens were divided based on treatment with OTC whitening products: no treatment provided, Colgate Optic, Crest 3D and Walgreens Deluxe. The surface roughness of the specimens was evaluated with an optical profilometer and scanning electron microscopy. The three LED whitening products significantly increased the surface roughness and changed surface morphology of Amber Mill and IPS e.max CAD but made no differences for n!ce Straumann. OTC at-home whitening products with LED light can significantly increase the surface roughness of restorations fabricated with these partially-crystalized CAD/CAM lithium disilicate ceramic restorations. However, these products do not increase the surface roughness of restorations fabricated with this fully-crystalized lithium disilicate ceramic.

Iowa Trailblazers: Memorial Day reflections from retired Lt. Col. Charles Thie (’69 DDS)

Charles Thie ('69 DDS) is a retired Lt. Colonel in the US Air Force who served as a dentist during the Vietnam War and following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. In between these periods of service, Dr. Thie practiced dentistry in Burlington from 1972-1999. Thie’s record of service included his “most difficult assignment,” which was when he served at Dover Port Mortuary in Denver, Colorado. During this time, he identified 208 servicemen and women by their dental records during the first month of the Iraq War. "It was an honor," Thie said, politely declining to speak further on that experience.