Orthodontics

Cynthia S. Beeman, DDS, PhD, Division Chief 
Mohamed Bazina, BDS, MSD,Graduate Program Director, 
James K. Hartsfield, Jr., DMD, PhD, E. Preston Hicks Endowed Professor
​G. Thomas Kluemper, DMD, MS
Lorri A. Morford, PhD
Lina Sharab, DDS, MS, MSC

Ashley Mencarelli, DMD
Robert Rust, DMD
James Thacker, DMD
J. Philip Wahle, DMD

Third Years

From left:

• Dr. Mohamed Adel | Dental School: Suez Canal University
• Dr. Emory Byrd | Dental School: East Carolina University
• Dr. Megan Tallman | Hometown: Cincinnati, OH | Dental School: University of Kentucky

Second Years

From left:

• Dr. Sadie Cohen | Hometown: Simpsonville, Kentucky | Dental School: University of Kentucky
• Dr. Katie Hunt | Hometown: Fort Meyers, Florida  | Dental School: University of New England College of Dental Medicine
• Dr. Kathryn Moncrief | Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming  | Dental School: University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry

First Years

From left: 

• Dr. Emma Palmer | Hometown: Richmond, Kentucky | Dental School: University of Kentucky
• Dr. Aqib Shafi | Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan | Dental School: Baqai Medical University
• Dr. Zachary Smith | Hometown: Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky | Dental School: University of Kentucky 

Extern

Our Orthodontic Graduate Program is a thirty-four month, graduate level curriculum, upon the successful completion of which, the student receives a Master of Science degree and a Certificate to practice orthodontics. Three applicants are accepted into the program annually. The program begins in early August.

The Division of Orthodontics also offers a year-long Craniofacial Biology Externship Program providing in-depth exposure to basic and clinical research, primarily in the areas of bone biology, genetics and/or orthodontics. The externship also provides a broad diversity of didactic and clinical exposures to orthodontics and craniofacial biology to help develop critical thinking skills in clinical and scholarly activities.

The Orthodontic Graduate Program provides a robust clinical experience in comprehensive orthodontics, with emphasis on goal-oriented diagnosis and treatment of different malocclusions. Faculty members teach multiple treatment modalities, including functional therapy, comprehensive and interceptive care, straight-wire systems, lingual therapy, and clear removable aligner treatment.

Interdisciplinary care is also emphasized in the graduate clinic. These team approaches to comprehensive care include surgical orthodontics, treatment in the mixed dentition, accelerated orthodontics in conjunction with periodontics and esthetic dentistry involving collaboration with periodontics, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and restorative dentistry. Diagnosis and treatment of patients with cleft lip/palate and other craniofacial anomalies is included.

All clinical treatment is conducted under an attending model, which fosters best-evidence based approaches and creative/critical thinking. Faculty model ABO standards and certification, and cultivate a culture of clinical excellence among residents.

Graduate students are involved as teaching assistants in the DMD curriculum during their second and third year. They take an active part in all three components of the courses by preparing some lectures, directing small group discussion and providing clinical coverage for the dental students. Such experience is limited to the orthodontic component of the DMD curriculum and students receive a stipend for this effort. This stipend amounts to $2175 over an 11 month period each year.

Graduate students must successfully investigate and defend an independent research project before they graduate. They are required to identify a topic and select an advisor by the completion of their first semester. Students are encouraged to first pursue their natural sense of curiosity, as there are many resources available within the college, Medical Center and land-grant campus. Award-winning research is being conducted in our program within the college, and students are required to publicly present and defend their research, and to prepare a manuscript suitable for publication that is unanimously acceptable to their MS degree research committee.