The University of Iowa College of Dentistry

  • James W. Wefel, PhD

  • Director, Dows Institute, and Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry

  • Expertise:

  • Cariology research

  • Education:

  • BS, Valparaiso University, 1968
  • PhD, SUNY at Buffalo, 1972

Brief Professional Resume:

Dr. Wefel joined the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1972. He is director of the Dows Institute for Dental Research, administrative director of the Office of Clinical Research, and professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

Teaching Activities

: Dr. Wefel's primary didactic teaching responsibilities include teaching the graduate course, Cariology, and the undergraduate course, Fluoride and Preventive Therapies. He is also involved with mentoring undergraduate students in research projects and serving on MS and PhD committees.

Research Activities

: Dr. Wefel's research has centered around the development of model systems to study a variety of hard tissue problems. The research areas include early caries detection, mechanisms of action of fluoride, topical fluorides, remineralization, kinetics of calcium phosphate crystal growth, laser and tooth interactions, secondary caries, oral fluoride kinetics, antimicrobials, and F-releasing materials. Specific research in the Dows includes early caries detection, root surface caries, laser prevention of tooth demineralization, and F-releasing biomaterials and secondary caries. Many projects involve actitivities to promote the research findings of the laboratory to clinical testing in the Dental Clinical Research Center.

National or International Professional Appointments and Activities

: Dr. Wefel is a current reviewer for Journal of Clinical Dentistry, Journal of Dental Research, Caries Research, Calcified Tissue Research, Archives of Oral Biology, American Journal of Dentistry, Journal of Oral Pathology, and Gerondontology.