For a third year in a row, orthodontic residents at the University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry won first place in the Resident Case Display Program at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) April 21–25 in San Diego, California.

Every year, orthodontic residents from the U.S. and Canada display records of their best treated cases as part of the College of Diplomates–Resident Case Display Program. This year, 69 orthodontic residency programs participated, for a total of 199 cases.

Judges rank the treatment cases based on treatment planning and execution, quality of the completed case, records, case write-up, and unique features from pre-treatment to the final result. Treatment cases are submitted anonymously.

UI orthodontic residents placed second in 2014, and first in 2015 and 2016.

According to the UI College of Dentistry, 89 percent of its orthodontic residency graduates have passed the American Board of Orthodontics Initial Certification Examination. This contrasts with a national average of 32.6 percent.

“These awards reflect the high quality of education and training our orthodontic residents receive,” says Kyungsup Shin, assistant professor of orthodontics at the UI College of Dentistry. “We are very proud of the work they do and of the excellent patient care they provide.”