Name: Adam Kruger
Degree: D.D.S. (Dentistry) ’12
Occupation: Dentist at Oelwein Dental Associates
Residence: Oelwein, Iowa

Adam Kruger never considered any place but the University of Iowa for dental school, and his post-graduation plans came naturally, too. He returned to northeast Iowa to practice with his dad and help his hometown of Oelwein chart new directions.

Oelwein is in Fayette County, Iowa, which includes:

214 UI alumni
39 UI-educated teachers and school administrators
5 UI-educated physicians
5 UI-educated dentists
8 UI-educated pharmacists

“I’m not only providing dental care—I’m working to be part of this community,” he says.

For Kruger, that means joining Oelwein Chamber and Area Development, supporting the local high school, and helping the old railroad town welcome new businesses and young families like his (Kruger and his wife are parents of a 1-year-old son).

In the past few years, Oelwein has opened a new library, performing arts center, and wellness center. Kruger has turned his attention to the schools, volunteering with local athletic programs.

“That’s really important to me,” he says. “The high school should be central to a small town.”

Kruger’s father, Al, completed dental school at the UI in 1979. The Kruger family’s practice is bringing some of the latest dental technology to Oelwein, including digital imaging, computer-aided restorations, and intraoral cameras that let patients see results from dental procedures up close.

“I think it’s a really exciting time to be a dentist,” Kruger says. “The old style of dentistry is changing drastically.”

An Iowa education gave Kruger the tools he’ll need to shape his career. He worked alongside seasoned dentists—many who taught part-time at the UI while practicing in towns like Oelwein—and got a solid introduction to every dental specialty.

He knew he was getting good training, but says it’s taken a little time for him to realize the full value of a UI dental degree

“Talking with people who’ve been in practice for a while, I feel a sense of respect when people hear I went to the UI,” Kruger says. “It’s easily one of the best places you could choose for dental school.”

Did you know? The University of Iowa trains nearly 80 percent of Iowa’s dentists.

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Hometown Hawkeyes are University of Iowa alumni, students, faculty, and staff living, working, and making a difference in Iowa. Know a Hometown Hawkeye you'd like to see profiled in Iowa Now? Email your suggestion to us at now@uiowa.edu.