Rate My Professor Christopher Barwacz

Christopher A. Barwacz, DDS, FAGD, FACD, FICD, serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Dentistry within the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, holding a dual appointment in the Craniofacial Clinical Research Program. He earned a B.S. in biology from the University of Iowa in 2003, a D.D.S. in 2007 from the same institution, completed Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry in 2008, and undertook a fellowship in Oral Implantology and Clinical Research at the University of Iowa. His career at Iowa began as a visiting assistant professor in 2010, progressed to tenure-track assistant professor in 2012, and culminated in his appointment as Department Executive Officer in June 2021. Barwacz also directs the Implant Program and maintains a faculty practice focused on restorative and implant dentistry.

His research interests center on advancing personalized implant therapies, exploring the effects of implant length, biomaterials for custom abutments, digital planning and manufacturing, and transmucosal factors to enhance prosthetic success and mucosal health. Notable projects include comparisons of short versus standard implants, alveolar ridge preservation protocols, and evaluations of novel implant designs like the PrimeTaper EV, supported by a 2022 $162,500 grant from Dentsply Sirona. Select publications encompass "Effect of CAD/CAM Abutment Morphology on the Outcomes of Implant-Supported Single Crowns: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial" (2024), "Influence of healing time on the outcomes of alveolar ridge preservation: A randomized clinical trial" (2023), "Alveolar ridge preservation reduces the need for ancillary ridge augmentation procedures at dental implant placement sites: A retrospective cohort study" (2022), "Comparison of pro-inflammatory cytokines and bone metabolism mediator protein profiles in peri-implant crestal bone following short versus standard length implants" (2015), and "Use of a vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) indicator material to evaluate emergence profile fit" (2012). For his teaching and mentoring, he received the 2019 James H. McLeran Faculty Award and 2015 Mentor of the Year. As a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, American College of Dentists, and International College of Dentists, he contributes to the Academy of Osseointegration’s Fellowship Committee.