Orthodontics, Research, Students

Uhlir Wins Charley Schultz Award

Dr. Rick Uhlir, third-year orthodontic resident, won third place in the Charley Schultz Resident Scholar Award research poster competition at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) annual session in New Orleans. He was one of 27 orthodontics which were invited to compete nationally.

“It’s great that the AAO and DENTSPLY offer an opportunity to present residents’ research,” said Uhlir. “A lot of time and energy goes into a master’s research project and there are so many great ones that I’m really honored to receive this award.”

Uhlir was recognized for his research on resolving a controversial topic of the periodontal ligament (PDL). His research focused on mechanical properties of the PDL, which were used to develop a non-linear model for analysis of orthodontic tooth movement. Application of the non-linear PDL model provides better predictions of tooth movement than the conventional linear model.

The Charley Schultz Resident Scholar Award program, which is sponsored by DENTSPLY, was established by the AAO in 2004. The program provides residents an opportunity to present clinical science and basic science research via poster presentations.