Thomas R. Bales Endowed Chair in Orthodontics
UCLA School of Dentistry

 

Professor Won Moon is the Thomas R. Bales Endowed Chair in Orthodontics for the orthodontic residency program at UCLA School of Dentistry. He has been a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics since 2002. He completed his dental education at Harvard and orthodontic education at UCLA. He studied mathematics prior to dentistry, and his research topics include 3D image analysis utilizing surface mapping functions and Elliptical Fourier’s Descriptors, Genomewide Association Study of Craniofacial Phenotypes, Finite Element Model (FEM) Development and Simulation, Applications of 3D Printing in Orthodontics, Orthopedic Correction, Airway Changes with Orthopedic Corrections, Accelerated Tooth Movement, and Micro-implant (MI) Design study. His work has been published in various journals, not necessarily limited to orthodontics because of his background, and he is a co-author of three textbooks. He has presented these findings in 34 countries, totaling over 450 presentations. His current focus has been establishing protocols for orthopedic corrections with MI, improving the airway for patients with nasal obstruction, and creating virtual patients utilizing image analysis and FEM.

His interest in mid-facial expansion began in 2004 as micro-implant became available in USA, and he is responsible for developing Maxillary Skeletal Expander (MSE), a unique micro-implant assisted rapid palatal expander (MARPE). He has been active in advocating non-surgical skeletal expansion in both children and adult patients, especially for those who may suffer from airway restrictions. His presentation in MSE has been widely accepted internationally, and numerous peer-reviewed publications are available.