About Us

Welcome home! If you were seeking orthodontic care for you or your child and had the opportunity to receive personal service, where you would immediately feel right at home in one of the most innovative practices in the Portage, Paw Paw and Kalamazoo area, why would you go anywhere else? At the heart of Kalamazoo Orthodontics is a passion for innovation. Not only is Dr. Bowman a clinician with years of experience, he is also an inventor who has created dozens of devices and concepts to enhance orthodontics. He is an award-winning researcher and was selected as one of only four orthodontists in the U.S. for the Invisalign® Teen Investigative Research Team. He has authored numerous scientific publications, textbook chapters and even his own book. In addition, Dr. Bowman is an orthodontic educator, a professor at three universities, one of the most sought-after speakers and has been invited to lecture around the world. Caring Convenience is Our Focus at Kalamazoo Orthodontics INNOVATIVE ORTHODONTICS FOR ALL AGES.

Meet Our Doctor

"There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all"

INNOVATIVE ORTHODONTICS

Are you looking for an interesting and unique experience in orthodontics? If so, then Kalamazoo Orthodontics may be perfect for you. Dr. S. Jay Bowman has a distinctive background in the specialty of orthodontics. Not only does he have over 25 years experience as a clinician, he is also an inventor who has created dozens of devices and concepts to enhance orthodontics. He is an award-winning researcher, he was selected as only one of four orthodontists in the U.S. for the Invisalign Teen Research Investigative Team, he is also a part of the Insignia/Invisalign research group, and has been asked to take the lead with the new OrthoAccel system. He has authored numerous scientific publications, textbook chapters, and the book, Mini-Implants in Orthodontics: Innovative Anchorage Concepts. In addition, he is an orthodontic educator, a professor at three universities, one of the most sought after opinion leaders, and he has been invited to lecture around the world. Dr. Bowman has tied all of these intriguing aspects together with the goal of providing the highest quality of individualized, caring, innovative, and evidence-based orthodontics for patients of all ages. Dr. Bowman practices at Kalamazoo Orthodontics with three convenient and comfortable locations in Portage, Kalamazoo, and Paw Paw, Michigan.

In an interview with Dr. Bowman, published in Ortho Tribune, he stated, “I’m fortunate to have found the career that I’ve embraced.” In addition, he explained his enthusiasm, “I have an intense passion for the specialty of orthodontics as we have such a wonderful opportunity to change people’s lives. My goal is to insure that each of the patients who choose us feel uplifted and enriched with increased self-esteem, and of course, they finish treatment with a beautiful and radiant new smile that they are proud to show-off. We would love for prospective patients who visit us to wonder why they would even think of going anywhere else for their orthodontic care.”

CONVENIENT AND INNOVATIVE ORTHODONTICS

With a focus on convenience and comfort for our patients, Dr. Bowman and his talented team offer specialty orthodontic treatment at three locations in Kalamazoo, Portage, and Paw Paw. Interestingly enough, Dr. Bowman designed and drew the plans for each of those three unique offices. As a result of our innovations and inventions, Dr. Bowman and Kalamazoo Orthodontics have been featured in a number of publications including: Orthotown, Orthodontic Products, OrthoTribune, Kieferorthopadie Nachrichten in Germany, The Barbados Advocate, Vida Hoje in Brazil, The University of Toronto Alumni News, Journal of the Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society, RealSelf.com, Great Lakes Family, Kalamazoo Gazette, and Kalamazoo Weekly. Dr. Bowman was also interviewed on television for Good Morning Barbados.

TRAINING AND PRACTICE HISTORY

At heart, Dr. Bowman is a small town guy. He grew up on a farm in the rural town of Abingdon on the west side of Illinois. He earned a B.A. in Biology at Illinois Wesleyan University. He and his high school sweetheart got married and moved to the St. Louis area where he earned his dental D.M.D. degree at Southern Illinois University-School of Dental Medicine and was also honored with the American Association of Orthodontists Award. Dr. Bowman then completed his residency in the specialty of orthodontics at Saint Louis University Department of Orthodontics where he was Class President and received the North American Begg Orthodontic Society Scholarship Award. He began teaching at Southern Illinois University as an Associate Professor prior to moving to Kalamazoo to assume the orthodontic practice of Dr. Eugene Reinstein. Subsequently, he has also taken over the venerable practices of Dr. Richard Purdy and later, Dr. Larry Oberhill, gaining valuable experience and insight in orthodontics with each transition.

BOARD-CERTIFIED ORTHODONTIST

Dr. Bowman is a board-certified and licensed orthodontic specialist. Not only is he a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontists, but he also volunteered to be re-certified, a second time, as a test subject when the ABO revised their examining process in 2004. He has also served on the other side as a member of the Examining Committee of the Eastern Component of the Angle Society of Orthodontists. He has been a member of the Michigan Dental Association Peer Review Panel and he has also received the Southwest Michigan Quality Council Performance Excellence Award for Outcomes Improvement and Contribution to Community.

PROFESSOR AT FOUR UNIVERSITIES

Dr. Bowman is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Orthodontics at Saint Louis University Center of Advanced Dental Education where he was also honored with the Orthodontic Alumni Merit Award in 2005. He developed and has taught the Straightwire Mechanics and Typodont Course at The University of Michigan Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry since 2000. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University Department of Orthodontics and Visiting Clinical Lecturer at Seton Hill University. Dr. Bowman has lectured for over a dozen other orthodontic residency programs around the world.

RECOGNITION FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Dr. Bowman was invited to join the honorary Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists and later received the prestigious Edward H. Angle Research Award from The Angle Orthodontist journal for best research. One of Dr. Bowman’s papers, “More Than Lip Service: Facial Esthetics in Orthodontics,” was featured as the Cover Story for the Journal of the American Dental Association. He has been inducted into both the International and also the American College of Dentists, as well as the Pierre Fauchard Academy, honorary dental organizations. Dr. Bowman has served as President of the Kalamazoo Valley District Dental Society and received the organization’s Daniel J. Ganz Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and also the President’s Award on four occasions. He has served as board member of the Orthodontic Education and Research Foundation and is also a Past President of Portage Kiwanis. He is a charter member of the World Federation of Orthodontists and a Regent of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation. He is also an Honorary Member of the South African Society of Orthodontists.

RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR

Dr. Bowman has penned over 120 articles and book chapters in orthodontics. He co-authored and edited the textbook Mini-Implants in Orthodontics: Innovative Anchorage Concepts, described as “the best book available on the subject…it is highly recommended as a required textbook for teaching” in a review from the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics. The book has also been translated into Spanish and Portuguese. Dr. Bowman has given over 130 lectures in 34 U.S. states and in 34 countries on 6 continents. In 2009-10, he had the unique experience of speaking for all three of the major North American meetings (American, Canadian, and Mexican Associations of Orthodontics) as well as for the World Federation of Orthodontists. Dr. Bowman is a much sought after opinion leader and he has been a consultant for a number of organizations and companies, as well as serving on the Editorial Advisory and Review Boards of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, along with 10 other orthodontic publications.

INNOVATOR AND INVENTOR

Dr. Bowman has been an innovator and inventor in orthodontics. He has developed dozens of orthodontic product concepts, including designing our own signature Butterfly System of braces and associated v-slot auxiliaries. Other concepts he has created include: Class II Combination Therapy, Bowman Consolidator and Bowman Protractor devices, Duralight Retention Material, Monkey Hook and Kilroy Spring for impacted teeth, miniscrew-based auxiliaries (like the Ulysses Spring, TAD bite opener and Propeller Arm), Aligner Chewies, Retainer Retrievers, and Accent Pliers for Invisalign, WYRED cheek retractors, Double-Up’s, the Jet Accelerator, the Quick Fix device, among many other devices. Dr. Bowman is also the recipient of a United States Patent for the Bowman Modification and Horseshoe Jet appliances.

ANOTHER SIDE OF DR. JAY

Jay has been married for over 30 years and he and his wife have a son, Cameron, currently studying at Alma College. All three members of the family are cat lovers, each with their own cat. He considers himself fortunate that his profession has offered the opportunity to travel with his family and give lectures in places he would never have imagined visiting otherwise. Fortunately, Jay’s vocation is also his avocation as he enjoys problem solving, designing/inventing, writing, collaborating, and talking about orthodontics with colleagues around the world. Jay is also an avid St. Louis Blues and Kalamazoo Wings hockey fan and Formula 1 racing maven.

Jay’s career is reflected in his passions, “I always to be in control of my work environment, select the music I wanted to listen to, and insure that the daily experience is enjoyable.” Jay is a passionate music fan, having been a radio DJ and music director, once owning a collectible record store, and also playing keyboards in rock bands. Thanks to his close friend, Louie Pérez of the band Los Lobos, Jay is able to occasionally “step behind the curtain” to see the real rock world on the road, traveling with the band. “I once told my Mom that when I grow-up, I want to be an orthodontist.” She wisely replied, “Sorry, but you can’t do both…”

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing
-Mother Teresa

READ DR. BOWMAN’S INNOVATIVE ORTHO BLOG

http://bowmaninnovativeortho.blogspot.com/

Meet Our Staff

Hi. I'm Sue, I have been with Dr. Bowman for over 8 years. I started as a scheduling coordinator and quickly moved to our financial department. I am currently the office manager. My favorite part of the job is the interaction I have with our patients daily. I love being a part of their life changing experience.

I am married with a wonderful husband of 33 years. We have two daughters and two granddaughters. I am also a musician/singer and have been playing in local bands for over 20 years.

Hi! I'm Morgan, and I am a scheduling coordinator here at Kalamazoo Orthodontics.
I joined the team in August of 2022. I love seeing the smiles and lives that Dr. Bowman changes every day.
Outside of work, I like doing various hobbies- I love playing with my dog and two cats, going for walks, and playing my Nintendo Switch!

I just started my career path here at Kalamazoo Orthodontics and I am beyond excited to see where it takes me. I have spent the last couple of years looking for the perfect fit for myself and I feel like I have finally found it here at KO! There's not much to tell about the things I enjoy doing on the little bit of free time I have. I really enjoy watching new movies, typically at home with my fur baby Chloe. I love spending time with my close friends and family, and anything that involves me being in the sun! I like to get out of the house as much as I can just as much as I also like to just be home! It never feels like there is enough time to be home to catch up or to simply relax. I love listening to music and taking road trips. That's just a little bit about me!

• Remote Social Media Coordinator
• Ultimate Frisbee player
• Born & raised Floridian

I enjoy helping people, animals, and the environment!

Hello,

I'm Shelley. I am part of the clinical team at Kalamazoo Orthodontics. In May 2019 I celebrated my 2nd year at KO. Over the last 29 years in the field of Orthodontics, I love to see the excitement on patients faces when they first get their braces on and celebrate the day they are removed:)

I live in my hometown of Allegan with my 2 sons Jaret (20 yrs) and Logan (17 yrs) and my black lab Maverick. On the weekends, you may find me working in my yard, painting or at the beach.

I am the other Susan at Kalamazoo Orthodontics. I have been in the field of orthodontics since 2001 and with Dr. Bowman since 2007. I am a treatment coordinator and I enjoy the technical work but also the personal side of interacting with each patient. It is great to see the transformation of people's bites and their smiles through the course of treatment. It's also enjoyable to experience the patient's eagerness to see their end results. I also love the personal side of dealing with patients and their families: being there to help them step-by-step through the process of straightening their smile.

I was born and raised in Vicksburg, MI where I still reside with my family including our three children. I briefly lived in Indianapolis where I first began orthodontic assisting. I love sports (coaching girl's basketball and soccer), cooking, decorating, and spending time with my children.

I am John, and I've been employed at Kalamazoo Orthodontics as an orthodontic technician since the summer of 2002 when I moved to Michigan. It's always great to see patients end-up with wonderful smiles! One of the best things about working in this field is experiencing the advances in orthodontics over the years (many originating right here in our practice!). We have a great team here at Kalamazoo Orthodontics and I'm proud to be a part of it. For example, I took the lead for the incorporation of our KaVo diode soft tissue laser.

I am not a native Michigander as I was born and raised in Galesburg (the Illinois version). I do like the Kalamazoo area much better though. But since I came from Illini country, I'm still a big-time University of Illinois basketball fan. Outside of our practice, I am a member of the Kalamazoo Jaycees and I enjoy doing work in the community with that group.

Hello, my name is Paige and I have been with Dr. Bowman soon after he opened his practice in Kalamazoo on East Cork Street in 1985. My primary position with Kalamazoo Orthodontics has been as the director of the clinical staff. One of the things I have enjoyed most has been watching the growth and the metamorphosis of the practice throughout its history. When we first started, we only had three of us, Dr. and Mrs. Bowman and me. Over the years, we've added many wonderful employees that have made our practice thrive. We've helped numerous people with their bites and also unveiled so many incredible smiles! Now we're seeing many of those same patients coming back with their own children for us to treat, and that is so very satisfying. I think that working with all the kids in our three practices has given me more understanding when dealing with my own children. It also confirms that my children are no different from other children, too.

I have a loving husband and six children (several are patients here) including a special needs child. Each of my kids is unique and it seems that my family life most days is like a scene from the movie, Breakfast Club. At this time in my life, all my free time is wrapped-up in raising and watching my children grow into interesting individuals.

Hello! My name is Ashlee and I have been working at Kalamazoo Orthodontics since 2017!

I feel lucky to work with such an innovative practice and world-renowned ortho-inventor, Dr. S. Jay Bowman. Every day is a joy to be here! Our staff is very passionate about every person's experience and I feel honored to be a part this team.

Outside of my KO family, I love to travel, craft, and read. I also have three fur babies, Penelope, Ellie, and Lola, that I spend time with and spoil! I am very passionate about Star Wars, Harry Potter, photography, owls, and coffee.

If you see me in the office, make sure you say, "Hi!" I'd love to talk with you!

Hi, my name is Kelli. I started with Dr. Bowman in 2015. When I first started I was the records coordinator and I loved being a part of every person's first visit with us. I then moved to the Treatment Coordinating position. I love being a Treatment Coordinator and working hand in hand with Dr. Bowman as he develops each individual treatment plan.
I primarily work with our Growth and Development program which monitors younger patients growth until Dr. Bowman feels the patients are ready for treatment.

I think they just love playing my Plinko game!

I've been happily married to my husband Jerry for 12 years. He is also had his own treatment with us. We have two wonderful children our son Jerry (9) and daughter Madelyn (5). We also have a sweet waimarino dog named Camber who is all puppy who loves attention. When we are not at home on the weekends, we are at the race track watching the kids race and our team cars.