Meet Dr. Walt Babula
Education and Experience
Dr. Babula was born in the northeastern Pennsylvania coal country. He attended Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he was a Dean’s List student and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He was confirmed a Doctorate of Dental Medicine with summa cum laude honors from the University of Pittsburgh School Of Dentistry. In addition to graduating first in his class, he was awarded the Senior Achievement Award for his excellence in restorative dentistry and fixed prosthetic dentistry. He also completed a National Institute of Dental Research Traineeship in speech pathology at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Babula completed his orthodontic residency at the University of North Carolina, one of the most prestigious orthodontic programs in the country. There, he received a Master of Science in Orthodontics. While at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Babula’s research was in the area of facial growth, and it was subsequently published in the American Journal of Orthodontics. Dr. Babula arrived in Fairbanks in 1970 and was stationed at Bassett Army Hospital as Ft. Wainwright’s first full-time orthodontist. He entered private practice in Fairbanks in 1972. He is a board-certified orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.
Dr. Babula decided to share his orthodontic experience with the future generations of orthodontists by joining the faculty at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2006. He is a part-time faculty member in the UNLV School of Dental Medicine Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Residency where he lectures to the students and also provides clinical supervision of the patients being treated in that clinic.
Professional Affiliations
- American Dental Association
- American Association of Orthodontists
- Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society
- Alaska State Dental Society, Past Secretary
- Alaska State Society of Orthodontists, Past President
- North Central District Dental Society, Past President
- Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists
- Orthodontic Consultant for the Public Health Service
- Cleft Palate Team Member in Fairbanks, AK
- Far North Pankey Study Club of Fairbanks
- Advisory Board Member of the Tanana Valley Community College Dental Assistant Program
- Teaching at UNLV
Outside the Office
Dr. Babula and his wife, Marita, decided to make their home in Fairbanks after leaving the military and began his private practice of orthodontics in 1972. Marita continued to work at Army Community Services at Ft. Wainwright, but in time she transitioned into a full-time position as office manager and treatment coordinator for our practice.
Dr. Babula is an avid Alaska outdoors enthusiast, and he enjoys activities including hunting, fishing, golfing, cross-country skiing, gourmet rafting, and gardening. Dr. Babula and Marita have constructed, planted, and maintained the outside flower garden at Denali Center. They have also made possible the creation of the Babula’s Children’s Garden as an extension of the Georgeson Botanical Gardens on the Fairbanks campus of the University of Alaska. The garden is an ongoing project that will be a fun place for children and provide education and entertainment relating to their natural environment with a focus on the things that make Alaska unique.