I got into dentistry like I think a lot of people do. They want to help people and want to make a difference. Uh at a young age, my mom had a lot of uh jaw problems and went through some pretty extensive dental work um to alleviate some headaches and some other problems she was having. And I think that kind of stuck with me that deep down uh I thought at some point in my life I wanted to do something that makes a difference and impacts other people’s lives.
So I did my undergrad studies at the University of Iowa. Uh I stayed in there in Iowa City to attend dental school at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and from there I joined the military. So I spent three years as a dentist in the Navy. I spent a couple years overseas in Japan and then I spent a year back in the states before um my time in the Navy was up and um uh started my private practice at that point. From there, I began going down the continuing education path and um spent a lot of time over the years going to continuing ed courses and uh eventually found my way to the Koi Center out in Seattle and spent a number of years kind of working through their their curriculum and getting to advanced training by you know some of the the best names in dentistry.
I think that the better educated we are, the more knowledge we have, uh the more confidence we have with our patients and we’ve seen things um over the years and have experience treating those situations. It gives us confidence and then I think um patients see that and uh patients feel that we care for them, feel that we can help them and then that’s where the um trust happens and people trust you then that allows you to be able to kind of use your your knowledge and your skills to be able to help them.
Dr. Jason Niegsch Is Committed to Serving His Community
For over 25 years, Dr. Jason Niegsch (pronounced “Nicks”) has been serving patients and exceeding their expectations. An Iowa native, Dr. Niegsch has undergraduate and dental degrees from the University of Iowa. Following in his father’s footsteps, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served as an active duty dentist in Japan and Chicago, IL.
Dr. Niegsch believes in being generous to our beautiful community of Ames and the surrounding areas. In fact, that’s how he leads the team at Dentistry At Somerset. He believes in being generous with our time, talent, and resources. He models this by:
- Serving as the co-director for Iowa Mission of Mercy (IMOM), an organization that holds free dental care events throughout the year
- Holding free dental care days for veterans and active duty military through the Smiles for FREEdom organization
- Supporting the Story County United Way and Ames Youth & Shelter Services
- Contributing to local schools and churches, as well as charities that are near and dear to our team’s and our patients’ hearts
Dr. Niegsch’s generosity isn’t the only reason patients travel far distances to see him. He is also one of the most highly trained general dentists in the state of Iowa and among the leading dentists in the entire nation. His achievements include:
- Earning Fellowship status with the Academy of General Dentistry, a feat achieved by only six percent of dentists nationally
- Graduating from the Kois Center in Seattle, WA and now serving as a mentor in its highly-regarded program
- Receiving advanced training in treating temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ/TMD)
- Providing orthodontics with Invisalign for over 11 years
As the dad of four kids, Charlie, Ben, Joe, and Mollie, Dr. Niegsch enjoys time outside of work coaching his kids’ sports teams and going to their games. He also loves spending time outdoors by hiking, fishing, competing in triathlons, golfing, and traveling. His wife, Marcie, helps provide community outreach for the office around managing their busy family of six. His son Ben has Down syndrome, so it’s a passion for the Niegsch family to provide awareness and support for those of all abilities.
