Meet our team

The Orthotropic Academy is dedicated to changing the lives of children and their families through sharing the philosophy and techniques of Dr. John Mew
Ben Pospisil, DDS
Dr. Ben graduated from University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Over the past 18 years he has successfully established a holistic minded, private dental practice in his hometown of Mount Vernon, Iowa. Dr. Ben likes to live his life at full speed with varied interests from hunting, knife-making and fishing to traveling and theater. Dr. Ben is an Alumnus and Ambassador for the Dawson Academy, a “SMART” member of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology and has advanced training through the West Michigan Orthotropic Academy.
Karen O'Rourke, DDS
Dr. O’Rourke graduated from the University of Michigan, where she also completed a one year GPR hospital residency. She practiced dentistry for 37 years, where she gained a passion for normalizing a child to their age and stage of development. Having been involved in Orthotropics® for over 35 years, she is recently retired from clinical care, and is sharing her skills and knowledge through the Orthotropic Academy, through which she was awarded the title of Master Clinician by Dr. John Mew.
Maria Miller-Rinaldi, DDS

Dr. Maria Miller-Rinaldi graduated from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and pursued an AEGD residency in the US Air Force. During her 20 year career, she completed the full curriculums at the Dawson Academy, The Breathe Institute, Sleep Right Program, and West Michigan Orthotropic Academy. Having had children with their own growth & development issues, Maria gained a passion to learn how to correct the root cause of their issues. She is excited to share what she learned with parents, children and other professionals. Her dental practice in Minnesota has an emphasis on oral-systemic health, airway and sleep.

Ruthy Thao, Administrator

Ruthy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 2014. She explored a number of areas of medicine before moving into dentistry when she joined Dr. MIller-Rinaldi. She was a great fit for this practice that focuses on overall health. She utilizes administrative skills as well as chair side skills to assist in orthotropic treatment for children.

Prof. John Mew
Dr. John Mew trained in the UK in dentistry, then orthognathic surgery, and orthodontics. Seeking alternatives to facial surgery, he developed the philosophy of Orthotropics, followed by treatment methods to support the philosophy and non-surgically correct unattractive vertical growth in children. Recognizing that poor oral posture contributes to crowded and crooked teeth, his treatment aims at helping the child change their oral posture. He has spent his career publishing and teaching this unique approach to clinicians seeking to do more than straighten teeth.

Our History

In 1985, a small group of dentists and an orthodontist from Grand Rapids, Michigan heard Dr. John Mew speak about reading faces, oral posture and redirecting growth to move the maxilla up and forward to correct malocclusion. This small group recognized the benefits of proper growth patterns and were moved to form a study club to support each other through their journey into Biobloc Orthotropics. This study club continued to grow into a teaching center now called the Orthotropic Academy. This is a group of professionals dedicated to sharing their combined knowledge and experience to perpetuate John Mew’s research and expertise. They will now be based in Mt. Vernon, Iowa and are excited to advance the teachings of Dr. John Mew to a new generation of dedicated learners with new and innovative additions to an established technique.
​The Founding Team of the Orthotropic Academy​

Our team is dedicated to your success, providing knowledge, support, and encouragement every step of the way!

Contact Us