He attended college from 1967 to 1969 on a scholarship in chemistry. He received his Associate of Science (A.S.) degree in 1969. He graduated from the University of Iowa, earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in 1971. Dr. Downs attended the University of Iowa College of Dentistry with an HR2 military scholarship and, in 1975, attained a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree.

Dr. Downs is a member of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy and is Certified in Nightlase Non-Surgical Gentle Laser Lift Airway Therapy. He is Vice President of the Global Mini Dental Implant Association. He was the North American Representative of the European Company Side Sleep Solutions.

He is a past member of the Misch Implant Institute and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, past member of the American Academy of Implantology, the American Society of Osseointegration, the International Association of Breath Odor Research, present member of the Academy of General Dentistry, present member of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and the Fortune Practice Management - Platinum Circle division. Dr. Downs has been a consultant and coach for Fortune Practice Management and has taught seminars in practice management and marketing. He helped develop systems for organizing treatment plans and breakthrough technology in teams for Quest Seminars International, which was later used by Fortune Practice Management. Dr. Downs was the editor of the Iowa Academy of General Dentistry newsletter for four years and is past President of the Iowa Academy of General Dentistry.

After graduating from dental school, Dr. Downs spent three years at the Great Lakes Naval Base as a Navy dental officer. He has attained a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry, the Misch International Implant Institute, and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He has attained diplomat status in the Global Mini Dental Implant Association and Diplomate Credentialing in the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. He has lectured on several topics, including dental implant history and its evolving methods, products, and protocols, cytokine immune response and wound healing, diagnosis and treatment of halitosis and periodontal diseases, and bacterial and viral cytokine inflammatory modulation pathways in periodontitis. He has published articles in PennWell, The Pankey Institute, and the Dental Products Report.

Dr. Downs established the American Breath Specialists website for those seeking help with breath disorders and co-founded the Probreath MD, LLC dental products company, Oracare Products, and website at www.oracareproducts.com. Oracare mouth rinse has shown antiviral efficacy against coronavirus 229e and SARS-CoV-2 in two separate independent studies. New products have been produced, including a post-op gel and a special rinse for implant dentistry. He is a stockholder, board member, and consultant for the medical and dental water purification company Toppen Medical Dental, LLC. He is the founder of USA Guard nasal rinse products company.

Dr. Downs has also formed a company for sleep dentistry social media marketing under the umbrella and doing business as Designs4dental, spawning the website and training center for dentists at www.dentalsleepbalance.com and another related site for dentists working with chiropractors called the Dental-Chiropractic Collaborative at www.dentalchirocollaborative.com. These sites are being brought together into a comprehensive professional continuing education training PACE-qualified center called Sleep Balance Academy at www.sleepbalanceacademy.com and is forming a new alliance of chiropractors, functional sleep medicine practitioners, and other allied healthcare professionals and dentists for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. This collaborative site is being co-administered with a double board-certified sleep medicine practitioner and educator, Dr. Joseph Zelk, DNP, FNP, BC, CBSM, DBSM.

Dr. Downs’ most recent projects include spearheading the building of a charitable dental implant teaching and treatment clinic in Haiti called the Haiti International Dental Institute and an online sleep apnea testing website and store at www.onlinehomesleepstudy.com.