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Reasons why 
YOU will like” 
TICONIUM | 


BE YOUR P. 

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LOW-HEAT — A low-melting alloy electrically Bm pat 
cast into a relatively cool mold produces fine- B uques 


grains in the structure of the final casting. ce 


TICONIUM CASES FIT — 
Plaster-bound investment, hy- 
drocolloid impression material 
and a rigidly controlled technique produce fine- 
grain, accurate cases. 


SOLDERABILITY — Work is handled easier; 
cases can be re-finished better; warpage of orig- 
inal casting is minimized. 


STRONGER CLASPS — 


Ticonium clasps have better 
adjustment and longer life. 


BETTER PHYSICAL PROPERTIES — Tests 
prove the greater resiliency of fine-grain, lows 
heat Ticonium. 


ELECTRIC MELTING — 


Ticonium is melted uniformly. 


imized by use of an electric 
casting machine. 


PRESCRIBED FOR SURGERY — Ticonium #25 


has been tested and used successfully in surgery 
for many years. 


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ished monthly by TICONIUM A MAGAZINE FOR DENTISTS, DENTAL ASSISTANTS, AND DENTAL HYGIENISTS | 


N. Pearl St., Albany 1, N. Y. 
Copyright, 1956, Ticonium 
Anaual Subscription, $2.50 


EDITOR, Joseph Strack 


CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 
Arthur H. Levine, D.D.S. 
Joseph Murray, D.D.S. 


1956 Vol.XV No.9 

SNTENTS 

: YOUR PATIENTS 

Mother practical, profitable 
Milicle on “selling” dentistry by 
Sayeteran practitioner. Here is 
practice-building advice 
patient-education tech- 


LITTLE POND 
BAsolution to the problem of the 
ming dentist whose practice is 
a dentist who 
Sed and solved that problem 3 
me: OFFSPRING AT WORK 
man income-tax authority ex- 
moans Treasury Department 
mungs that may save you 
4 
NATIONAL 
Sihe story of the proposed Na- 
Association of Dental 
@aukiliaries “to unite the efforts 
maa the aims of the various 
Seaital auxiliaries and groups of 
mental wives throughout the 


AND IMPRESSIONS 

Brews, commentary, tips, and 
by dentistry’s most in- 
reporter ........... 7 
COURSES BY 

BONE AND TELEVISION 

Ba fascinating report on the 
aspect of modern pro- 
techniques. 8 
CANCER 

mene growth rate, grading, and 
Bemsiication of oral malignant 


PREREQUISITE: X-RAYS 
Be photo-story on “the funda- 

| Mental basic of all dental prac- 
12 


Mite first of a series on the den- 
fm program of the Veterans 
Seuministration — the largest of 
Be) civilian agency in the Unit- 


expressed by contributors to 
eazine do not necessarily reflect 
Me views of the publishers. 


Printed in U.S.A. by 
Jersey Printing Co., Inc. 
Bayonne, N. J. 


Mover artist, Edward Kasper 


Tell Your Patients 


by C. W. Garleb, D.D.S. 


If dentistry were managed with the acumen typical of big busi- 
ness we would need many more dentists to handle all the patients 
clamoring for dental care. 

Manufacturers are constantly extolling their products to interest 
more and more buyers. The more we tell people about the bene- 
fits of dentistry, the more dental work they will want done, and the 
more intelligently they will inform others of dentistry’s benefits. 

We dentists are poor salesmen. We need the public to promote 
for us. Dentistry is “spotty” in some areas. Many of us are not so 
busy as we were a few years ago. Beginners find it takes longer to 
build up a practice these days. 

It is not enough just to tell patients what they need and then 
proceed to do their dental work. We should explain why they 
need it, describe the various ways in which we can help them, and 
make clear why one device has advantages over others in appear- 
ance, in service, in comfort, and in wearing quality. This is not 
a waste of time. It is the correct way to “sell” the most fitting, in- 
dividualized services to each patient. 

Let me illustrate further: A patient wanted a bridge and asked 
my fee. I studied her case and told her that the work could be 
done in several ways and described the bridge I thought she should 
have, showing her why it had advantages over the other appli- 
ances. The fee would be between $125 and $150, I said. 

“That’s what I want,” she said promptly. “Another dentist 
wanted $85 to bridge the gap but he didn’t tell me what kind of 
gadget it would be.” 

Another patient whose left cheek was thinner than her right 
came to have this condition corrected if possible, and she wanted 
to know what it would cost. I advised a removable bridge with 
rests and clasps and a sizeable bulge to hold her cheek out fuller. 
I informed her that a cheaper appliance could be used but none 
would improve her appearance as much as the one I suggested, and 
I quoted my fee. (My mention of a cheaper service prepared her 
for my higher fee.) Unhesitatingly she agreed. 

But under no circumstances should we think only of fees. Bene- 
fits to patients—appearance, comfort, lasting qualities—should al- 


Page One 


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CEC September 1956 


ways come before anything else. For example, a war 
veteran came in with an order for $158 worth of 
dental work. I disliked the type of work suggested 
by the VA, so they changed it to suit. I was paid 
$113, and the patient is still happy about the work 
after nine years. 

However, we cannot always expect 100 percent 
success in judging the life of appliances. Experience 
will better qualify us to judge the efficiency and life 
of various devices and services, and, as the years pass, 
we also learn more about the biting power of differ- 
ent individuals. As a rule, a large strong man with 
powerful jaws wears out crowns, cracks off teeth, and 
breaks dentures more often than a frail person. This 
knowledge gives us valuable clues in determining 
which type of appliance to use, how strong to make 
it, and what materials to use. I once saw a very thin 
pivot tooth last a ninety-pound woman eleven years, 
but a heavy hauler might have broken it within a 
week. 


Variety of Benefits 


We should frequently remind folks that dental 
work benefits them in many ways. “If I were you,” 
we might advise ailing folks, “I wouldn’t put off this 
work any longer. You need it now. If you wait un- 
til your ills become chronic it will be harder for you 
to go through with it.” They usually do not need 
much ethical prodding. A few sound points will 
help to convince them. But do not use highpressure 
tactics. One dentist gives this warning illustration: 

“One of my long-winded selling talks sounded as 
if I were more interested in my patient’s money than 
in his personal well-being, I found out later—from 
another dentist who did the patient’s work. And 
now I’m not the eager-beaver I once was. I always 
stop my sales talks in time—I hope.” 

Even if a patient is healthy and his mouth is com- 
fortable we must still show him how dentistry can 
improve his appearance, build his morale, and pre- 
vent trouble. Hand him a mirror and explain his 
needs to him. Show him his gingivitis and explain 
that it might lead to the loss of his teeth early in life 
unless he has something done in time to prevent it. 
Surely all of us believe in preventive dentistry. 

I once saw an old man who had the right idea. He 
sat on a box at a street corner carving on peach 
stones. On the box he had stuck a crude sign that 
read, “Get you a Good Luck charm today—tomorrow 
may be too late.” 

Don’t hesitate to tell patients that much of our 
work gives them a more youthful appearance, pre- 
vents suffering, and should never be postponed un- 
til rampant decay and diseased oral conditions make 
it impossible to restore the mouth satisfactorily. 

The matter of health is always a good talking 
point with which to impress patients with the bene- 
fits of dentistry. Doctor Charles Mayo once said, 


Page Two 


“Dentistry can add ten years to human life.” That 
statement by so eminent a medical leader carries a 
lot of weight. 

What prominent individuals do and say impresses 
many people. Not many years ago Mrs. Eleanor 
Roosevelt had an accident that broke some of her 
teeth. She did not seem too upset about it. In fact, 
she said, ‘““Now I can have pretty teeth!” And what 
a handsome difference her new teeth make! I keep 
several pictures of her. Pin-up dentistry! 

Informing people of the benefits of dentistry is 
one of our professional duties. So long as patients 
use hot packs instead of cold; burn their mouths with 
iodine, undiluted aspirin tablets, and even horse 
liniment; rinse with hot salt water to check hemor- 
rhage after extractions, instead of biting on cotton 
packs; think all dentures should fit tight no matter 
what; believe dentistry is easy and very profitable, 
and otherwise show that they know almost nothing 
about our profession—just so long should we con- 
tinue to tell them more and more about the benefits 
of dentistry. 

One more big problem that always confronts den- 
tists: people’s laxity in getting gingival care. Some- 
how we dentists are neglecting to show patients the 
benefits to be gained from good home mouth hy- 
giene in the prevention of stubborn gingival dis- 
eases. 

Gum-line neglect, as we know, is responsible for 
the loss of millions of sound teeth every year. I hope 
that some dentist will soon come up with a workable 
plan that will save these teeth from pyorrhea by cor- 
rect gingival cleansing with properly-designed 
brushes and helpful dentifrices, just as fluoride is 
now saving millions of teeth from decay. 

Doctor, if we each make an extra effort to show 
the many ways in which our work benefits people 
we will create a greater demand for, a higher respect 
for, and a wider appreciation of dentistry. 


6408 Chippewa Street 
St. Louis 9, Missouri 


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The Aging Dentist: 


Recently I received a letter from an old friend who 
is practicing in a medium’ large city in the Middle 
West. I had noticed in the last three years that his 
letters indicated his practice was falling off. In his 
last letter he wrote that the previous month’s income 
was very poor. (I stop to mention he is a Spanish 
War veteran and draws a pension. You can guess his 
age.) His former patients are going to younger den- 
tists. 

In his last letter he asked if I would advise him to 
stay where he is or relocate in a small, one-dentist 
town. His experience is similar to that of many city 
dentists when their hair gets pepper and salt in it 
and their hairline gets higher and higher. Their 
practice grows smaller year by year, but they hang 
on, hoping that when fall comes their practice will 
improve. However, when a man’s practice begins to 
leave him for younger dentists, there is little he can 
do about it. 

My friend’s wife had miserable health and he 
wrote he could not relocate in a small town and take 
her into just any kind of house he could rent. This 
is what I wrote him: 


It isn’t necessary that you rent just anything. 
You own a very fine, comfortable home where you 
are. You can sell it now at a nice increase over 
what you paid for it years ago. The money the 
place would sell for now would enable you to buy 
a better one in a small town where real estate valu- 
ations are low. 

In a small town they don’t care if you have gray 
hair or not, or what your age may be. They look at 
it as a mark of experience in your profession. 

In selecting a small community, be sure it has 
a large territory around it without too close pro- 
fessional competition. Note if the soil is productive 
and the farm buildings are good. Good buildings 
indicate the farmers are prosperous. Your small- 
town practice will not bring in as much money as 
your city practice did a few years back, but that 
would be offset by lower expenses. 

My advice is, seek a small town where you can 
at least make a living, rather than stay in the city 
and ante away each month the money you have 
saved during the past years. 

You wrote me that if things did not get better, 


816 Fist...” 
4/TTLE 


by Rolland B. Moore, D.D.S. 


you would have to close up your office and quit— 
even though you cannot afford to give up your 
profession. I repeat: Go look for a desirable small 
town. Buy a home there and people will know 
you are there to stay. From the first day you open 
your office, you will have patients. 


I feel my advice to my friend was good. I know of 
a city dentist who had a large and lucrative practice. 
He was considered an outstanding dentist in his city 
and state. He had held every office in his state den- 
tal society and had taught at a leading dental college. 
But age was creeping up on him. 

His patients began leaving him to go to younger 
dentists. As his income dropped, he raised his fees 
to offset it—until his fees were twice as high as those 
of other dentists in the city. Finally he had to give 
up—after not having made expenses for three years. 
Today that man is working in a factory. He wouldn’t 
relocate in a small town. His professional fees would 
not allow him to. 

I too was a city dentist but I saw the handwriting 
on the wall. When my practice began to dwindle 
month after month, I knew it was time for me to seek 
a good small town and set up a country practice. 

Many aging dentists may read this article. They, 
too, may be losing practice to the younger men. 
There isn’t a thing in the world they can do about 
it. They can’t turn the clock back. If they can’t af- 
ford to retire, they should go to a small town. There 
they can at least make a living in these times of high 
living costs. 

It is true, of course, that we small-town dentists do 
not get the high fees of the dentists in the cities, but 
our money goes farther. Rent, heat, light, telephone 
and water cost less in a small community. 

I can’t say that I enjoy living in a country town 
as much as I did in the city. There is not much go- 
ing on. At night the streets are deserted, but I would 
rather live here at my age than barely “hang on” ina 
city. 

I'd rather be a big fish in a little pond than a little 
fish in a big pond—and get eaten up! 


Box 237 
Allerton, Iowa 


Page Three 


September 1956 CEC | 

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vé september 1956 


Dentists worried by the high cost of rearing and 
educating their children may now get a material 
assist from the Treasury Department, thanks to 
liberalization of the rules in respect to income which 
dependent offspring may earn without being dis- 
qualified as dependents for income tax purposes. 

It is now possible that a dependent child may earn 
more than the amount of his exemption value 

($600) as a dependent and the parent may still count 

the child as a dependent for income tax purposes. 
This, in effect, amounts to a double exemption: (1) 
taken by the dependent child in filing his own in- 
come tax return and (2) taken by the parent. 

However, as in the past, there are certain limiting 
qualifications which need to be understood and ob- 
served carefully, lest a dentist lose this advantage. 
There is still an actual ceiling on a dependent child’s 
earnings although now it is not an arbitrary $600 
ceiling, as heretofore, except for one category of de- 
pendent children. Now a taxpayer-parent must de- 
termine what the earnings ceiling of a dependent 
child is in the light of individual circumstances. 

It must be emphasized that a dentist’s child may 
earn less than $600 and not be eligible as a depend- 
ent for income tax purposes; or, a child may earn 
more than $600 and still qualify as a dependent. The 
determination of dependency rests upon the circum- 
stances surrounding each child and each parent. 

Prior to passage of the new Code, a dependent 
child could earn up to $599.99 and the parent could 
claim him as a dependent. The one qualification was 
that the parent furnish more than one-half of the 
child’s support. If the child earned $600 or more a 
year, the exemption was lost even though the parent 
contributed more than one-half of the support. 

Now, two categories of children can earn more 
than $600 and still be counted as dependents by a 
parent. However, the old rule still prevails in re- 
spect to the parent being obliged to contribute more 
than one-half of the child’s support. Thus, a dentist 
should not assume there is no earnings ceiling be- 
yond which his dependent son or daughter may not 


In the past, the ceiling was $600 in any case. Often, 
it was less in practice, because of the more-than-one- 


Page Four 


DANGER: 
Offspring 
at work! 


by Harold J. Ashe 


half rule. The ceiling may still be less than $600 if 
the contribution by the parent does not exceed the 
amount earned by his offspring. On the other hand, 
a child may earn far more than $600, even $1,500 
or $2,000, provided only the parent contributes more 
than one-half of the support. 

Ordinarily, a dependent child will not be em- 
ployed by a dentist, unlike many parent-offspring 
employment relationships in business. However, if 
a dentist has business interests or is in a partnership 
offering employment opportunities to a dependent 
child, the employment relationship should be “at 
arm’s-length.” The employment must be bona fide, 
and the child must perform services consistent with 
the wage or salary paid. On this point the Tax 
Court has said: “Whether payments for such services 
(by relatives) are reasonable must be determined in 
the light of the entire situation and consideration 
must be given to what amounts would ordinarily be 
paid for like services by like enterprises under like 
circumstances.” The employment relationship must 
not be a subterfuge designed to distribute some of a 
taxpayer’s earnings to his child as unearned wages 
to reduce the taxpayer’s net income and, in turn, his 
income tax. Such “employment” and payment is 
easily ascertainable as to the facts on check by the 
Internal Revenue Service. 


Three Categories 

For purposes of exemption, dependent children 
fall into three categories. The offspring must be 
either: 

(a) under 19; 

(b) 19 or over, and not a student (in this cate- 
gory the child’s gross income must still be less than 
$600) ; 

(c) bea student on a full-time basis in a school or 
college, attending school over a period of five or 
more months during the tax year. 

The limitation on category (b) dependents under- 
scores the importance of encouraging children to 
stay in school after they reach nineteen. This 
liberalization of the rules has the salutary effect of 
making the cost to the parent substantially less than 
the out-of-pocket educational outlays he makes. The 


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tax saving made available to the taxpayer can be a 
substantial contribution toward the dependency 
support. Example: A dentist is in the 50 percent tax 
bracket. The value of the dependency exemption is 
$300 in tax savings. This makes the dentist’s more- 
than-one-half contribution less burdensome. 


The One-Half Rule 


Let’s consider an example of how the over one- 
half rule works. A dentist’s son is attending college. 
His total support costs, including meals and lodging 
at school, tuition, and other expenses, are $2,500. 
This figure includes a scholarship worth $300. Ex- 
cluding the value of the scholarship, the cost of sup- 
port is $2,200. At school and during summer vaca- 
tion the son earns $1,000 and the dentist contributes 
$1,200. The dentist is entitled to the exemption. 

On the other hand, another dentist contributes a 
like amount to the support of his son who is in col- 
lege. However, the total support is $2,600 with the 
son earning $1,400 toward his support. The exemp- 
tion is lost. The dentist is in the 50 percent tax 
bracket. Had the dentist contributed slightly over 


DENTISTRY AROUND THE WORLD 


$200 more to his son’s support (or the son had set 
an earning ceiling of a slightly less than $1,200) , the 
dentist would have netted a tax reduction of $300. 

Moreover, a dentist may need a sharp pencil and 
an hour’s time to calculate the real value of his con- 
tributions. Loose estimates may prove his undoing. 
In determining the amount of support contributed 
to a dependent domiciled in a taxpayer’s home, the 
Internal Revenue Service insists that household costs 
be apportioned equally among those in the house- 
hold. 

As in the past, a dependent child must file an in- 
come tax return if he earns $600 or more. Regardless 
of how small his earnings, he should file an income 
tax return if there have been income tax withhold- 
ings from his earnings. Because of his part-time 
employment, and the fact income tax withholdings 
are calculated on the assumption of full-time em- 
ployment, he will receive partial or complete refund 
of withholdings. This refund, coming after year-end, 
will also help with school expenses. 


P. O. Drawer 307 
Beaumont, Calif. 


September 1956 CEC 


Little Charlie Wind-in-the-Forest is all smiles now, but his Ojibway Indian boy pal, Frank, seems a little 
apprehensive as Charlie settles back in the chair of the Canadian National Railways rolling dental clinic. 


Up in the vastness of northern Ontario the dentist is brought to the people. A CNR sleeping car has been 
converted into a modern dental clinic and moves from town to town on regular schedule. The dentist, 
Doctor Ralph L. Hicken, is now following a schedule that will keep him ovt on the line until Christmas. 
The doctor is covering towns and settlements on a ‘‘beat'’ of 1,700 miles. (Authenticated News) 


Page Five 


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CE C September 1956 


Dental Wives: 


Watch out for the woman with an idea! She is 
apt to stick to it until it reaches fruition. If it is a 
poor idea, there is trouble ahead. If the idea has 
value, something splendid springs into being which 
may benefit everyone. 

Right now a great many dental wives throughout 
the nation are concentrating on the same idea. They 
believe in it and they feel that it has great value. 
Their slogan might well be “Let’s go National,” for 
their goal is a National Association of Dental Aux- 
iliaries to unite the efforts and the aims of the vari- 
ous dental auxiliaries and groups of dental wives 
throughout the country. 

It is their earnest hope that the American Dental 
Association will recognize this newly formed group 
as a fully accredited auxiliary to the Association, 
when the American Dental Association holds its na- 
tional convention in Atlantic City in November. 

In the meantime, because they feel that the time 
is right for a national organization of auxiliaries, 
the women have been going ahead with the first or- 
ganizational plans. 

Last October, at the A.D.A. national convention 
in San Francisco, representatives from auxiliaries of 
eighteen states met to discuss the matter and eleven 
of these representatives favored the formation of a 
national group, while seven states and Hawaii 
“passed” the vote and instructed the delegates to ob- 
tain further information but not to commit their 
states at that moment. There were no negative votes. 

At that time a proposed constitution and by-laws 
came into being patterned after the Auxiliary to 
the American Medical Association, with certain 
minor changes, and it was moved and seconded that 
Mrs. Cecil W. Neff of San Diego, Calif., be appointed 
temporary chairman, and Mrs. Don J. Fitzgerald, of 
Mason City, Iowa (then president of the Iowa Den- 
tal Auxiliary) be temporary secretary. 

The appointment of Mrs. Neff was a fitting one, 
for she has long been an ardent worker in the cause 
of a national organization of auxiliaries. She has 
diligently sought information about auxiliaries and 
groups of dental wives in other parts of the country 
and has conducted a voluminous correspondence 
with other auxiliary officials, the letters being pub- 
lished in the clever “Mail Bag” feature in Newsy 
Extractions, the publication which she edits for the 
San Diego County Dental Auxiliary. 

The Los Angeles California Dental Auxiliary al- 


Page Six 


Let’s Go National! 


by Kay Lipke 


so publishes a clever periodical called Dental Mir- 
ror, which features articles about the organization of 
a national auxiliary. Elsewhere throughout the coun- 
try interest has been stimulated regarding the na- 
tional organization, and many dentists have ex- 
pressed their approval of this new project. The wo- 
men now await the decision of the Trustees of the 
American Dental Association. 

Let not the idea emerge that this national plan 
means that the women are “taking off” on an expedi- 
tion of their own. Nothing could be more remote 
from the truth. 

The women who belong to dental auxiliaries 
throughout the country are first and foremost de- 
voted wives of dentists. They believe sincerely in 
both their husbands and the profession which is 
their life work. They believe in the cause of dental 
health and education, and it is to help their hus- 
bands, and the dental societies to which their hus- 
bands belong, in this work that they have banded to- 
gether and formed auxiliaries. The objectives of the 
auxiliaries are in themselves interesting and worth- 
while. As expressed by the organization to which I 
belong, they are, briefly: to bring its members into 
more active affiliation with the dental profession; to 
initiate or assist in any activity that may be approved 
by the dental profession; to extend the aims of the 
dental profession to all organizations which seek the 
advancement of dental health and education; to pro- 
mote fellowship among the families of dentists; and 
to promote the welfare of dentistry. 

The welfare of dentistry—and the cause of dental 
health and education! These are stirring reasons 
why the wives who belong to dental auxiliaries 
would like to unite their forces in one national or- 
ganization, acting under the auspices of, and recog- 
nized by, the American Dental Association. 

They are women with an idea—and a good one. 
We hope it succeeds. P. O. Box 350 

Albany, N. Y. 


DENTIST’S VERSION 


(With apologies to Henry W. Longfellow) 
Lives of great men oft remind us, 
Though our own be not sublime, 
We can leave this mark behind us: 
Tooth-prints—record of work done on time! 


Barbara Becker ——— 


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by Maurice J. Teitelbaum, D.D.S. 


Dental Thisa and Data 


Within a 12-month period, two verdicts of almost 
$250,000 each were awarded to defendants in Califor- 
nia who had brought suit against physicians for mal- 
practice. Consequently, all physicians have been 
cautioned (and dentists might take heed) to increase 
their malpractice insurance. The emphasis for ade- 
quate protection, it seems, is needed, above all, for 
doctors in California, Florida, New York, New Jer- 
sey, Illinois, Connecticut, and Maryland. . . . The 
inclusion of dental treatment under some type of 
Blue Shield system which now services the medical 
profession might be a boon to dentistry. One physi- 
cian, for example, is reported to have been paid 
$200,000 for the care of Blue Shield-covered patients 
during a single year! . . . Statisticians of the Metro- 
politan Life Insurance Company, who always seem to 
be hung up with a string of zeros, have just come 
out with another one. They predict that the United 
States will have some 63,000,000 children under age 
18 by 1965—approximately 8,500,000 more than we 
have now. So take heed all pedodontists! . . . The 
School of Dentistry of the Hebrew University in Is- 
rael is now getting ready for its third year of opera- 
tion. The clinical facilities are under construction 
and will contain a ‘‘ten-chair unit for restorative and 
prosthetic dentistry; a three-chair unit for minor 
oral surgery and exodontia; a lecture and demon- 
stration room which includes a complete dental unit 
and a clinical investigation lab.” A convalescent sec- 
tion in the medical center will be converted into a 
technical dental lab. It will include 30 individual 
benches for students, a special plaster room, a casting 
lab, and a room reserved for acrylic and porcelain 
work. The Alpha Omega dental fraternity has been 
campaigning for funds for the dental school. At the 
University of Pittsburgh, fraternity members pledged 


September 1956 


$1,000—most of it raised through the donation of 
blood. 


Inci-dentals 


In Detroit a woman brushed her teeth so vigor- 
ously that she swallowed the toothbrush. . . . A Mil- 
waukee doctor can spell “doctor” three different 
ways. He is an M.D., a D.D.S., and his name is John 
P. Docktor. 


Tie Tips 


Fogged roentgenograms, all too common in the 
processing of dental films, are a serious detriment to 
proper X-ray interpretation. To avoid fog on films, 
take the following precautions: 

Don’t use film after the manufacturer’s expiration 
date. 

Be sure that the processing room has no light leaks 
and that a proper safety light is used. 

Keep film stored in lead-lined containers. 

Use fresh developing and fixing solutions. 


Gagging 

A patient presented himself to a young dentist and 
complained of a sore on the roof of his mouth. The 
dentist examined it carefully. It was a most unusual 
type of eruption and he was at a loss as to what it was. 

“What is it, doc?” asked the patient. 

Not wanting to lose the patient and hoping to be 
able to treat the case, the dentist answered: “It’s a 
rare condition called Eruptive Confusiformis.” 

“Thank God,” said the patient, “the other three 
dentists I showed it to didn’t know what it was!” 


446 Clinton Place 
Newark 12, N. J. 


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Page Seven 


ve C september 1956 


Dental Wives: 


Watch out for the woman with an idea! She is 
apt to stick to it until it reaches fruition. If it is a 
poor idea, there is trouble ahead. If the idea has 
value, something splendid springs into being which 
may benefit everyone. 

Right now a great many dental wives throughout 
the nation are concentrating on the same idea. They 
believe in it and they feel that it has great value. 
Their slogan might well be “Let’s go National,” for 
their goal is a National Association of Dental Aux- 
iliaries to unite the efforts and the aims of the vari- 
ous dental auxiliaries and groups of dental wives 
throughout the country. 

It is their earnest hope that the American Dental 
Association will recognize this newly formed group 
as a fully accredited auxiliary to the Association, 
when the American Dental Association holds its na- 
tional convention in Atlantic City in November. 

In the meantime, because they feel that the time 
is right for a national organization of auxiliaries, 
the women have been going ahead with the first or- 
ganizational plans. 

Last October, at the A.D.A. national convention 
in San Francisco, representatives from auxiliaries of 
eighteen states met to discuss the matter and eleven 
of these representatives favored the formation of a 
national group, while seven states and Hawaii 
“passed” the vote and instructed the delegates to ob- 
tain further information but not to commit their 
states at that moment. There were no negative votes. 

At that time a proposed constitution and by-laws 
came into being patterned after the Auxiliary to 
the American Medical Association, with certain 
minor changes, and it was moved and seconded that 
Mrs. Cecil W. Neff of San Diego, Calif., be appointed 
temporary chairman, and Mrs. Don J. Fitzgerald, of 
Mason City, Iowa (then president of the lowa Den- 
tal Auxiliary) be temporary secretary. 

The appointment of Mrs. Neff was a fitting one, 
for she has long been an ardent worker in the cause 
of a national organization of auxiliaries. She has 
diligently sought information about auxiliaries and 
groups of dental wives in other parts of the country 
and has conducted a voluminous correspondence 
with other auxiliary officials, the letters being pub- 
lished in the clever “Mail Bag” feature in New 
Extractions, the publication which she edits for the 
San Diego County Dental Auxiliary. 

The Los Angeles California Dental Auxiliary al- 


Page Six 


Let’s Go National! 


by Kay Lipke 


so publishes a clever periodical called Dental Mir- 
ror, which features articles about the organization of 
a national auxiliary. Elsewhere throughout the coun- 
try interest has been stimulated regarding the na- 
tional organization, and many dentists have ex- 
pressed their approval of this new project. The wo- 
men now await the decision of the Trustees of the 
American Dental Association. 

Let not the idea emerge that this national plan 
means that the women are “taking off” on an expedi- 
tion of their own. Nothing could be more remote 
from the truth. 

The women who belong to dental auxiliaries 
throughout the country are first and foremost de- 
voted wives of dentists. They believe sincerely in 
both their husbands and the profession which is 
their life work. They believe in the cause of dental 
health and education, and it is to help their hus- 
bands, and the dental societies to which their hus- 
bands belong, in this work that they have banded to- 
gether and formed auxiliaries. The objectives of the 
auxiliaries are in themselves interesting and worth- 
while. As expressed by the organization to which I 
belong, they are, briefly: to bring its members into 
more active affiliation with the dental profession; to 
initiate or assist in any activity that may be approved 
by the dental profession; to extend the aims of the 
dental profession to all organizations which seek the 
advancement of dental health and education; to pro- 
mote fellowship among the families of dentists; and 
to promote the welfare of dentistry. 

The welfare of dentistry—and the cause of dental 
health and education! These are stirring reasons 
why the wives who belong to dental auxiliaries 
would like to unite their forces in one national or- 
ganization, acting under the auspices of, and recog- 
nized by, the American Dental Association. 

They are women with an idea—and a good one. 
We hope it succeeds. P. O. Box 350 

Albany, N. Y. 


DENTIST'S VERSION 


(With apologies to Henry W. Longfellow) 
Lives of great men oft remind us, 
Though our own be not sublime, 
We can leave this mark behind us: 
Tooth-prints—record of work done on time! 


Barbara Becker 


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by Maurice J. Teitelbaum, D.D.S. 


Dental Thisa and Data 


Within a 12-month period, two verdicts of almost 
$250,000 each were awarded to defendants in Califor- 
nia who had brought suit against physicians for mal- 
practice. Consequently, all physicians have been 
cautioned (and dentists might take heed) to increase 
their malpractice insurance. The emphasis for ade- 
quate protection, it seems, is needed, above all, for 
doctors in California, Florida, New York, New Jer- 
sey, Illinois, Connecticut, and Maryland. . . . The 
inclusion of dental treatment under some type of 
Blue Shield system which now services the medical 
profession might be a boon to dentistry. One physi- 
cian, for example, is reported to have been paid 
$200,000 for the care of Blue Shield-covered patients 
during a single year! . . . Statisticians of the Metro- 
politan Life Insurance Company, who always seem to 
be hung up with a string of zeros, have just come 
out with another one. They predict that the United 
States will have some 63,000,000 children under age 
18 by 1965—approximately 8,500,000 more than we 
have now. So take heed all pedodontists! . . . The 
School of Dentistry of the Hebrew University in Is- 
rael is now getting ready for its third year of opera- 
tion. The clinical facilities are under construction 
and will contain a “ten-chair unit for restorative and 
prosthetic dentistry; a three-chair unit for minor 
oral surgery and exodontia; a lecture and demon- 
stration room which includes a complete dental unit 
and a clinical investigation lab.” A convalescent sec- 
tion in the medical center will be converted into a 
technical dental lab. It will include 30 individual 
benches for students, a special plaster room, a casting 
lab, and a room reserved for acrylic and porcelain 
work. The Alpha Omega dental fraternity has been 
campaigning for funds for the dental school. At the 
University of Pittsburgh, fraternity members pledged 


September 1956 EL 


$1,000—most of it raised through the donation of 
blood. 


Inci-dentals 


In Detroit a woman brushed her teeth so vigor- 
ously that she swallowed the toothbrush. . . . A Mil- 
waukee doctor can spell “doctor” three different 
ways. He is an M.D., a D.D.S., and his name is John 
P. Docktor. 


Tic Tips 


Fogged roentgenograms, all too common in the 
processing of dental films, are a serious detriment to 
proper X-ray interpretation. To avoid fog on films, 
take the following precautions: 

Don’t use film after the manufacturer’s expiration 
date. 

Be sure that the processing room has no light leaks 
and that a proper safety light is used. 

Keep film stored in lead-lined containers. 

Use fresh developing and fixing solutions. 


Gagging 

A patient presented himself to a young dentist and 
complained of a sore on the roof of his mouth. The 
dentist examined it carefully. It was a most unusual 
type of eruption and he was at a loss as to what it was. 

“What is it, doc?” asked the patient. 

Not wanting to lose the patient and hoping to be 
able to treat the case, the dentist answered: “It’s a 
rare condition called Eruptive Confusiformis.” 

“Thank God,” said the patient, “the other three 
dentists I showed it to didn’t know what it was!” 


446 Clinton Place 
Newark 12, N. J. 


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Page Seven 


‘ 


Setting up the “‘show."" The cameras focus on former Dean Allan 
G. Brodie at the opening of the i 


— 


(Photo, University of Illinois College of Dentistry) 


Close-up of a demonstration showing drawings and articulator with 
plaster model. Doctor Balint Orban, the instructor, uses chest-type 
microphone, permitting free use of both hands. 

(Photo, University of Illinois College of Dentistry) 


The television camera is able to look over Doctor John Spence's 
shoulder into the patient's mouth. The dentists view the close-up 
picture of the complete operation. (Chicago Sun-Times) 


Page Eight 


Postgraduate 
Courses by 
Telephone 


and Television 


Imagine getting a good look at physiological 
specimens under a microscope at the same time that 
400 other dentists are viewing the same sight. Im- 
agine observing the innermost recesses of a patient's 
mouth without your instructor’s thumb or shoulder 
blocking your view. Imagine a mouth magnified 
while you are holding a duplicate model and each 
technique thoroughly explained to hundreds of men 
in six different cities. 

As you picture these phenomena, you can begin to 
understand why television is becoming: a powerful 
medium in the teaching of dentistry. The University 
of Illinois College of Dentistry television courses are 
the outgrowth of their well-known telephone exten- 
sion program, which was discussed in August TIC. 

Back in 1950, the Illinois dental school first ex- 
perimented with television and broadcast a closed 
circuit session to a small group within the dental 
building. Each year the curriculum expanded. The 
1956 series includes six one-day courses to be pre- 
sented within the college and one four-session course 
to be broadcast simultaneously to six different cities. 

Subjects covered are carefully selected so that they 
are best adapted to the advantages of televising. 
Courses offered this year include: Interceptive Or- 
thodontics in General Practice; Newer Concepts in 
Endodontics; Early Treatment of Malocclusion; 
Treatment and Execution of Mouth Rehabilitation 
in Periodontics; Current Advances in Dental Assist- 
ing, and various other phases of dental treatment. 

Doctor Saul Levy, coordinator of postgraduate ex- 
tension courses at the dental school, points out that 
while television is exceptionally effective for teach- 
ing, it can be only as good as the instructors. There- 
fore, the best men available in their respective fields 
teach the courses. Regular faculty members repre- 
sent more than ten different universities from the 
United States and Canada, and guest lecturers are 
called upon regularly. 

“The greatest advantage of TV,” says Doctor Levy, 
“is that the number of students we can teach is 
limited only by physical space. Depending upon the 


ve A September 1956 
Tr 
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| | a entir 
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by Melvin M. Meilach, D.D.S., and 
Dona Z. Meilach 


subject, it is possible for one instructor to perform a 
demonstration before hundreds of students in the 
same time it would take him to show only a few in 
a classroom.” 

For courses given within the dental building on 
the University’s Chicago campus, a camera crew 
works from the studios on the tenth floor. Here, 
complete equipment is installed and the actual 
“shows” are done “live.” Coaxial cables lead to the 
lecture halls and laboratories where students are 
gathered. ‘Twenty-one-inch television sets are 
mounted at the front of the halls in easy view of the 
entire room. 

When laboratory demonstrations are presented, 
each student becomes a participant. He is supplied 
with a duplicate plaster model of the patient’s mouth 
tobe operated on, an articulator, and all instruments 
required. Proctors are present in each room to assist. 
The set-up is similar to a national “do-it-yourself” 
program which you may watch. However, an im- 
portant difference is that you would not be supplied 
all the materials and tools before the show started. 

Says one Chicago dentist who recently attended a 
course, “It’s amazing how the camera can get inside 
a patient’s mouth. Never before was it so easy to 
watch dental operations and techniques in such 
detail.” 

A Milwaukee oral surgeon enthusiastically re- 
ported, “The possibilities of TV are unlimited! The 
instructor performed an actual operation before the 
cameras. He showed the condition of tissues at var- 
ious stages of intermediate healing through the 
microscope. Can you imagine how little you would 
see if 200 or more students had to file past a micro- 
scope for a hasty glance?” 

A periodontist from Indiana said, “Televised 
courses have a great deal to offer. I’ve been com- 
pletely satisfied with the way the material is pre- 
sented, the visibility and quality of the televised 
picture. The illustrated manuals used in conjunc- 
tion with the broadcast are as complete as you could 
possibly want. Much thought and planning has been 


A patient is ready for a student-participation course. Each dentist 
is given a duplicate model of this man's mouth so the dentist can 
follow the technique in detail. 

(Photo, University of I\linois College of Dentistry) 


Students work on the duplicate model using articulators and neces- 
sary instruments. On screen is a picture showing, on a model, 
what the instructor is about to do. Then the camera shows the 
instructor doing it to the patient. 

(Photo, University of IIlinois College of Dentistry) 


Classroom set up for a television lecture program. 
(Chicago Sun-Times) 


Page Nine 


September 1956 CEE 


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CEC September 1956 


put into every detailed phase.” 

Each day’s demonstrations are followed with a 
round-table discussion. This discussion is also tele- 
vised, making it possible to reach a larger audience 
than could be accommodated in the most spacious 
hall on the campus. 

This year, for the first time, a four-session course 
is being televised simultaneously to six midwestern 
cities. This presentation involves the same proce- 
dures and hookups but on an enlarged scale. Instead 
of coaxial cables only in the dental building, special 
cables will be run to a hall in each city where a 
registered group will view the televised demonstra- 
tion. 

It is too bad television requires such a tremendous 
expenditure, for the response from the profession in 
enthusiasm and enrollment shows a great demand 
for the courses. The present program budget can 
only be handled because of the financial assistance 
provided by the Kellogg Foundation. Funds from 
fees and normal University support are insufficient. 

One feature credited to TV is the reduction in the 
number of personnel necessary to assist in a demon- 
stration. Where one lecturer might give the same 
lecture several times, and his various assistants would 


Oral Cancer 


by Joseph Murray, D.D.S. 


Part9 
Growth Rate, Grading, and 

Classification of Oral Malignant | 

Tumors 


When a squamous-cell carcinoma is examined 
histologically, it may exhibit various degrees of dif- 
ferentiation. As a rule, the more benign the lesion, 
the more the tumor cells resemble those of the nor- 
mal adult squamous epithelium. The more malig- 
nant the neoplasm, the more undifferentiated are the 
cells. 

On this premise, therefore, Doctor A. C. Broders, 
a Mayo Clinic pathologist, classified epidermoid 
carcinoma into four grades of relative malignancy 


Page Ten 


be required to be present at each lecture, with Ty 
the lecture would be presented only once with only 
a few aides present to assist. However, the saving is 
offset by the staff needed to produce the mechanical 
phases of a broadcast. The crew usually consists of a 
director, a floor manager, an engineer, three camera 
men and two utility men. The cost and mainten- 
ance of TV equipment and the renting of sets and 
laying of cables take a big bite out of the TV budget. 

Before long, the University hopes to utilize TV 
on the undergraduate level as well as on the post- 
graduate level. As a pioneer project in TV teaching, 
these programs have been followed with interest. 
While the University of Illinois is the only dental 
school producing courses on a large scale, other uni- 
versities are also beginning to use TV to great ad- 
vantage. 

It will be interesting to watch the growth of tele- 
vised teaching and what this phase of scientific 
accomplishment will lead to in the future. As Doctor 
Levy says, ‘““When we began our telephone extension 
courses, the possibility of television was considered 
quite remote. Who knows what will follow?” 


7005 S. Normal Blvd. 
Chicago 21, Ill. 


This is an unusual view reflected on a mirror so as to show a 
squamous cell carcinoma, Grade 4. This early lesion, in a Negro 
male, was soft (unusual and atypical) and appeared similar to 4 
localized area of gingival hypertrophy. Biopsy showed high grade 
carcinoma. (Photo and legend by Doctor S. Gordon Castiglione) 


and claimed that the prognosis could often be de- 
termined by the grade of the lesion: 


Grade 1: Here, 75 percent of the cells are differen- 
tiated, indicating a low-grade malignancy. 


Grade 


Grade 


Grad 


| 
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igliano) 


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feren- 
ancy. 


September 1956 CEC 


Grade 2: Because 50 percent of the cells are differ- SITE PERCENT METASTASIS 


entiated, this is considered a low-medium (Approximate) 
grade malignancy. 1. Basal-cell carcinoma face............... 0 
2. Squamous-cell carcinoma face .......... 12-15 
Grade 3: This type shows 25 percent cell differen- 3 Meee 90-25 
tiation and the malignancy is considered ‘ hard palate .. . .25-30 
high-medium grade. 5. superior gingiva 30-35 
Grade 4: This lesion shows a high-grade virulence 6. buccal surface . . 20-25 
because less than 25 percent of the cells 7 inferior gingiva. 60 
are differentiated. 8. oral tongue .... 60 
9. floor of mouth.. 65 
Thus, if a cancer is classified as Grade 4, it exhibits 10. soft palate... .. 70 
the highest degree of malignancy. Moreover, it is 11. root of tongue.. 75 
known that the less differentiated the cells, the more 12. a eT 80 
radiosensitive the neoplasm. Consequently, high Since the local lesion and the metastatic disease 
radiosensitivity and greater malignancy frequently present two different problems, Doctor Castigliano 
go together. has classified oral epidermoid carcinoma on that ba- 


However, microscopic findings and interpretations sis, grading each separately: 
should not be the only means of arriving at a prob- LOCAL LESION 
able index of tumor virulence and prognosis. Often, 
tisue examined from the same growth, but from 
another area, may reveal a different hist-pathologic 
picture. Therefore Doctor Broders’ classification is 
not infallible, but should act as an invaluable guide 
in combination with other clinical signs. 


Many cancer experts consider the following fac- 


Stage 1: Under Icm. 

Stage 2: 1 to 2.5cm in large diameters and con- 
fined to local anatomic site, viz., tongue, 
palate, floor of mouth and so forth. 

Stage 3: 2.5 to 4cm. in one long dimension. 

Stage 4: Over 4cm. 


METASTASIS 
tors to have a bearing on the index of malignancy: : 

e site, size, microscopic type, and grade of tumor; A: Sinel de. freel bl 
the age and sex of the patient; the presence or ab- B. d bl 
sence of metastasis; pain or lack of it; patient coop- C. 
eration, history of previous treatment, and so forth. ee ee 

Th -d D: Fixed mass of nodes. 

us, epidermoid carcinoma of the basal-cell type, 


found only on the skin (never primarily involving 


the mucous membrane of the oral cavity or the ver- has: py al eatom kets than mae in dimension without 
milion zone of the lip) is less malignant than squa- clinical evidence of metastasis would be classed Stage 
Hous-cell cancer of the face. The former grows 1-0. The same cancer with bilateral metastatic di- 
slowly, does not metastasize, and is fatal only after ke would be Stage 1-C. : ete 

years of inadequate treatment. Only occasionally is , — another example, a lesion 3cm. in diameter 
Be srowth rate rapid. with metastasis to a single node, would be classed 


Stage 3A, whereas the same growth without metasta- 
tic spread would be classified Stage 3-0. 


1358 46th Street 
Brooklyn 19, N. Y. 


On the other hand, the squamous-cell tumor varies 
in growth rate and in cure rate, depending on the 
location of the lesion. For example, a squamous-cell 
carcinoma of the face is usually less virulent than 
one situated on the lip. And a lip cancer of the squa- 
mous-cell variety, on the average is less malignant 
than its counterpart within the oral cavity. 


Generally speaking, then, the more malignant the 


Next Month—tTreatment 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 
1. Burket, L. W., Oral Medicine, J. B. Lippincott Co., Phila- 


tumor, the faster it will grow, metastasize, and de- delphia: 1946. 
stroy. Moreover, regarding the site of the lesion, the 2. Castigliano, S$. G., Oral Cancer, reprinted from Oral Med- 
deeper and lower it is situated in the mouth, the icine, by Lester W. Burket, J. B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia: 


1952. 
3. Martin, Hayes, Mouth Cancer and the Dentist, American 
Cancer Society, New York: 1949. 


greater the degrce of virulence. Thus, a cancer of 
the palate is less malignant than its counterpart in 


the floor of the mouth or in the lower gingiva. 4. Robinson, H. B. G., “Diagnosis of Cancer of the Oral Mu- 
In the following table, Doctor S. G. Castigliano Sing. Oval Mod. 
indicates the average degree of malignancy accord- ‘ 


: zs 5. Sarnat, B. G. and Schour, Isaac, Oral and Facial Cancer, 
ing to location: Year Book Publishers, Chicago: 1950. ‘ 


Page Eleven 


| 
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rAd september 1956 


The Constant 
Prerequisite: 


Lower right third molar prior to anesthesia; same area after anes- 
thesia was complete. Note apical detail. 


by Charles L. Meistroff, D.D.S. 


The employment of radiologic intervention is, in 
the writer’s opinion, the fundamental basic of all 
dental practice. Without it the dentist works blindly, 
denies himself the proper guidance of a confirmed 
diagnosis, is lost during the course of treatment, and 
leaves himself and his patient open to all the un- 
necessary and unwarranted complications and trau- 


ma of a guinea-pig practice. Is it worth it? Is it worth- 
Trismus and pain; before anesthesia was given. After anesthesia; while plunge headlong 
note complete detail of impaction and caries of second molar. just to save a few minutes of preliminary survey only 


to be tied up for half hour or more in a multitrauma- 
tic episode that injures the patient mentally and 
orally and damages the operator’s reputation? 


No Guesswork 


What to do or not to do, to operate or to leave 
alone, to extract or not to extract—these decisions 
must be made and cannot be left to guesswork. Ra- 
diologic intervention is the most revealing phase of 
dentistry that we have at our disposal that, in too 
many instances, is not used at all and, when used, 
quite often is the last to be consulted. 


Note missing apical-antral area. Highly sensitive to film; gagging. No Halfway Job 
After anesthesia; note the complete detail and perfect root picture. . 
| The essence of this theme is to cover only one 


facet of the radiologic aspect and to show that radio- 
logic work, if done halfway, is worse than not at all. 
I have particular reference to those cases that are in 
the acute toothache stage where the film cannot be 
placed to fullest advantage in positioning. The ac 
companying trismus, swelling, and extreme discom- 
fort usually preclude the attempt of any patient co- 
operation. Regardless of how they are taken, if they 
are not completely revealing in their overall picture 
they are useless. Films lacking in essential details or 
presenting a picture that is doubtful are not to be 
considered. To obtain films overriding any inter- 
pretive obstacles they must be perfectly adapted to 
the area in question before exposure; with the tis 
sues already under the overburdening stress of acute 


Trismus and extreme pain. Impaction barely visible. After anes- 
thesia complete picture of the impaction and surrounding detail. 


Page Twelve 


pair 
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Ra- 
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ed, 


X-Rays 


pain, swelling, trismus, and inflammation, the pres- 
sure of the film against the tissues does not elicit any 
too much patient cooperation. 


How to Do It 


How do we obtain these films? First, anesthetize 
the involved area after a preliminary exposure has 
been made. Sometimes this one shot will suffice, 
most of the time it will not! After anesthesia is more 
manifest, the placing of the film more posteriorly 
will be more easily tolerated. It must be remembered 
at this time that only the posterior areas of mandible 
and maxilla are discussed at this time. 


The Second Film 


The second film will be found to give all the miss- 
ing details and facts that the first film lacked. In the 
upper it will reveal the root picture in itself and in 
relation to the antrum, tuberosity, and posterior 
alveolar walls; in the lower, the root story in relation 
to the mandibular canal, ramus and angle of the jaw, 
inferior border, and alveolar depth. 

The accompanying films show the kinds of results 
that can be obtained when anesthesia is used, per- 
mitting the placing of films more posteriorly and 
consequently making better patient handling pos- 


sible. 113 E. Grace Street 
Richmond 19, Va. 


Lower right third molar, pain and trismus. After anesthesia was 
complete the root detail was without doubt. 


Lower right third molar; pain and trismus. After complete anesthe- 
sia; note the detail of the film. 


Lower left third molar area; almost a good picture without anes- 
thesia but the apical areas are doubtful. 
After complete anesthesia; note good diagnostic value of this film. 


Upper left third molar area. Note the missing apico-antral relation. 


After th ; nothing g here, procedure without obstacle. 


Lower left third molar, barely able to hold film in place. After anesthesia; still somewhat shy of detail 
on apex. After complete anesthesia: radiograph is without missing factors. 


Page Thirteen 


September 1956 CEC’ 


| 
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FOR LIVING 


Every dentist should be interested, personally and 
professionally, in the dental program of the Veterans 
Administration and how that program is affecting 
the dental health and habits of the nation. 

Consider these important facts: 

VA conducts the largest dental program of any 
civilian agency in the United States. 

VA facilities in which dental services are available 
include outpatient clinics in ninety cities (mostly 
regional offices of VA) , and inpatient clinics in each 
of 173 hospitals and seventeen domiciliary homes. 

Eight hundred and six full-time dentists are on the 
staff of the VA dental unit, supported by adequate 
auxiliary personnel, including dental assistants, hy- 
gienists, technicians, and clerks. More than 60,000 
private-practice dentists provide “home town” care 
to veterans who are unable to use VA clinic services 
because of geographical locations or excessive work- 
loads. 

The total cost of this dental program in the fiscal 
year 1955 was about $27,000,000, $11,200,000 of 
which was paid in fees to private-practice dentists. 

Fees paid to private-practice dentists are set on a 
state basis, to meet varying conditions in the differ- 
ent states, in consultation with state dental societies. 

Dental-care policies, procedures, and regulations 
are developed by dental staff in VA’s central office in 
Washington, D. C., within the framework of federal 
legislation. 

National and international authorities in all den- 
tal specialties are associated with VA as consultants, 
influencing the quality of dental care and providing 
the dental staff with invaluable assistance, guidance, 
training, and professional leadership. 

VA has an excellent resident training and intern- 


Page Fourteen 


VA Dentist 


by Joseph George Strack 
All photos by VA 


ship program in which its full-time professional stalf 
is encouraged to pursue specialty fields—especially 
resident training in oral surgery, periodontics, and 
prosthodontics. Through arrangements made with 
dental schools, short courses in various phases of 
dentistry are made available for a limited number of 
VA dental-staff members. 

Treating the total patient is standard procedure 
in VA hospitals. Oral diagnosis and treatment plan- 
ning are integrated with general medical diagnosis 
and treatment planning. Outpatient dental treat- 
ment is restricted to service-incurred disabilities. The 


VA Hospital at Biloxi, Miss. 


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VA dentist enjoys parity of status with the VA physi- 
cian, just as the specialty boards of dentistry enjoy 
the same recognition as do the specialty boards of 
medicine. 


22,000,000 Living Veterans 


Although there are approximately 22,000,000 
veterans in the United States, present legislation 
makes only a small fraction of these eligible for out- 
patient dental care, and only a percentage of these 
apply for dental service. 

These facts, and others, will give the thoughtful 
dentist much to ponder about—especially the scope 
of the VA program. The average age of the 22,000,- 
000 living veterans is thirty-eight. A breakdown by 
the wars in which they served and their average ages 
today by war groups shows the following: 


Korean Conflict* (Total) 4,346,000 average age 26.9 
(No service in World War II) 


3,503,000 average age 25.2 
World War II*......... 15,391,000 average age 36.7 
morld Warl.......... 3,105,000 average age 61.8 
Spanish-American War. . 68,000 average age 78.6 
156 average age 88.3 


* Includes 843,000 veterans who served in World War II and Korean 
ict. 


The largest number of veterans is in the age group 
30-34 years—nearly 5,000,000. The next largest num- 
ber is in the 25-29 age group—approximately 4,600,- 
000. Thus nearly one-half of the entire veteran popu- 
lation of the United States is in the 25-34 age group, 
which will give you, doctor, some concept of the 
Mature and extent of dental care that this substantial 
segment of the total civilian population may require 
from here on. 

In this connection it may be pertinent to point out 
that VA dental officials report that approximately 
80 percent of all VA patients examined in the in- 
patient program have some oral abnormality and /or 
manifestation of some disease. One official reports, 


At the VA Hospital, Houston, Texas: oral hygiene care in the ward; dental service for a tuberculous patient; and bedside dental care. 


“Dental treatment is prescribed for about 67 percent 
of those patients examined, and approximately 65 
percent of the treatment prescribed is considered to 
have a direct and material bearing on the treatment 
of the condition for which hospital care is required. 
The magnitude of these needs may be emphasized 
when one considers the fact that about 572,000 pa- 
tients received hospital care during fiscal year 1955, 
of which number approximately 41,000 were being 
treated for tuberculosis and 109,000 for psychiatric 
and neurological disorders; the balance of 422,000 
being classified as general medical and surgical.” 

The potential for service of the VA dental pro- 
gram is obviously a great one. And the forces that 
press for such services are numerous and powerful. 

The increase in the veteran population from ap- 
proximately 4,000,000 prior to World War II to 
more than 22,000,000 today has made necessary an 
increase in VA facilities since 1942 from 94, including 
hospitals, domiciliaries, and outpatient clinics, to its 
present 224 similar facilities. 

“In appreciation of the service rendered in de- 
fense of the country, a grateful nation, through its 
Congress, has established these VA facilities for care 
and treatment of its veterans,” a spokesman states. 
“The primary objective is to return veterans with 
service-incurred disabilities to their communities as 
useful, self-sustaining individuals. Continuing care 
must be provided for veterans who acquired dis- 
abilities requiring long-term hospitalization.” 

Hospitalization and outpatient treatment may be 
afforded veterans whose disabilities requiring treat- 
ment have been determined to be service-incurred. 
Hospitalization may be provided for veterans with 
non-service connected disabilities only if beds are 
available and the veteran swears or affirms he is un- 
able to provide for his treatment at a private hospi- 
tal. There are further restrictions on the furnishing 
of outpatient dental treatment, even though the con- 
dition is service-connected. These will be discussed 
in another article in this series. 


Page Fifteen 


September 1956 ve A 


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CEC September 1956 


Of special significance is that dental treatment as a 
separate benefit for veterans has been specifically 
authorized by federal statute for more than thirty 
years, and in the VA dental care and medical care 
have a parity status. The wartime veteran was orien- 
ted in the need for medical and dental attention and 
care while in the armed services. The peacetime 
veteran is receiving an equivalent orientation. (How- 
ever, the latter is not eligible for VA dental care 
unless he has been discharged for disability or is in 
receipt of compensation for a service-connected dis- 
ability.) This exposure to extensive medical and 
dental care and other health education acquired dur- 
ing service in the armed forces has been responsible 
for a greater appreciation of such health services by 
many ex-service men and women. They expect and 
demand that VA dental services be of the highest 
standards. 

Veterans organizations are likewise alert in pro- 
tecting and promoting the standards of dental and 
other health programs of the VA. 

The policy of the Chief Medical Director of the 
VA, Doctor William S. Middleton, is that “services 
rendered veterans by VA medical personnel must be 
of high quality. The dental staffs, like all other 
elements of the Department of Medicine and Sur- 
gery, are dedicated to carrying out this policy.” 

These, then, are some of the factors, potential and 
actual, that will help to fashion the public dental 
program for veterans in the years ahead—these fac- 


tors and, of course, the shifting economic, political, 
and social climate of the nation. As a responsible 
member of society, as a member of a health pro- 
fession, and perhaps as a veteran yourself, you, doc- 
tor, will be interested in learning more about the 
activities of your professional colleagues in the Vet- 
erans Administration. We shall, therefore, follow 
this article with others in the months to come. 


A NEW CLINIC—A patient is treated in the newly remodeled 
orthodontic clinic at Northwestern University dental school. 
The clinic is the first one completed in a major $275,000 
expansion of clinic and research facilities. Also under way: 
two new clinics, one designed especially for treatment of 
handicapped children, and extensive remodeling of two re- 
search laboratories. (Photo, Vories Fisher) 


ADMINISTRATOR 
of 
Veterans Administration 
i 
DEPARTMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF 

VETERANS BENEFITS MEDICINE & SURGERY INSURANCE 
Chief Benefits Director Chief Medical Director Chief Insurance Director 


r 
Assistant Chief 
Medical Director 

for Planning 


] 
Controller 
Department of 
Medicine & Surgery 


Assistant Chief Assistant Chief 
Medical Director Assistont Chief Medical Director 
for Dentistry Medical Director for Research & Education 
for Operations 
T 
1 
Area Medical Office 
Area Medical Director 
i i 
Outpatient dental care . Dental care provided to 
provided by 90 VA clinics ang resident disabled 
or by private "fee-basis" in 173 VA hoenitels veterans by clinics 
dentists P in 17 VA domiciliaries 


Page Sixteen 


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-TICONIUM. 


Bite-raising appliances require com- 
plete accuracy. The simple Ticonium 
technique insures this accuracy through 

proper burnout of wax. Not only is 
the wax eliminated, but the mold 
expands just enough to allow for 
the shrinkage which takes place 
when a Ticonium casting cools. 
Controlled expansion helps pro- 
duce accurate, lightweight bite-rais- 
ing appliances every time. 


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