Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery - Dental Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 12 text:

fa© »Hy

Page 14 text:

Operative Dentistry Operative Dentistry includes the accepted lilling operations for the individual tooth, the prevention of loss of the individual unit by caries, death of the pulp, or periodontal involve- ment. Those procedures which accomplish this are commonly taught in the course which com- prises Operative Dentistry. It is true that the aforementioned factors are important and have been for the hundred or more years that Dentistry has been recognized and dignified as a profession. But the dentist of tomorrow, yes, the Columbia graduate, in den- tistry of the future, must see dentistry in a dif- ferent light. He must have a broader base, and a more scientific point of view in dealing with his problem. By his training in the basic sciences, the result might well be that he will discover the causes of the disease which he is attempting to treat. It is no doubt important to treat symptoms, and to do it well. The dentist of the future must know how, but he must also know why. We are on the threshold of great developments in den- tistry. Surely a generation which can discover and put to use atomic energy, can, when devoted to other channels, point the way to progress in the treatment of dental caries. I believe that the answer lies in the correlation and application of our training in the fundamental sciences. To acquire the habit of thinking along these lines is our first duty. Once developed, this habit will lead us on to a new and better concept of dentistry. The technics employed and taught in the Operative Division are recognized as the best, and require only intelligent application to give success as we commonly regard it in the practice of dentistry. We know of no material or technic which will seal a cavity margin as will gold foil. Obviously, however, gold foil cannot be used universally. In resorting to other materials of in- ferior properties, we apply gold foil standards, approaching, thereby, our ideal as nearly as possible. New materials are introduced from time to time. We are courageous enough to compare them wilh our standard and to evaluate our re- sults. We learn by our failures quite as much, or more, than by our successful efforts. The teaching of Operative Dentistry is un- dergoing some changes. For instance, we no longer require the sophomore student to carve heroic models in plaster; we substitute extracted, natural teeth, or ivorine teeth of natural size. This obviates the necessity of requiring the stu- dent to transpose his knowledge or re-orient himself when he begins to work on the natural- size tooth. This also results in the saving of time, which might better be applied in clinical prac- tice. A laboratory manual, or syllabus, profusely illustrated, and carefully describing the exer- cises prescribed, is practically completed and will aid the student to master the principles of Operative Dentistry. The junior student is assigned a greater variety of clinical work, and is given more time for clinical practice. The shortage of instructors, resulting from the war, is rapidly being relieved. It is our desire to develop junior students of adequate ability to do all but the more compli- cated operations in the clinic by means of addi- tional clinical practice. By the end of the Junior Year, he is an experienced operator, requiring only the finesse of technic and judgment to fit him for success as a Senior. The senior student, with his previous in- tensive training as a Junior, becomes in effect, an interne who has mastered technics, and can now devote his attention and skill to solving problems of greater difficulty; to undertake re- search problems; to continue the learning process through practical experience; and to develop judgment in the execution of his work. We hope to develop lecture courses for the upper class- men on the seminar principle, where free, and open discussion of the problems of Operative Dentistry can be considered, and we hope to develop well-rounded, well-trained, efficient, and able professional men. CARL R. OMAN 10