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

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Operative CARL R. OMAN D.D.S. Professor of Dentistry One thought concerning Operative Dentistry to come out of the period of war through which we have so recently passed, is this: we are forced to admit, in the face of the facts presented, that we have been woefully weak in our effort to adequately care for the teeth of the people who make up the population. When some 11,000,000 soldiers present multiplied millions of cavities and mouth lesions of every conceivable variety, it would indicate that we have failed to do our whole duty. The group that makes up the Army and Navy and Air Forces, being drawn as it is from the flower of young manhood, we might expect a different picture. Is there any relation- ship between good health and satisfactory oral conditions? In addition, consider the children of pre-school age, the children in their teens, the people from the lower economic levels, the ig- norant and uncooperative, the aged, etc. Dental caries and allied conditions are so common as to constitute a universal disease. Does this not give you some conception of the task which you face as you take your place in the ranks of the dental profession? Surely there could be no greater challenge than to enter such a field. How are we to combat such a terrific destruc- tive force which confronts us? It is a part of the duty of the Dental School which is responsible for your dental education to furnish you with the weapons to carry on a successful war against these forces. We have been told that, if we are able to con- trol caries in the growing child to the age of 20 or early manhood or womanhood, we can more easily control caries which occurs, fortunately less frequently, in the adult. This, then, might give us a clue. Perhaps it would be better for dentists to concentrate on the younger age group in the hope that some day we may get caught up with the tremendous backlog of work to be done, and, in the majority of cases, prevent an early breakdown. Dental research in the operative field has been concentrated upon the subject of dental caries. Much work has been done and much has been learned about dental caries Our present position based upon the gains of the past help materially to lessen the incidence of this disease. Speaking specifically of results of caries research, we must use all methods at our com- mand — diet, nutrition, topical application of flou- rine, oral hygiene, vitamin therapy, restriction of carbohydrates, and the application of insoluble precipitates which will protect the external tooth surfaces. These are all aids in the control of den- tal caries and should be included in all treatments. The Operative Division is doing its best to keep abreast with the developments in dentistry. The newer filling materials have been something less than a blessing and we are forced to rely on tried and proven methods in use over the span of years which is the history of modern dentistry. Because of this situation, we feel that our best service can be given by a thorough grounding in the fundamentals, stressing a knowledge of die supporting structures, anatomy of the teeth, his- tology of the teeth, and the function of the entire masticatory apparatus. The student who possesses such an intimate knowledge of the structures upon which he is working, plus the knowledge and skill to execute the finer technics of the restoration of the teeth when attacked by dental caries, plus judgement, patience and a liberal amount of human kindness in his attitude toward his patient, can go far toward building a better and broader base upon which to practice dentistry. Carl R. Oman

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ACULTY

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Dentistry O IRVIN L. HUNT D.D.S. Assoc. Prof, of Dentistry Director of Clinic GEORGE F. LIN ' DIG D.D.S. Assoc. Clinical Professor of Dentistry DANIEL M. KOLLEN D.D.S. .Isst. Clinical Prof, of Dentistry r L WM. H. SILVERSTEIN EDWARD A. CAIN HERBERT P. FRITZ JOS. E. FIASCONARO D.D.S. B.S.. D.D.S. B.S., D.D.S. B.S., D.D.S. Issistant Clinical Professor of Instructor in Dentistry Instructor in Dentistry .Issistant in Dentistry Dentistry WILLIAM MILLER JOSEPH J. C. THOMSON HAROLD SHERMAN B.S.. D.D.S. D.D.S. B.S., D.D.S. Instructor m Dentistry Assistant in Dentistry Assistant in Dentistry