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

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OPERATIVE DENTISTRY CARL R. OMAN, D.D.S. Professor of Dentistry I would like to congratulate the Class of 1956 upon the successful completion of an intensive course of study leading to a doctorate in the profession of dentistry. You have spent four long years achieving this highly honored position in society, at the expense of many difficult hours and a sizeable financial burden: In return, you have the right to expect an income commensurate with your services. It seems fitting to recall at this time that, when- ever there is a right, there is a corresponding duty. Our duty in operative dentistry is to use all the available knowledge we have at our command in rendering our patients the finest possible service. The individual ' s ability should be the only limiting factor. You have a thorough biological background in dentistry with an intensive course of instruction in the basic sciences. It may not be possible to apply some of the knowledge directly in everyday practice but a great deal of it can and should be used in aiding us to recognize our problems and to have a more intelligent approach to their solution. The pre-clinical course in technique gave you the fundamentals of tooth preparation, a thorough knowledge of materials, and the ability to recognize normal and pathological hard tissues. In the clinical years you found that the basic principles never change except at the expense of quality. Human tissues are to be respected and treated with the utmost care. Restorative procedures are to be executed to the best of our ability with the patient ' s wel- fare constantly in mind. We should always strive for perfection but seldom are fortunate to attain it. The respected professional man is the one who is honest with himself, knows his limitations, and continues to seek knowledge and improve himself throughout life. Always remember, success can be attained only through adherence to fundamental principles and a constant desire for continued knowledge. Dr. Edward A. Cain, Jr. Irvin L. Hunt, Jr. Edward A. Cain, Jr. D.D.S. B.S., D.D.S. Harold Sherman William H. Silverstein Joseph E. Fiasconaro B.S., D.D.S. D.D.S. B.S., D.D.S. James Benfield neth C. Deesen Irving J. Naidorf Gerald H. Besen George Lyons Pandelis Camesas

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.EWIS R. STOWE, D.D.S. Professor of Dentistry Director, Division of Stomatology STOMATOLOGY Periodontology In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of the periodontium in the restoration and maintenance of dental health. The modern dentist is not concerned solely with repairing an individual tooth, but studies the relationships of teeth to their adjacent and opposing teeth and to the dentition as a whole. He observes the forces to which teeth are subjected, and realizes that the amount and the health of the periodontal supporting structures determine the success with which these forces will be withstood. He uses methods by which the occlusal forces may be distributed and reduced to levels which can be tolerated by the periodontium. He raises the resistance of the periodontal structures to breakdown by reducing to a minimum the chronic inflammatory state which results when calculus, debris and inadequately made restorations are present. He is aware of the nutritional and metabolic disturb- ances which may affect the resistance to breakdown. All this knowledge leads to a prevention of much periodontal disease as a result of early treatment of its main causes. The dentist today makes more complex restorations because he treats successfully more cases involving periodontal breakdown. However, this very complexity makes it even more important that the periodontal sup- port of each tooth concerned be maintained in order to preserve the restoration. The ideas and techniques which are involved in the protection and treatment of the periodontium are taught in periodontology courses, but most of them are far from the exclusive property of periodontology. There are increasing numbers of dentists specializing in periodontia, who are trained to care for advanced breakdown, but periodontal treatment of some sort is required in the vast ma- jority of patients in any general practice and the techniques for this should be known and practiced by each dentist. Periodontology includes more than techniques, however, and the concepts learned in it will affect almost every dental procedure performed in the modern dental practice. Dr. Leonard Hirschfeld FRANK E. BEUBE L.D.S., D.D.S. Clinical Professor of Dentistry Saul Schluger D.D.S. D.D.S. A.B., D.D.S. B.S., M.A., D.D.S. 13 Robert Gottsegen AJJJ).S. Ellen N. Hosiosky Bernard H. Wasserman Seymour Algus tym.iy n.rvs n.n.s. n n ;

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Robert E. Herlands A.B., D.D.S. John J. Lucca A.B., D.D.S. 4 Howard A. Arden B.S., D.D.S. William J. Miller A.B., D.D.S. Max A. Pleasure D.D.S., M.S.P.H. ..£ Louis A. Cohn D.D.S. ft George W. Hindels George Schwendener Ennio L. Uccellani Joseph C. DeLisi Sebastian A. Bruno Edward Kesseler M.D., D.D.S. D.D.S. D.D.S. D.D.S. D.M.D. D.D.S. PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY The Staff of the Prosthetic Division extends its congratulations and sincere good wishes to the class of 1956. You have completed a long and difficult course of undergraduate train- ing. The Faculty regards your graduation as time for taking stock. An evaluation of your training involves a looking back over the very real past and, if we may allow ourselves, a glimpse into the uncettain future. Ultimately, the acid test of our success will be the measure of happiness and satisfaction shared among yourselves, your patients, and your profession. The Prosthetic Division has tried to prepare you for the general practice of dentistry. That effort involves responsibilities and decisions, some of which have been most obvious to you, such as clinic and laboratory guidance, lectures, demonstrations, discussion groups, in othet words, the day-to-day smooth-tunning machinety of dental education. More important, however, is the source of enetgy behind this tangible machinery — a philosophy of dental education. It is this over-all point of view that determines the what, how, and by whom a program of insttuction shall be carried out. Your Prosthetic Division has a philosophy of education and a staff united in its embrace. In its simplest terms it is this: Until no longer required (?) the dental profession must assume the tesponsibility for the repair and displacement of diseased, damaged, or missing masticatory elements. This service must be rendered in such manner as to restore comfott, efficiency, and esthetics and preserve existing structures for as long as possible. A major share of this tesponsibility falls upon that branch of dental ptactice known as Prosthodontia. Dental schools must, therefore, train students to diagnose and treat disturbances of the masticatory mechanism and its parts. Prosthodontia is a biochemical science and art requiring for its successful petformance a broad biologic background combined with an intensive training in digital skills. These two aspects ate both synergistic and symbiotic. This relationship has been overly labored and clouded with such phrases as basic vs. clinical sciences, correlation, and integration. The simple truth is that, as a popular song states, You Can ' t Have One Without The Other. We are convinced that only one standard of Prosthetic Dentistry can be adopted in education and practice — the best that you can do! Accordingly, we have placed a decided and purposeful emphasis on quality. The separation of general from specialty practice is more apparent than real. In the time provided for undergraduate training it is impossible to cover every situation, every appliance, or every contingency. We appreciate this fact and expect your education to continue throughout your professional careers. Except for some phases of cleft-palate rehabilitation and surgical prosthesis, there are few problems in Prosthodontia which will be beyond the scope of Columbia graduates. We are proud of you. We hope that the future will justify and sustain that pride. Dr. Robert E. Herlands John D. Suomi A.B., D.D.S. GILBERT P. SMITH, D.D.S. Professor of Dentistry 15