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

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DENTAL COLUMBIAN 1958 School of Dental and Oral Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine Columbia University in the City of New York Richard M. Neuberger Editor-in-Chief Milton Philip Merritt Managing Editor Joseph C. De Lisi, DDS Faculty Advisor

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The Responsibility of the Dentist to Society is a broad and awesome theme for any dental publication. Responsibility in its broadest sense is defined as The charge, trust, duty, or thing for which one is answerable, or accountable. What is our trust; our duty? To whom are we accountable? As dentists we are professional men, dedicated to public service as health servants; presumed to be in a position of superior learning be- cause of our background. Our responsibility is for a patient ' s total oral health. Dentistry today can no longer be considered the mere artificial restoration or replacement of decayed or missing teeth. Today we must realize that we are dealing with human beings, each of whom is different and each demanding physiologically proper treatment. We are obligated morally, professionally, and legally to perform this service with a sure and knowing hand, behind which is a continuing quest for more knowl- edge in all phases of dentistry. This includes basic research as well as modern applied techniques. Dental School only begins our professional education and career. It does not complete it! If however, school is the end of education for a dentist, his professional responsibility can never be fulfilled. Membership in dental societies and treating patients is not enough. The dentist can further uphold the standards of his profession and meet his obligations by being completely honest and by putting professional ethics and morals before pure personal gain. Thus is indicated the scope of our trust and duty. To whom then are we responsible? As an individual the dentist is a member of society, and as such he is responsible to himself and his peers, to his patients, and to his government. He must possess high ethical and moral standards, must exhibit knowledge above average, must be able to use his skills effec- tively and sincerely, and must scrupulously abide by all laws governing his profession and his commuunity. Until all of us acknowledge our responsibilities to society, i.e., to ourselves and our fellow man, dentistry will not assume its proper high place in the field of the healing arts, but will be a necessary mechanical evil many people hesitate to utilize. Richard M. Neuberger Editor-in-chief