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

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Howard A. Arden, DDS Associate Professor of Dentistry Teacher — Scholar — Friend

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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

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DEDICATION We, the class of 1958, now approach the end of our four year education here at Columbia. During this time of mixed feelings there have been days of despair, days when we doubted our capabilities, our objectives, and .even our choice of profession. Never have we more deeply doubted ourselves than during the trying days of the Freshman and Sophomore years. It was then that we needed most a voice of encouragement and reassurance. We had that Voice! It told us realistically of the difficulties we were to face in the future. It spoke of no short cuts or panaceas, but offered us sincere guidance and understanding. It was a voice dedicated to an education which pro- duces dentists of whom Columbia can be proud; one dedicated to the concept of instilling in us, not only the pride of being health servants, but also professional men; a voice devoted to high standards, to integrity, to den- tistry. We dedicate this yearbook to you, Dr. Arden, because you represent to us, as individuals, as a class, as future professional men, all this in a single voice. Dr. and Mrs. Arden with their children Dr. Arden at work You guided our first faltering steps into the art and science of dentistry. It was not an easy teaching task for we were a neophyte group, a group in a strange area of knowledge, without perspective, and without insight. It was left to you to impress upon us the importance of a basic science background and the need for correlating it with clinical dentistry. You tried to implant in each of us the same high stand- ards and deep philosophy which is reflected in your own professional career. We listened, and slowly we began to understand and believe, not because of your position but because we trusted and respected you. You seemed to us then as you do now, a symbol of professionalism. You taught us the basic principles of sound dentistry and how to apply them without a compromise. You taught us and you taught us well for now these principles serve as the foundation upon which we can confidently build our dental careers. You said once that you were here to make dentists, not friends. We do not know now whether you have suc- ceeded in the former, but this much we do know — you have made friends, a great many of them. Our only regret is that all of us did not have the oppor- tunity to know you on a more personal level. So until this moment we have admired and respected you from that distance that separates professor from student. With this dedication, we hope we can communicate to you the true depth and closeness of our admiration and respect. We, the class of 1958, dedicate this yearbook to you Doctor Howard A. Arden, in the hope that for many years to come, you may continue the good that you have already done — for the student, for Columbia, for dentistry.