ANONYMOUS (1978), LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(4), PP. 147

Letters to the Editor

Editor’s note: Operative Dentistry usually receives mail pertaining to published articles after publication. However, when “Minimum Instrumentation for Conservative Operative Procedures” was received (and now published in this issue), it was sent to a reviewer who violated the confidentiality entrusted him by allowing unauthorized persons to critique the paper. Although this procedure transgresses protocol, we are publishing a few excerpts of diverse response stimulated by this paper but are withholding names in deference to legal advice. 

“Outraged and Tasteless” I am outraged at this tasteless attempt at satire. I would like to remain a member of the Academy of Operative

W.B. EAMES (AUTUMN 1978), MINIMUM INSTRUMENTATION FOR CONSERVATIVE OPERATIVE PROCEDURES, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL 3(4), PP. 144-146

Minimum Instrumentation for Conservative Operative Procedures 

*This paper has been rejected by all of the leading journals in dentistry and is printed here after a demand for equal time.

The inkblot means many things to many people.

H.F. ADAMS (AUTUMN 1978), AMALGAM—A TARNISHED IMAGE—DESERVES BETTER, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(4), PP. 142-143

POINT OF VIEW 

Amalgam-A Tarnished Image – Deserves Better 

Silver amalgam, used in approximately 80% of all dental restorations (Lambert, 1973), seems easy to manipulate and carve. However, it is undoubtedly the most abused of the dental restorative materials. It is usually placed without the benefit of the rubber dam, often contaminated with saliva or sulcular fluid, and a quarter of all restored proximal surfaces have gingival overhangs (Gilmore, 1971). More times than not the contact is improperly positioned, the surface is left unpolished, and the opposing cusps accommodated by overcarving and deepening the occlusal anatomy. These imperfections may result in plaque retention and periodontal inflammation, food impaction,

A.I. HAMILTON (AUTUMN 1978), IS DENTAL EDUCATION REGAINING ITS SANITY?, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(4) PP. 121

EDITORIAL

Is Dental Education Regaining Its Sanity?

The announcement in a recent issue of the Bulletin of Dental Education (vol 11, no 10, Oct 1978) of the American Association of Dental Schools that six dental schools (Alabama, Case Western Reserve, Emory, Michigan, Pittsburgh, and Oregon) have decided to reject capitation support from the federal government for the current year may signal a trend towards a return to sanity in dental education.

The main purpose of capitation support was to enlarge and modernize dental schools so that larger classes of dentists could be graduated each year. Receipt of the funds was contingent on an undertaking by the dental

G.D. STIBBS (SUMMER 1978), THE JOURNAL—A FOGLIGHT FOR OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(3), PP. 113-114

POINT OF VIEW

The Journal—A Foglight for Operative Dentistry

Those engaged in operative dentistry are witnessing an interesting era. Interesting, because it is a mixture of stimulus and advance, disheartenment and frustration.

In years beyond the recollection of most of us, operative dentistry was dentistry. Recently it seems to be that which is left after others have had their piece of the dental pie. In education, some of our top schools have dropped the ball by diluting their curricula at the expense of implanting sound principles for high quality service in the minds of their undergraduate students, but others are filling the gap by vigorously presenting the fundamentals of dental operating.

A.I. HAMILTON (SUMMER 1978), ARE SPECIALISTS SPOILING DENTAL EDUCATION?, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(3) PP. 81

EDITORIAL

Are Specialists Spoiling Dental Education?

Dividing an organization, be it an organism or a profession into subdivisions that specialize in some part of the activity of the whole, usually results in improving the performance of the organization. The development of keratin and a stratum corneum, for example, allowed vertebrates to emerge from a watery existence to a life in the vastly different physical conditions of the terrestrial atmosphere. Similarly the development of specialties in dentistry, by allowing dentists to acquire the expertise that comes from repeated performance of similar tasks, has made available to the patient a more skillful but more limited service. Naturally there

M.A. JOHNSON (SPRING 1978), A PLAN FOR CHAOS, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(2), PP. 73-74

POINT OF VIEW

A Plan for Chaos: Improvements in dental service should be made by those with knowledge and experience of dental practice—not by educators and the government.

                It has become increasingly fashionable for dental educators to publish articles about the failures of dentistry and dental education. The educators reason that as leaders in the dental profession they are the ones that are best qualified to effect the appropriate changes for the advancement of dentistry. Anyone with a knowledge of dental education today knows that federal grants and controls allow little if any independent thinking or planning by the educators. Consequently “they” in the above sentence becomes not only the educators but also the federal government, and the planning includes not just education but the entire system of

A.I. HAMILTON (SPRING 1978), GOOD NEWS FOR GOOD DENTISTRY, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(2), PP. 41

EDITORIAL

Good News for Good Dentistry

                The announcement by Almore International, Inc, that Ferrier separators are again being manufactured is indeed good news. Almost two years have elapsed since S S White discontinued production of these useful instruments and consequently they have become exceedingly scarce. There is no good substitute for the Ferrier design of separator and their scarcity has caused concern among teachers that still advocate the use of cohesive gold as a restorative material and among dentists that provide restorations of cohesive gold as a service to patients.

The reason given for discontinuing manufacture of the separators was that the demand for them was

R.V. TUCKER (WINTER 1978), THE DENTAL PATIENT HAS A PROBLEM, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL 3(1), PP 25-26

POINT OF VIEW

The Dental Patient Has A Problem: In his search for good dental treatment the patient is handicapped by his lack of knowledge of good dentistry.

How many times have you wondered what the patient would think if he or she had your knowledge of dentistry, yet received the type of restorative dental care that we see so often in the mouths of our patients?

It is unfortunate that, although good dental health is considered essential to nearly everyone, few people know what it is, or how to get it. They innocently place the care of their mouths in the hands of someone whose credentials they probably investigated very little.

At a recent annual meeting of the Associated Ferrier Study Clubs it was reported that a

A.I. HAMILTON (WINTER 1978), ADA POLICY ON NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE: IS IT CONSISTENT?, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, VOL3(1) PP. 1

EDITORIAL

ADA Policy on National Health Insurance: Is It Consistent?

The American Dental Association is generally committed to maintaining private practice as the mode of providing dental service for the American people. Ordinarily the Association voices objection to government schemes for introducing socialized dentistry, but one has the uneasy feeling that someday we shall be told that socialized dentistry—or national health insurance as it is euphemistically called—is an idea whose time has come and that we had better participate so that we may have some control over the direction the system takes. This is like telling the man on the scaffold to put the rope around his neck because the rope will keep his feet from hitting the ground and thus prevent breaking his legs.

Maston EC (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(4) 167.

Dear Sir:

Your editorial in Operative Dentistry, Spring, 1977, Vol. 2, No. 2, couldn’t be more apropos in your evaluation of the State Board Examinations.

If my memory serves me faithfully, it seems that state board examinations were instituted for the express purpose of controlling the nefarious, or fly-by-night, dental schools that were part of the scene at that time. Now, by some magic, the term ‘accreditation’ supposedly takes care of all of the necessary requirements for optimum professional training.

Hamilton IA (1977), A Plea for Comprehensiveness in Dental Research, Operative Dentistry, 2(4) 129.

A Plea for Comprehensiveness in Dental Research

Dental practitioners are helped greatly by published reports of scientific research. This is true especially of the testing of materials and the evaluation of techniques. Although a practicing dentist may be able, in a relatively short time, to determine for himself whether or not a particular material or technique is performing satisfactorily, often several years may elapse before deficiencies become evident. Then begins the painful process of replacing restorations-a costly procedure for both dentist and patient.

Flecker CA (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(3) 126-127.

Dear Sir:

I read with mixed emotions your editorial, “Expanded Duties: An Economic Fallacy” in the Winter issue. Since Operative Dentistry is a journal of potentially great value to practicing general dentists, I feel obliged to comment on your remarks.

Proponents of expanded duties are not “mainly government employees and academics” as you wrote. One need only talk to practicing dentists everywhere and listen to their thoughts and needs about expanded duty auxiliaries. Talk to those dentists who are seriously grappling with the problems of keeping fees in line, managing tremendously increasing office overheads while providing more efficient services, and treating greater numbers of patients. Do not talk to the men who have never spent the late hours desperately seeking the answers, nor to those who have simply given up, cut their staffs, their overhead, and their availability to 3½ or 4 days a week.

Hamilton AI (1977), Craftmanship is Important, Operative Dentistry, 2(3) 89.

Craftsmanship Is Important

In a discussion of the need for an increased supply of engineers that are truly inventive and creative, Thring (1965) describes the educational qualifications that he believes such engineers should acquire. Building on the two cultures of C P Snow, that is, literacy and numeracy, Thring adds a third-trained skill with the hands, or craftsmanship. He asserts that properly trained engineers should be able to understand and use the concepts of pure science and mathematics, understand the emotional aspects of human relations including verbal and written communication of difficult ideas to laymen, and should possess the manual skill of the craftsman and experimentalist. Thring goes on to say that the happy man is the man who has attained the highest development in all three cultures. The idea that the man who works purely with his intellect is better than the man who works with both his head and his hands is dangerous nonsense, Thring claims, because the imbalance can lead to nervous breakdowns and other unfortunate consequences.

Benson DS (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 84.

Dear Sir:

The recent article, “Expanded Functions: An Honest Appraisal,” by Freeman C. Slaughter in Operative Dentistry, Volume 2, Number 1, was most apropos. Articles of this caliber should be required reading for all national, state and district elected leaders in organized dentistry. And all national and state delegates, as well as trustees, should be acutely aware of what Dr Slaughter is saying.

Sincerely,

Donald S. Benson

Suite 600, Marquette Bank Building Rochester, MN 55901

Gordon GE (1977), Letter to the Edtior, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 84.

Dear Sir:

Our recent Academy meeting in Chicago was a most stimulating and rewarding professional experience. All of us are indebted to those responsible for the outstanding program and local arrangements. Also impressive is the fact that we are a rapidly growing organization. As the Academy matures we should keep in mind that membership may be likened to the care of our patients-it is primarily quality, not quantity, that we seek.

Respectfully,

G. E. Gordon

13551 Beaumont Avenue

Saratoga, CA 95070

Savers NC (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 84.

Dear Sir:

I am including this brief letter with my renewal subscription to Operative Dentistry. My purpose in writing is to extend my congratulations to you for producing such a fine “offspring.” I have enjoyed every issue and find myself looking forward with anticipation as each new quarter rolls around.

Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Norman C. Savers, Jr. 2618 Chase Drive Wichita -Falls, TX 76308

Bull AW (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 83.

Dear Sir:

May I congratulate you on the sustained quality of Operative Dentistry. It is a pleasure to read and of immense value.

With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

A. W. Bull

University of Sydney

New South Wales, Australia

Ferguson GW (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 83.

Dear Sir:

Just read of your honor and recognition as editor of Operative Dentistry. What a deserved reward for your ingenuity and unique capability. What a nice bit of most favorable publicity for “The Journal.” Really the most satisfying part is that it is all “whole cloth.” No Chevy engines in Oldsmobiles or plastic jewels set in platinum.

My sincerest congratulations.

Sincerely,

George W. Ferguson

Director, Division of Restorative Dentistry

State University of New York at Buffalo

Owens LO (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 83.

Dear Sir:

The Operative Dentistry journal has surpassed my expectations.

It may become the political voice for many of us concerned about the future of Operative Dentistry.

Please don’t be too harsh with those that can’t tell the difference between a demand curve and a knuckle ball. Some of them haven’t been up to bat yet.

Sincerely,

Lawrence 0. Owens

3615 S. Grand

Spokane, WA 99203

Pollack BF (1977), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 2(1) 45.

Dear Sir:

I am a lecturer in dental materials. When I first saw the advertisement for your journal my initial reaction was just another journal to add to the plethora of journals.

I have since seen the reprint of the article by Eames and MacNamara on the new dental amalgams. If this is representative of the quality of your other articles, I certainly want to be a subscriber.

Sincerely yours,

Brian F. Pollack, D.D.S. Chief of Dental Research Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York

Hamilton AI (1977), State Board Examinations: Are They Needed?, Operative Dentistry, 2(2) 49.

State Board Examinations: Are They Needed?

State examinations for dental licensure are coming increasingly under adverse criticism. Pressure to condemn the examinations as unnecessary and to have them discontinued is mounting.

A major complaint leveled at state board examinations is that they are not as effective in evaluating the competence of dental graduates as are the dental schools from which the students graduate and in which they have been under the tutelage and supervision of the faculty for about four years. The faculty, it is said, is in the best position to assess the knowledge and skill possessed by the students when they graduate. Be that as it may, we must recognize that standards vary widely among teachers when it comes to examining their own students. Some teachers, with a misplaced sense of compassion and a misinterpretation of their responsibility to the public, are overly sympathetic to students. These teachers tend, on the one hand, to give advice and help during examinations and, on the other, to overlook inadequacies. The result is that students not competent to practice are graduated nevertheless. Even more alarming is the fact that some state boards-under pressure from candidates, politicians, and dental schools, and reluctant to subject patients to inept operating-have had to lower their requirements.

Hamilton AI (1977), Expanded Duties: An Economic Fallacy, Operative Dentistry, 2(1) 1-2.

Expanded Duties: An Economic Fallacy

Increased productivity and lower prices are worthy aims for any economy. Over the years industry has adopted various methods to achieve these objectives. Dentistry, though a profession, is no less obliged to do likewise.

Recently it has been recommended that some of the tasks of operative dentistry, such as placing and finishing restorations of amalgam and composite resin, be assigned to dental auxiliary personnel, with the idea that this will increase productivity and lower costs. The proponents of expanded duties-mainly government employees and academics-already have spent enormous sums of money to demonstrate that dental assistants and hygienists can in fact learn to perform these operations. Much of this research, however, was unnecessary because it had already been shown, in the 1920s in New Zealand and in the 1960s in Britain, that within a period of two years young women can be taught to give prophylaxes, prepare cavities, place restorations of amalgam and silicate, extract teeth for children, and provide education for patients. Moreover, the quality of the treatment has been shown to compare favorably with that provided by dentists. This information was readily available and, had it been consulted, much costly research could have been avoided.

Hamilton AI (1976), Operative Instruction – Adequate or Not?, Operative Dentistry, 1(4) 129.

Operative Instruction-Adequate or Not?

During the past decade or so, in many dental schools, the time allocated to teaching operative dentistry has been reduced-in some instances, drastically. Curriculum committees and school administrators have made the reduction, on the one hand to introduce new subjects, such as community dentistry, into the curriculum and, on the other hand, in the belief that the discipline of operative dentistry is now less important to dentists because soon most of it will be provided by dental auxiliaries. Departments of operative dentistry have tried to compensate for less teaching time by teaching more efficiently, by eliminating some exercises from the preclinical program, by accepting less clinical experience, and by resorting to witchcraft. The product of these changes is now on display.

Stibbs GD (1976), Letter to the Edtior, Operative Dentistry, 1(3) 126.

Dear Sir:

Just a note to congratulate you on an excellent Number 2 issue of Operative Dentistry.

I particularly like your editorial. Well expressed and-unfortunately-too prophetic!

Keep up the good work.

Gerald D. Stibbs

433 Medical & Dental Building Seattle, WA 98101

Earl RD (1976), Letter to the Edtior, Operative Dentistry, 1(3) 125.

Dear Sir:

Operative Dentistry is a refreshing new creation! Please keep up the good work for better dentistry.

Robert D. Earl, Editor Houston District Dental

Society Dental Journal 6442 FM 1960 West

Houston, TX 77079

Herron CT (1976), Can You Believe Bitewings?, Operative Dentistry, 1(3) 125.

Can You Believe Bitewings?

Dear Sir:

My attention has been directed to a lack of correspondence between the radiographic view and the sectioned view of the mandibular first premolar (Spring, 1976, p. 44). The sectioned premolar has been reversed on the print and thus the lesion appears to be in the distal surface when in fact it is the mesial. This applies also to the corresponding drawing. I thank those who were perceptive enough to notice the discrepancy.

Sincerely,

Christopher T. Herron

5235 17th N.E.

Seattle, WA 98105

Hamilton AI (1976), High-handedness of HEW, Operative Dentistry, 1(3) 81.

High-handedness of HEW

This issue of the Journal contains several accounts of activities of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The lengths to which HEW is willing to go to assert its will, even to subverting laws, is alarming. The incidents reported are mainly from the Pacific Northwest, but one wonders how many similar incidents there might be throughout the country.

Aylen RJ (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 77.

Dear Sir:

I just wanted to drop you a note and congratulate you on the first issue of Operative Dentistry. If this issue is any indication of what is to follow, we can expect to have an excellent publication.

Again let me congratulate you and wish you well.

Sincerely,

R. J. Aylen

305 East Pioneer

Puyallup, WA 98371

Moline DO (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 77.

Dear Sir:

Just a note to tell you how much I enjoyed the first issue of Operative Dentistry. I think it is a real winner and I will look forward to it making a significant contribution to the profession. I particularly enjoyed Dr. Stibbs’ article on gold foil.

Sincerely,

David 0. Moline

President, Academy of General Dentistry 2304 Lemon Street

Metairie, LA 70001

Wolcott RB (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 77.

Dear Sir:

Congratulations to you and your Editorial Board for the excellent job on the journal. The layout and choice of articles are excellent; I shall have our staff review each article for discussion at our weekly conference. Thank you on behalf of all of us.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Wolcott

Professor and Chairman, Section of Operative Dentistry

University of California School of Dentistry Los Angeles, CA 90024

Gibb GH (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 76.

Dear Sir:

I wish to congratulate you on your first edition of Operative Dentistry. It contained some excellent pertinent articles. It was easy to read, well laid out, and attractive.

Sincerely,

G. H. Gibb

Professor and Chairman, Department of Operative Dentistry

University of Alberta Faculty of Dentistry

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1

Terrace R (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 76.

Dear Sir:

I received my copy of Operative Dentistry last week and have gone through it from cover to cover.

I feel that I must write you a short note to tell you that your first copy is great-even the cover is striking.

Ikemura VI (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 76.

Dear Sir:

Just a short note of congratulations for a brilliant effort with regard to the new journal Operative Dentistry. I have always loved my operative dentistry in general and gold foil in particular. You’ve really done a marvelous job! Bravo! I simply can’t say enough about how enthusiastically my friends have received your journal.

I hope there will be more articles concerning dental materials, particularly the new amalgams that are being marketed.

Leer JH (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 76.

Dear Sir:

Just finished reading Dr. Phillips’ article in the first number of Operative Dentistry. If more articles were written and condensed like this one it would sure make reading dental literature a lot more enjoyable.

Sincerely,

Jerry H. Leer

445 North Pennsylvania Suite 904

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Liebowitz CS (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 75.

Dear Sir:

I enjoyed the first issue of Operative Dentistry and am looking forward to subsequent issues. It is a journal which was greatly needed in this age of specialization.

Being an East Coast dentist, as the saying goes, I find that use of gold foil is virtually unknown here and I personally feel this is unfortunate. While in the Air Force I was stationed

Sondheim HL (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 75.

Dear Sir:

On behalf of the officers and members of the Associated Ferrier Gold Foil Study Clubs, I would like to add my best wishes and our compliments to you and your staff for the outstanding new journal Operative Dentistry.

The scholarly, scientific reports are excellent and well written by men who are most authoritative. The printing and format are clear and concise, making for easy reading.

Hamilton AI (1976), Beware Third Party Power, Operative Dentistry, 1(2) 41.

Beware Third Party Power

For many years payment for dental service has been made directly to the dentist by the patient. This method of payment is being modified increasingly by the entry of a third party into the transaction. The third party may be a corporation organized by dentists or dental associations, an insurance company, or, in some countries, the government. The function of the third party is to contract with patients, usually groups of patients, to satisfy their demands for dental treatment and to pay directly the dentists that supply the treatment or, alternatively, to reimburse the patients for their costs. From the point of view of economics, the entry of the third party changes the dental market drastically from one of many individual buyers and sellers to one of many sellers but few buyers–in some cases only one. This arrangement concentrates buying enormously.

Elsperman GA (1976), Letter to the Editor, Operative Dentistry, Vol 1(1) 37.

Dear Sir:

Dentistry with its all-encompassing curriculum has shown great progress and achievement. Continuing Dental Education has filled in the voids of professional minds. The availability of dental knowledge and its application by the dedicated, to apply it clinically from Monday morning to the end of the week, are blessings to mankind. Nevertheless, I must express a major complaint-simply put, the neglect and downgrading of clinical dentistry.

Hamilton AI, Grainger DA, & Miller CH (1976) A New Journal. Operative Dentistry, 1(1), 1-2

A New Journal

Operative Dentistry is a new journal whose purpose is to advance the practice of operative dentistry-its art, its science, and its craft. It is a journal designed to be of direct and immediate appeal to the busy dentist, the recent dental graduate, and the dental educator. Its scope is the traditional domain of operative dentistry, including the scientific foundations of the discipline, dental education, and the social, political, and economic aspects of dental practice.