to the dental profession, then ¿-alpha tocopherol acetate may have or will * be applicable to a pathologic disorder for which it has been searching since 1923. G . M . M A TSU M O TO , DDS C O T Y M E D IC A L C E N T E R L IN C O L N D E V E L O P M E N T A L C E N T E R L IN C O L N , IL L

R ea d in g radiographs ■ N ow that the raging controversies o f reciprocity, tooth numbering, and D D S or D M D have been rapidly receding into little ripplelike murmurings threatening to become totally extinct, how about another little spark? Let us examine the difference of opinion on another earth-shatter­ ing problem. I am talking about read­ ing dental radiographs. Should one hold the dental X-ray looking into the dot concavity or the convexity? Put another way, should one pretend he’s sitting on the pa­ tient’s tongue looking outward at the surrounding teeth or should he think he is face to face with his patient? I happen to be a long-time tongue sitter (not to be confused with either a pole sitter or a fence sitter). I feel so comfy and cozy in that position, and heartily recommend it for anyone who finds the lotus position just a little too exhausting. A lso, it is so comfort­ ing to have the full-mouth mounts wrap their arms around me so tenderly and without protestation. It took a little practice, but now I can sw eep with solely my eyes from side to side in reading the full-mouth, without exerting my neck muscles. You fellows on the outside have to peek around com ers with an awful lot of wasted motion. However, in all honesty, the exercise may be a bonus to som e of us. And talking about exercise, I try to keep my mind as flexible as possible. H ow ever, the musculature is some­ thing else. Moreso than ever now with so many plastic mounts being used, I find m yself too often looking through the frosted side and having to take a death defying leap off the tongue without a net, no less. I must confess to harboring a dark

and sinister secret, and truly loathe to spoil so early all the anticipated fun and exhilaration of another teapot tempest. For the sake o f humanity and science, the fact o f the matter is the manufacturers could eliminate the frosting. I ’m convinced they could easily do it within a decade or two with a federal study and loan guarantee. Or better still, let’s have the A D A do the study and then hear some truly acrobatic explanations. En garde, you face to facers! You have been engaged and you shall know you have been to battle. M A U R IC E V . M A N C I N I , D D S C R A N S T O N , RI

A pplauds article on wom en dentists ■ Just finished reading the article by Randie Sue Tillman titled, “ Women in dentistry—a review of literature.” She is to be congratulated for com­ piling the most comprehensive, yet sensitive article on the subject of women in dentistry that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. One cannot help but empathize with the degree of competition, frus­ tration, and sociocultural tensions placed on women electing to assume a predominantly male-oriented pro­ fession. The combination of statistical data linked to the “ human” element made for stupendous, factual reading. Thank you! E L L E N R O B ER TA D IE T Z , CD A BU FFA LO , NY

M ore endo com m ent ■ N ot being one who usually writes letters to the editor, I find m yself do­ ing so in a state of deep despair con­ cerning the fact that the controversy over the two conflicting methods of endodontics has surfaced in the gen­ eral media and is being reported to the public in a manner which is not help­ ing the general dentist’s already taint­ ed image. I do not wish to take issue with either the Sargenti side or the people who advocate the conventional tech­

854 ■ LE TTER S TO TH E EDITOR / JAD A, V o l. 92, M ay 1976

nique. Both have their reasons and at present the issue should be considered a scientific debate among the dental profession itself. What very much disturbs me is that certain members of our profession have taken it upon themselves to re­ move the debate from the scientific arena and put it in the public eye well before all of the facts have been set­ tled. Thus, the public is left wonder­ ing if our profession can ever “ get-ittogether” and this, along with other negative images of dentistry, does not help us. I am referring specifically to a front page article of considerable length in our local newspaper by a Chicago D aily N ew s Service reporter titled “ Dentists are divided on root canal issu e.” Boy, have we made the big time now—too bad for us! One simplistic pearl of wisdom passed on to the general public is that “general practitioners in dentistry say they can do as good a job as specialists at a lower cost by using the so-called Sargenti method, now rapidly spread­ ing across the country.” I, as a gen­ eral practitioner, strongly object to the printing of this misinformation. I even more strongly object to those dentists who allowed this misinforma­ tion to reach print. This article, as well as an earlier T im e M agazine article, seem s to equate general practitioners with the Sargenti method. However, no pro­ vision is made in the public eye for us general practitioners who do conven­ tional endodontics exclusively, and there are still many of us. I do not wish to discredit the Sar­ genti proponents at all. H ow ever, the article also cited such reports as the Sargenti paste allowing lead to reach the liver and the brain. I, as a general practitioner have been harmed by this currently untested and negative infor­ mation when, in fact, I don’t even use the Sargenti technique. I feel that my training has allowed me to select those cases which I can handle, and do them as well as most endodontists using conventional tech­ niques, but because o f the misinforma­ tion given to the public, I have been lumped into the Sargenti group with all of the negative comments made about that technique in the articles.

The public debate takes information from Dr. Arzt of Levitton, Pa (Sar­ genti proponent) and Dr. Weine of Loyola U niversity (conventional proponent). Gentlemen, talk this thing out, fine! But for the time being and the sake of your fellow dentists, keep it in the professional and scientific setting. A lso, try to remember that not all general practitioners use the Sargenti method. One doesn’t see articles in the news­ papers about physicians arguing over different forms of cancer therapy or the merits o f sulfa drugs vs antibiotics. I have seen some patients fear root canal therapy very much. I have also heard it used as a joke when some­ thing is described as “ being about as much fun as a root canal.” Let’s keep such oversimplified representations of our scientific debates out of the public arena before our whole profes­ sion is taken by the public as a joke. Who knows? Soon we may see the allimportant subject o f tooth numbering in front page headlines as “ Dentists still confused by tooth numbering.” G A R Y B . C A L E T T I, D M D B E L L E V U E , NEB

Stu d y club fo u n d e d in 1919 m We of the Columbia Dental Study Club, which meets monthly in the N ew York City area, are very inter­ ested in the letter of Dr. A. Allen Brotman (January j a d a , page 23). He mentions the Round Table Study Club which was organized in 1934. The Columbia Dental Study Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1969, so it is now in its 57th consec­ utive year. Our founding fathers took a course at Columbia University with Dr. Herman Chayes in precision bridgework, which ended in 1919. They de­ cided to stay together to form a study club to further pursue the subject— hence the name, Columbia Dental Study Club. We are in no way affili­ ated with Columbia. We limit our membership to about 30, most of whom are in general prac­ tice. H ow ever, at present we have two oral surgeons, two periodontists, two orthodontists, and one endodontist.

There is no subject we discuss that doesn’t fall within their expertise, and their contributions are most valuable to us. This year, our scientific meetings are being devoted to an examination o f a text on periodontal prosthesis written by Dr. Morton Amsterdam of Philadelphia. Before the beginning of each year, we pick a topic and spend at least a whole year on it, either with outside lecturers or our own men lead­ ing the discussions. W IL L IA M G . S C H IF F , J R ., D D S W H IT E P L A IN S , N Y

A n o th e r dental service? n I recently decided to help empha­ size the metric conversion the United States is attempting to participate in. T o do this, I purchased two large identical 12-inch dial-type thermom­ eters. On one, I converted the dial to centigrade. I placed the thermomet­ ers side by side in my office window with signs indicating that one was met­ ric and marked in centigrade. Today, a woman entered my office and, when I inquired if I could help her, she said: “ Are you selling ther­ mometers? I’d like to buy one similar to one you have in your w indow .” From this episode, I feel the United States will have an uphill fight to change 200 million persons over to metric. H E N R Y C . H E IM A N S O H N , D D S D A N V IL L E , IN D

‘M isse d ’ basic problem

is still present and all that the fixed prosthetic work will accomplish is a temporary hiding o f future decay. A more realistic approach would be the stabilization of the decay pat­ tern with the use of fluoride, whether by sodium fluoride as recommended by M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute or by stannous fluor­ ide as suggested by Shannon. A con­ trol of the basic problem is needed before any treatment plan can suc­ ceed. If this procedure had been intro­ duced at the time of the initial treat­ ment for Hodgkin’s disease, our re­ search shows that restorative and en­ dodontic problems probably could have been avoided. I would suggest the reading of Oral Care fo r O ral C ancer Patients, pub­ lished by the U S Department of HEW . V IC T O R M A T A L O N , D D S U N IV E R S IT Y O F TE X A S SYSTEM C A N CER CEN TER HOUSTON

D isputes N H S figures May I be permitted to correct Dr. Louis I. Grossman’s figures (Janu­ ary j a d a , p 24) regarding endodontics in the British National Service. If you check relevant N H S regula­ tions and fees and if you multiply the pounds by two, you will arrive at the approximate dollar value. These fees are, of course, very low by American standards, but let’s try to get our facts straight before start­ ing to argue. m

F.

B . S T R A U S S , L D S , RCS

L O N G E A T O N , N O T T IN G H A M m The article by Drs. Kampfe and Collins on “ Endodontic treatment of a horizontal impaction” (March j a d a ) is well done, but it is the treat­ ment of a symptom only without at­ tacking the basic problem. The basic problem is the decay pattern caused in treatment of the patient’s Hodg­ kin’s disease. The authors’ statement that “ the patient is currently receiving dental hygiene and fixed prosthetic treat­ ment” does not take into considera­ tion the fact that the cause o f the decay

ENGLAND

L ength o f curriculum m I have read with continuing inter­ est and amusement the series of letters in both the A D A N ew s and j a d a con­ cerning the three-year dental curricu­ lum. A s a graduate of a three-year pro­ gram, I admittedly have a limited knowledge of the four-year program.

LETTER S TO T H E ED ITO R / JAD A, V o l. 92, M ay 1976 ■ 855

Letter: More endo comment.

to the dental profession, then ¿-alpha tocopherol acetate may have or will * be applicable to a pathologic disorder for which it has been searching si...
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