Modern Dentistry 
flor the Laity 
FOURTH EDITION 
By 
' ALFRED A. CROCKER ALFRED ARMSTRONG CROCKER Modern Dentistry 
for the Laity 
and 
Industrial Dentistry for the Corporation, 
Modern Preventive Dentistry 
and Industrial Safety 
Welfare Dentistry 
A Claasir of Sratal Enre 
By. 
ALFRED ATCROCKER 
Cincinnati, Ohio 
1922 
FOURTH EDITION 
Published by 
THE DENTAL REGISTER 
The Magazine of Dentistry 
PIONEER DENTAL JOURNAL of the UNITED STATES 
' • . Cincinnati, Ohio First Edition 
Copyrighted, July, 1918 
By THE SAM'L A. CROCKER CO. 
Ohio Dental and Surgical Depot 
Cincinnati, Ohio 
Second Edition 
Copyrighted, February, 1919 
kBy THE SAM'L A. CROCKER CO. 
Ohio Dental and Surgical Depot 
Cincinnati, Ohio 
Third Edition 
Copyrighted, January, 1920 
By THE SAM'L A. CROCKER CO. 
Ohio Dental and Surgical Depot 
Cincinnati, Ohio 
Second Printing of Third Edition 
Copyrighted, February, 1920 
By THE SAM'L A. CROCKER CO. 
Ohio Dental and Surgical Depot 
Cincinnati, Ohio 
Fourth Edition 
Copyrighted. February, 1923 
By THE SAM'L A. CROCKER CO. 
Ohio Dental and Surgical Depot 
Cincinnati, Ohio Cover Design used on Third Edition 
Ex Libris JJEDICATED to the 
Dental Profession, 
whose avowed purpose is 
the prevention of decay 
and preservation of the 
teeth of the human race THE purpose of this 
book is to tell some- 
thing to the very people 
who should know it. Much 
information and valuable 
knowledge is to be found 
if one will spend the time 
to dig it up. To dig it up 
and then place it before 
those moSt . interested to 
know it, is indeed a valu- 
able work. It places this 
book in the front rank of 
utilities for public service. This is the statue of Dr. W. D. Miller referred to in 
preface to first edition of "Modern Dentistry for the 
Laity," published June, 1918. 
ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF 
WILLOUGHBY DAYTON MILLER 
1853-1907 
Dental scientist and educator; benefactor of his 
profession; friend of humanity; a native of Ohio, a 
citizen of the world; by the dentists of the United States, 
December 8, 1915. Eat With Your 
Own Teeth 
' I 'HIS is very possible, providing 
x you visit your dentil periodically, 
so he can deted the Parting of decay 
and prevent the loss of the teeth. 
This sydem is preventive dentistry and 
is the only known method of saving 
the teeth. Generally the dentid is 
consulted so late that the decay has 
already caused the partial or com- 
plete loss of the tooth and makes an 
artificial tooth necessary. This process 
repeated, usually results in the loss of 
all the teeth, making it necessary to 
eat with the dentid's teeth. You can 
eat with your own if you see the 
dentid in time. CONTENTS 
PACK 
Preface to Fourth Edition 9 
Preface to Third Edition 13 
Preface to Second Edition 17 
Preface to First Edition 21 
Chapter I 
Modern Dentistry for the Laity-Origin 
and Progress 25 
Chapter II 
Modern Dentistry-Lecture on the Teeth. . 46 
Chapter III 
Safety Dental Service 65 
Chapter IV 
Evidence of the Value of Preventive Den- 
tistry in Industrial Corporations 77 
Chapter V 
Tooth Troubles and their Relation to Sys- 
temic Troubles 113 
Chapter VI 
The Possible New Life Policy 125 
9 Contents 
Chapter VII 
Dentistry in the Hospital 138 
Chapter VIII 
The Odontalysis 153 
Chapter IX 
The Matter of Statistics 156 
Chapter X 
Itemization of Instruments, Supplies and 
Equipment for Dental Clinics and Den- 
tal Operating Room Floor Plans 163 
Chapter XI 
List of Industrial Companies having Den- 
tal Clinics-List of Hospitals having 
Dental Departments 173 
Chapter XII 
Book Reviews accorded "Modern Dentistry 
for the Laity" and Questionnaire and 
Bibliography 183 
10 PREFACE TO FOURTH 
EDITION 
In printing a fourth edition of 
this book I wish to thank the 
medical and dental profession as 
well as the laity for their gener- 
ous and favorable criticism of my 
work and also express my appre- 
ciation of their interest in my 
endeavor to place the subject of 
dentistry before the public. This 
volume contains a few of the most 
recent articles which I have writ- 
ten for publication in prominent 
magazines, and beside I retain 
some of the older articles which 
so well cover their particular fea- 
tures of the work that they are 
indispensable and are therefore 
included herewith. 
11 Preface 
There is an important point 
that I wish in this preface to 
stress and that is the wonderful 
opportunities that modern den- 
tistry as a science and as a pro- 
fession offers every young man 
about to choose his life work. In 
choosing dentistry one has the op- 
portunity to serve mankind in a 
great calling, which is health, and 
to develop a lasting practice and 
much culture. As dentistry is 
now recognized as a health pro- 
fession, the bond between the 
medical and dental professions 
has grown very close and inter- 
consultations between the profes- 
sions has become a matter of com- 
mon occurrence in the clearing 
up of systemic mal-conditions 
due to tooth conditions for many 
patients. 
12 Preface 
Benefits of Modern Dentistry 
for the Laity work movement will 
grow to great proportions. We 
are just in the beginning of the 
movement and we have just 
found out how to carry on this 
work. A new era is dawning in 
dentistry both in its importance 
as a profession and in its scope 
of utilization by the public as a 
health measure. 
The work of stimulating this 
interest is a non-commercial work 
and carried on wholly out of in- 
terest in the popularization of 
dentistry movement of which this 
work of Modern Dentistry for 
the Laity is one of the principal 
elemental and initial works. 
Alfred A. Crocker. 
January, 1922. 
13 PREFACE TO THIRD 
EDITION 
It is indeed complimentary to 
the subject of dentistry that there 
would be a demand for a third 
edition of this book, and, of 
course, it is a pleasure to respond 
to such a pleased body of readers. 
The interest shown in this work 
has been pronounced, and it is 
hoped that this third edition will 
meet with the same insatiable de- 
mand. The program is strictly 
an educational one, educating 
and informing on a subject which 
has for far too long been dor- 
mant, but now that the author 
has found the way to properly 
present the subject for public 
consumption the response indi- 
15 Preface 
cates that a popular chord has 
been struck and everybody is 
whistling the sweet music. 
Some of the essays of former 
editions have been left out and 
replaced with more recently pub- 
lished articles. One of the fun- 
damental doctrines of the circula- 
tory system, that it conveys 
health or illness, sees its vindica- 
tion in preventive dentistry. 
Toxins carried from the lower 
bowel, causing toxemias of colds 
and grip, are also carried from 
abscessed teeth, causing colds and 
rheumatism. The former fact 
has for a long time been popu- 
larly understood by the laity and 
to-day the later fact about the 
teeth being foci of infection is 
being popularly accepted by the 
16 Preface 
laity too. This volume, along 
with the two previous editions, is 
gratefully dedicated to the dental 
profession, without whose efforts 
for research in dental matters 
many facts now known would 
still be mysteries. 
Alfred A. Crocker. 
January, 1920. 
17 PREFACE TO SECOND 
EDITION 
The importance of Dentistry 
as a health profession has been 
greatly increased by the emphasis 
given the subject of Preventive 
Dentistry and Oral Hygiene dur- 
ing the war. The proving up of 
various relationships of systemic 
disease to oral sepsis has also 
hastened the necessity of bring- 
ing the care of the teeth promi- 
nently before the American 
public. The care of the teeth of 
children as featured in munici- 
pal free dental clinics is a great 
educational work calculated to 
bring in a new generation, well 
informed on the importance of 
care of their teeth. 
19 Preface 
The laity at large would do 
well to take cognizance of the 
significance of children's clinics, 
for what is good for the coming 
generations is good for the pres- 
ent one. A clean and healthy set 
of teeth makes a bright scholar, 
likewise a clean and healthy set 
of teeth makes a successful 
grown-up. This subject is one of 
the principal features of general 
attractiveness. 
In publishing this second edi- 
tion Modern Dentistry for the 
Laity and Industrial Dentistry 
for the Corporation the writer 
has sincere hopes that this pam- 
phlet will help the educational 
contributions of others and bring 
the gospel of Tooth Hygiene to 
everybody, both young and old. 
20 Preface 
The similarity, in some in- 
stances, of these several essays, 
is on account of their having 
been written to cover the subject 
as a synopsis to suit various 
prominent magazines in which 
they were published. It being 
the idea to make each essay cover 
some of the important ground 
and be in itself an argument. 
However, each one has a pro- 
gressive addition of new ideas 
which occurred to the writer as 
the subject progressed. The 
essay "Tooth Troubles," gives an 
idea of what prevention prevents. 
For those interested in establish- 
ing clinics a list of actual require- 
ments is given in the last chapter. 
Alfred A. Crocker. 
January, 1919. 
21 PREFACE TO FIRST 
EDITION 
In writing these short essays 
on dentistry and its application 
to the individual welfare it has 
been the writer's intention to 
point out how decay of the teeth 
is the prime factor in the ulti- 
mate loss of the teeth and also 
how this destructive cause can 
be prevented. Caries, the tech- 
nical dental term used meaning 
decay of the tooth structure, has 
been a prime subject of dentistry 
and has received immense atten- 
tion by the dental profession. 
The investigator who isolated the 
germ of caries, the late Dr. W. 
D. Miller, an American, spent 
years on this subject and we have 
as a result a sure method of pre- 
ventative dentistry. It is to 
23 Preface 
detect the decay. This can only 
be done by a dentist. The opera- 
tion of detecting decay is known 
as prophylaxis. The first monu- 
ment ever erected to a man of 
the dental profession was erected 
on the spacious campus of the 
Ohio State University to the 
memory of Dr. W. D. Miller. 
This statue of Dr. Miller stands 
in a very prominent position of 
the grounds of Ohio's largest 
university. From this you will 
infer the importance and inti- 
mate meaning of this subject of 
decay to humanity. To explain 
this subject and its application 
to every-day efficiency this pam- 
phlet is written. 
Alfred A. Crocker. 
June, 1918. 
24 CHAPTER I 
MODERN DENTISTRY FOR THE LAITY 
-ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS 
The origin of the movement 
for the publicity on dental sub- 
jects rests upon a triangular 
base, very well grounded and of 
sound foundation. The three 
elementary parties to the propa- 
ganda are the public, the dental 
profession and the dental trade. 
Before systematic propaganda 
was started, the small fraction 
of the people having dental work 
done indicated great possibili- 
ties of benefits from better dis- 
tribution of dental knowledge. 
The dentists in writing on the 
subject of care of the teeth and 
preventive dentistry frequently 
25 Modern Dentistry 
exclaimed, "Oh, if the people 
could only understand more 
about the importance of their 
teeth, how grand it wTould be!" 
This indicated that the dental 
profession were seeking some 
avenue of publicity for the neces- 
sity of their work but had not 
yet found it. 
On account of the feeling in 
dental circles regarding advertis- 
ing, the subject of ethical dental 
publicity remained an unsolved 
problem. The dental trade at 
that time seemed hedged off 
from the public without means 
of framing public opinion on 
the importance of their business, 
a privilege enjoyed by most 
every other line of trade you 
can think of. 
26 Modern Dentistry 
The advertising by tooth prepa- 
ration manufacturers has had 
the tendency to leave the impres- 
sion on a great majority of the 
public that a tooth brush and a 
package of paste will preserve 
the teeth. In large type most 
pastes are heralded as tooth 
savers-and by association of 
ideas health preservers-and in 
small type the advertisements 
go on to say, "See your dentist 
semi-annually," which is indeed 
very kind to the profession. 
But as the real importance of 
the relative values of the tooth 
paste and dental service is just 
the other way, the dental service 
being the real tooth saver and 
health provider, it occurred to 
me that a public statement which 
27 Modern Dentistry 
would give all attention to the 
value of dental work and give 
the dentist all credit for the 
ability to preserve the teeth 
without but slightly mentioning 
tooth paste would be the fairer 
method. This led to my giving 
the dental profession large type 
representation and tooth pastes 
small type notice. 
With the above as a state of 
the dormant forces the prepara- 
tions for the war swept over the 
country, bringing every line of 
trade and profession to the front 
that were essential to the safety 
of the nation. Dentistry was 
named as essential, and many a 
recruit found out how essential 
it was when he received his 
notice of dental requirement and 
28 Modern Dentistry 
had to go to a dentist before he 
could be mustered in. This in 
itself was a complete demonstra- 
tion of the possibilities of dental 
propaganda and pointed out to 
me one way it could be done. 
And the time had come wdien it 
could most easily be accom- 
plished, for the word "prepared- 
ness" had assumed a larger 
meaning by including dentistry. 
It occurred to me that a dental 
supply man could take a hand 
in the propaganda of dentistry 
and do a great beneficial work 
to the country, could help the 
dental profession in explaining 
the subject of dentistry to the 
people, extoll the benefits de- 
rived from preventive dentistry, 
and explain the subject of focal 
29 Modern Dentistry 
infection-the same subject 
which had made the specialty 
professions of eye, ear, nose and 
throat so prominent-and at the 
same time bring about a thorough 
understanding of the value and 
importance of the dental busi- 
ness, the business which stands 
behind the dental profession and 
furnishes instruments, materials 
and supplies for the relief of 
humanity through their use in 
the hands of the dental profes- 
sion. These fundamental ideas 
on which the whole subject is 
built and later took form in the 
first edition of my book, "Modern 
Dentistry for the Laity," were 
tested out as time went on and 
in the fall of 1917, by personal 
interviews with representatives 
30 Modern Dentistry 
of each of the three parties 
which form the foundation, I 
convinced myself that the idea 
was favorable to all parties con- 
cerned. During the spring of 
1918 about fifteen articles were 
published and read by the public 
in magazines. Each article was 
a synopsis of the work per- 
formed by a dentist and ex- 
plained the process of decay. 
Besides, the periodical visit to a 
dentist was explained as being 
not only for a tooth cleaning but 
also to detect decay. Announce- 
ment of the progress of this 
work was made to the trade in 
June, 1918, when some of the 
articles which I had succeeded 
in having accepted for publica- 
tion were reprinted in book form 
31 Modern Dentistry 
with a preface and index en- 
titled "Modern Dentistry for the 
Laity." This book was dis- 
tributed to a list of incorporated 
industrial and mining companies 
and railroads, to all public 
libraries, to dentists and to the 
dental trade. From that time 
on the idea began to grow and 
the book was enlarged by addi- 
tional papers that had been pub- 
lished by the time the second 
edition was printed. All lines 
of business eventually find a 
legitimate outlet for a statement 
of their essential place in the 
estimation of the public and 
standardize a method by which 
they can constantly maintain 
public opinion on the benefit of 
their offices to humanity. 
32 Modern Dentistry 
The dental profession had for 
some years been carrying on 
children's clinics which is a form 
of dental propaganda, for it 
reaches the home and directs the 
attention of the coming genera- 
tion to the necessity of care of 
the teeth and the importance of 
seeing a dentist periodically. 
Though this was well taken care 
of by the dentists, it however 
left the adult population without 
direct appeal, and, as war work 
required the adults, the first sub- 
ject to receive my attention was, 
"Dentistry in the Hospital." 
This subject was given an ac- 
celeration and impetus with 
articles in industrial magazines 
on the affiliated subject, "In- 
dustrial Dentistry," for many 
33 Modern Dentistry 
factories had medical service in 
small hospitals and were pros- 
pects for dental service as soon 
as the subject could be thor- 
oughly understood. This was 
very timely and interesting to 
factories doing war work. "In- 
dustrial Dentistry" has been the 
means of reaching a great num- 
ber of people with the gospel of 
dentistry in both the laboring 
and capital classes, and still 
forms one of the most effective 
methods of reaching large num- 
bers of people. It is a business 
proposition and safety welfare 
work of the highest order, com- 
pleting the hospital which is in- 
complete without it. A very 
large field besides this is the 
general hospitals of which there 
34 Modern Dentistry 
are a great many, and of which 
very few have dental depart- 
ments. Literature on this sub- 
ject became necessary and led 
me to make several trips to 
hospitals both with and without 
dental service. From the result- 
ing interviews I wrote the first 
articles the Hospital Magazines 
ever printed on the subject, 
"Dentistry in the Hospital." 
Group diagnosis, the modern 
system in a modern hospital, re- 
quires opinions and findings by 
diagnosis of specialists in all 
branches of the healing art and, 
of course, is incomplete without 
the dental clinician's report of 
tooth condition and his X-Ray 
of the teeth, together with his 
recommendations. The recom- 
35 Modern Dentistry 
mendations of a hospital dental 
clinician cover certain first aid 
work he will do himself to clear 
the patient of the hospital and, 
besides, if necessary, he recom- 
mends further work for the 
patient's dentist to attend to 
when the patient is well again. 
With literature of this kind we 
have something with which we 
can reach the captains of in- 
dustry and help them perfect 
their elaborate systems of safety 
welfare work, and with which 
we can reach the many hospitals 
not yet equipped for dental diag- 
nosis or dental service. In carry- 
ing on this propaganda I have 
clung to the system of free dis- 
tribution of the articles written 
for the general public, because 
36 Modern Dentistry 
the delivery of the subject is in 
the nature of a safety warning. 
Any paper or magazine can 
get an article gratis for the ask- 
ing. Besides, many pamphlets 
have also been distributed free. 
For those especially interested 
in this subject, the book contains 
all the information in condensed 
form, covering various phases of 
dentistry; preventive dentistry 
for the individual; see your den- 
tist; industrial dentistry; den- 
tistry in the hospital; focal in- 
fection; dentistry for life insur- 
ance and odontalysis, and meets 
the demand that has sprung up 
for this subject by those who 
seek it in the book stores and 
public libraries. 
37 Modern Dentistry 
Knowing what we now know 
about the subject, I consider it a 
public trust to deliver the mes- 
sage to every one by every means 
possible. Instead of having 
humanity wait for the slow pro- 
cess of evolution of the unaided 
current thought to bring them 
to the subject of dentistry, dental 
propaganda is accomplishing the 
necessary work by direct and 
efficient methods, bringing the 
subject to them. At the present 
time the medical profession are 
giving great assistance to the sub- 
ject by directing their patients 
to have a dental diagnosis. 
Several medical magazines have 
dental departments, edited by 
dentists. Cities have dental 
health department bulletins. The 
38 Modern Dentistry 
dental profession are very much 
interested in the movement and 
have contributed many articles 
for the press and magazines, and 
have addressed large audiences 
on the subject of care of the 
teeth and their relation to health. 
The American Dental Society 
formed a branch society for the 
industrial dental surgeons at the 
meeting, August, 1918. In 
August, 1919, the Industrial 
Dental Surgeons met with the 
National Safety Council. The 
Life Extension Institute of New 
York has added dental diagnosis 
to its medical supervision. Many 
of the factories using dental 
service print articles on the sub- 
ject of care of the teeth in their 
service department weeklies. 
39 Modern Dentistry 
When I took up this subject, 
only about forty corporations 
had established dental clinics for 
safety tooth work-now there are 
over one hundred and fifty. The 
National Safety Council has in- 
corporated dental service and 
dental prophylaxis in their regu- 
lar schedule for safety control. 
Safety in the factory now- 
adays does not mean merely 
prevention from accidental in- 
jury, it means also prevention 
from injury that eventually 
comes to those not informed on 
various forces that are bound to 
affect their welfare if not 
pointed out by an overseeing 
superintendent or service direc- 
tor, who has at his command 
40 Modern Dentistry 
specialists in various professions 
and sciences making periodical 
examinations. Safety is the 
purpose of all welfare work and 
this now very properly includes 
preventive dentistry. The value 
of this work to the public is that 
it is educating and informing on 
a phase of public health, and 
points the way to prevention of 
tooth troubles. The value of 
this work to the dental profes- 
sion is that it is an assistance to 
the work already being carried 
on in school clinics, and broadens 
the scope of dental publicity in 
a perfectly ethical way which the 
school clinic started. The value 
of this work to the dental trade 
is that it establishes with full 
sanction of both the public and 
41 Modern Dentistry 
dental profession a method by 
which the dental trade can assist 
the dental profession in the dis- 
semination of the importance of 
seeing a dentist for care of the 
teeth. By the methods now 
started the various campaigns 
for teaching the laity about 
dentistry will surely make a 
wonderful change in the amount 
of dentistry performed, for 
annually, numerous people will 
be reached who otherwise would 
neglect that duty to themselves. 
The subject of preventive den- 
tistry is one that needs publicity 
to make it universal. For pre- 
ventive dentistry to prevent it 
will have to get to the people, 
and that only will come by 
publicity. This feature of the 
42 Modern Dentistry 
case makes it real missionary 
work and led to the expression 
of which I have made occasional 
use, that the purpose of this 
publicity being to tell something 
to the very people who should 
know it, places dental propa- 
ganda in the front rank of utili- 
ties for public service. Not only 
for health, but also for appear- 
ance, is dentistry a benefit to 
mankind. Dental methods of 
today make it possible for the 
grandparents to retain their 
youth and appear in public with 
just as pleasing appearance as 
their grandchildren. In den- 
tistry the people find the foun- 
tain of youth. When it is 
realized that every person has 
teeth or wishes he had some, is 
43 Modern Dentistry 
not the subject of preventive 
dentistry interesting-the sub- 
ject which tells how to save the 
teeth by seeing your dentist ? A 
good tooth in the jaw is worth 
ten on a rubber plate, but on the 
other hand a set of false teeth is 
better than one tooth that is a 
focus of infection. 
Educational work of this kind 
is a subject which grows as time 
goes on and will call for differ- 
ent methods, possibly to suit 
changing and progressing con- 
ditions, all of which can be taken 
care of when the time arrives. 
World peace will give industries 
opportunity for closer study of 
dentistry and to plan their 
safety welfare along lines found 
so helpful during the war, by 
44 Modern Dentistry 
including dental as well as medi- 
cal supervision and the hos- 
pitals, to meet the growing neces- 
sity of group diagnosis, will 
install dental equipment and 
retain dental clinicians and indi- 
viduals should see to it that they 
visit their dentist periodically at 
least twice a year for prophy- 
laxis. It is with the intention of 
helping this subject along that I 
have been carrying on the work 
of "Modern Dentistry for the 
Laity." 
45 CHAPTER II 
LECTURE ON THE TEETH 
As we all understand, the teeth 
are coming in more and more for 
their share of attention, and what 
used to be disregarded in their 
care is now regarded as most im- 
portant. The reason for this is 
that we now know positively that 
the teeth have a great deal to do 
with our health and general well 
being. Instead of thinking, "Oh, 
well, if I lose that tooth I can get 
a false one which will do just as 
well," we now take notice and 
say, "I can save that tooth if I 
consult a dentist." False teeth 
are nothing more or less than 
46 Modem Dentistry 
makeshifts to take the place of 
lost teeth, just the same as false 
legs and arms or false eyes are. 
But we seem to be alert to take 
much better care of our arms, 
legs and eyes than of our teeth. 
Possibly it is because we think 
we can get by in fooling most of 
the people with decayed teeth or 
false ones and not realize that it 
all can be prevented just as easily 
as we prevent loss of our arms 
and legs. Possibly it is because 
the subject of saving the teeth by 
preventive dentistry has not been 
brought up in the right way, or 
because the need of seeing a den- 
tist in consultation on tooth con- 
ditions has not been considered in 
an equal degree as the need of 
calling in a physician when you 
47 Modern Dentistry 
feel ill. This is natural, however, 
and is because tooth decay, which 
is one of the causes of ultimate 
loss of the teeth, is painless, and 
the process of decay, if not pre- 
vented or stopped, continues un- 
til the tooth aches, and then den- 
tal surgical treatment is the only 
means left of saving the utility of 
the tooth. 
Thus we go on thinking we are 
all right until suddenly a terrific 
pain starts up-then to the den- 
tist we go. From a dentist's point 
of view this is most lamentable, 
although we have been doing 
what we thought was all right; 
but in reality it was just the 
wrong thing. 
Now the prevention of decay is 
so important that the dental pro- 
48 Modern Dentistry 
fession recently recognized the 
great work of Dr. W. D. Miller, 
by placing a monument to his 
memory on the grounds of the 
Ohio State University. Dr. Mil- 
ler did a great deal of research 
work on dental subjects and es- 
pecially on prevention of decay, 
and brought the subject up in 
such a form that when one once 
grasps the idea of preventing de- 
cay, one can actually do it. This 
requires periodical examination 
of the teeth by a dentist at least 
twice a year, so as to stop the ad- 
vance of decay if any has started. 
Home care of the teeth by use of 
tooth brush and dentifrices is 
commendable and necessary for 
cleanliness, but absolutely useless 
so far as preventing decay, as 
49 Modern Dentistry 
most of us have found out; for 
decay takes place in spite of all 
household attempts to prevent it. 
Why is this ? Simply that the de- 
cay starts in the crevices between 
the teeth, where the home efforts 
to keep them clean do not reach. 
For this reason it becomes neces- 
sary to see a dentist regularly for 
tooth cleaning and examination 
and detection of decay, if any. 
A dentist can properly exam- 
ine the teeth, where it is impos- 
sible for the individual to do it 
himself. 
Decay after it gets started, and 
not interfered with or stopped by 
the dentist by a filling, continues 
on its course of destruction and 
eventually finishes by the decay 
reaching the nerve pulp-and a 
50 Modern Dentistry 
terrific pain announces this stage. 
If one still refuses to go to a den- 
tist the tooth is doomed, and very 
often it is too late and the only 
way to save the utility of the 
tooth is to save the tooth struc- 
ture by extracting the nerve and 
thus leaving a dead tooth in the 
mouth. This is often done, and 
by the present method of root- 
canal filling and treatment the 
tooth lasts very well for years, 
especially if the patient is young. 
However, after middle life the 
ultimate abscess of this tooth be- 
gins to accrue. This is where the 
periodical visit to a dentist again 
comes in very valuable for the 
patient, because a dentist looks at 
this feature of teeth with root- 
canal filling, and at periods X- 
51 Modern Dentistry 
rays them to detect the oncoming 
of the abscess. You may ask why 
that abscess comes. All we know 
about it is that it is nature's 
method of getting rid of a dead 
tooth. Then you may ask, why 
did not the dentist extract it at 
first? According to present-day 
ideas, the opinion is divided, but 
the consensus of opinion is that it 
is good dentistry to save the dead 
tooth for its utility as long as pos- 
sible, for as long as it is in health- 
ful condition it is far better than 
a false tooth, both in utility and 
beauty of appearance. People 
who have followed the preventive 
dentistry method have very few 
fillings in their teeth and those 
are small, and besides they gen- 
erally have their own teeth. Peo- 
52 Modern Dentistry 
pie who have paid some attention, 
but not a great deal, to their teeth 
have large fillings and some false 
teeth, and perhaps later on will 
have all false teeth. People who 
disregard all attention to their 
teeth have a hard time of it when 
at last they have to go to a dentist. 
The accepted theory of decay is 
that it is the result of localized 
acid conditions in the mouth, 
caused by fermentative action of 
small bacteria held on the surface 
of the enamel of the teeth by filmy 
plaques of food substances. Be- 
tween the teeth, where the tooth 
brush or floss have missed, these 
plaques harbor the acid forming 
conditions which dissolve out the 
lime salts of the enamel and the 
dentine or tooth structure, mak- 
53 Modern Dentistry 
ing additional lodgment space in 
the cavity as it proceeds for addi- 
tional bacteria. When it is under- 
stood and realized that this germ 
of caries or decay multiplies at 
the rate of four million per min- 
ute, you will realize what an ac- 
tive enemy you have to deal with 
in preventing decay. The idea of 
going to a dentist twice a year is 
to permit him to detect the places 
where decay has started and to 
fill the small cavities. It takes 
about a year of continual activity 
of the decaying process to reach 
the pulp of the tooth after start- 
ing at the enamel of the tooth, so 
you see an examination every six 
months leaves a good margin of 
safety for the vitality of the 
tooth. 
54 Modern Dentistry 
To show you the value of regu- 
lar inspection of the teeth for de- 
tection of decay, and general 
cleaning to prevent further de- 
cay, stopping what cavities there 
were with fillings, I ask you to 
study the following table: 
O o hN 
Cl 475 Cl Cl CO 
rH r-i rH rH 
CO CO 
Cl o 
w 
co us 
Cl Ci Cl 
t- 00 00 C» o > > u* u 
L t. 
52 2? 2© ©a a a 
a a 
a a aS 
22 22 Su << 
<< 
Diphtheria .... 6 2 1 0 0 
0 
1 0 
Mumps 8 3 10 4 0 
0 
0 0 
Scarlet Fever ..17 8 12 8 0 
0 
0 0 
Pneumonia .... 3 5 4 6 0 
0 
0 0 
Measles 24 50 40 25 0 
0 
6 0 
Tongilltis 19 IS 8 3 0 
0 
0 0 
Whooping Cough 7 2 2 0 0 
0 
0 0 
Chicken Pox ..15 17 10 6 0 
0 
0 0 
•Croup 4 0 0 0 0 
0 
0 0 
This is the record kept of chil- 
dren's diseases in an orphan asy- 
Inm before and after work and 
periodical prophylaxis of the 
teeth was started. Work was 
started in November, 1910, and in 
* School statistics by Dr. Alfred C. Fones. 
55 Modern Dentistry 
April, 1911, the mouth of the last 
child had been put in order. No- 
tice that for nearly four years 
after the starting of dental care 
the diseases of children had been 
practically eliminated. The six 
cases of measles occurring during 
1913 were caused by a new child, 
whose mouth was in bad condi- 
tion on entering; and the children 
infected were all in need of ad- 
ditional dental work. The one 
case of diphtheria was also from 
a new child with bad teeth. 
t Similar results are found after 
dental care of adults. These re- 
markable results are also reiter- 
ated in the report from a large 
industry, where 2,002 men and 
women were employed. Dental 
+ Industrial statistics by Dr. Thaddeus P. 
Hyatt. 
56 Modem Dentistry 
work was started in 1917. Out of 
the 2,002 patients it was found 
that there were 9,139 cavities, or 
an average of 4.6 cavities per pa- 
tient. There were 1,230 badly de- 
cayed teeth, or an average of 0.6 
per patient. They had lost 9,320 
teeth, or an average of 4.7 per in- 
dividual. Of those examined 951, 
or 47.5 per cent., showed inflamed 
gums, 68 had abscessed teeth, 
with pus flowing into the mouth, 
and 161 additional cases showed 
pyorrhea, of which 62 had 
reached the pus stage. These fig- 
ures are quoted not because they 
are in any way indicative of an 
excessive amount of dental im- 
pairment, hut rather as an indi- 
cation of what may be expected in 
any representative group of sim- 
57 Modern Dentistry 
ilar size. The first work attended 
to in all these patients was to 
place all teeth in good condition 
by filling all cavities, treating all 
abscesses and pyorrhea condi- 
tion, and having false teeth to re- 
place the vacant spaces. After 
this work was done by each pa- 
tient's family dentist, the insti- 
tute dentist, who had diagnosed 
each case and recommended the 
work that had been done, checked 
up each case; and thereafter by 
the periodical prophylaxis and 
detection of additional decay, if 
any started, kept all these pa- 
tients in good mouth condition 
and materially helped their 
health and increased their pro- 
duction. This work showed the 
first year reduction in the follow- 
58 Modern Dentistry 
ing ailments of remarkable per- 
centage: Neuralgia and Neuritis 
75 per cent., Colds 16 per cent., 
Headaches 52 per cent., Skin 
Troubles 53 per cent., Nervous 
Troubles 40 per cent. 
The next subject for our con- 
sideration, one which if not 
watched and prevented also leads 
to the loss of the teeth is pyor- 
rhea. Pyorrhea is a metabolic 
disturbance of the human system, 
which manifests itself by salivary 
calculus deposit on the teeth, 
which in turn sets up gingival 
irritation of the gums, increasing 
the bacterial production of germs 
in the mouth to a pathogenic de- 
gree. The blood attracted to the 
gums by this pathogenic condi- 
tion causes congestion, a swollen 
59 Modern Dentistry 
condition of the gums, and the 
white corpuscles of the blood are 
killed by millions in their en- 
deavor to ward off the danger of 
the bacteria which are in control. 
These dead corpuscles form the 
pus which is present in this con- 
dition. Underneath the gums a 
still greater damage is going on. 
The necrosis of the jaw bone, due 
to breaking down of the periden- 
tal membrane, uncovers the roots 
of the teeth and lessens the tooth 
anchorage, causing the teeth to 
become loose. Cleanliness of the 
teeth is absolutely necessary to 
prevent it, that is, the pathogenic 
germs found normally in the 
mouth should be continually un- 
der control. Deposits of tartar 
on the teeth are a frequent cause 
60 Modern Dentistry 
of incipient pyorrhea, and if not 
removed and the gums healed 
lead to the further stages of the 
trouble. Of course, where this 
progresses it is because of the 
neglect by the patient or lack of 
information by not going to a 
dentist. While the teeth them- 
selves may be perfect as to fillings 
and decay, their contact with the 
gums and jaw bone or alveolar 
process in which they rest be- 
comes insecure, and the con- 
stantly increasing army of bac- 
teria which the white corpuscles 
of the blood can not control con- 
sumes the peridental membrane, 
which is the safety lining of the 
tooth root and tooth socket. This 
gone, necrosis of the bone sets in, 
and soon the teeth are so loose 
61 Modern Dentistry 
that the gum alone can't hold 
them and they drop out. Pyor- 
rhea is also caused by the irrita- 
tion of margins of the gum by 
tartar, toothpicks, hard tooth 
brushes, impacted decomposed 
food particles not promptly re- 
moved, and injury to the gum 
from malocclusion. There are 
other causes, but the ones men- 
tioned are all within the jurisdic- 
tion of each patient to prevent. 
Another subject I wish to touch 
upon is the relation of tooth and 
gum condition to the general 
health. In discussing decay I 
mentioned the abscess which 
eventually comes at the roots of 
devitalized teeth, and under the 
subject of pyorrhea the abscessed 
condition of the peridental mem- 
62 Modern Dentistry 
brane and gum sockets. The 
white corpuscles of the blood in 
coagulating at these abscessed 
centers in order to counteract the 
trouble are killed and accumu- 
late, forming pus which then is a 
poison and is reabsorbed in the 
blood stream along with the ex- 
cess of bacterial production. This 
goes direct to the heart and 
thence to all parts of the body. 
While infection of this kind can 
take place from any part of the 
body such infection coming from 
the teeth and recognized as such 
has cleared up many cases of 
neuralgia, neuritis, rheumatism, 
deafness, insanity, coryza, head- 
ache-almost the entire category 
of bacterial diseases formerly 
called incurable or chronic. 
63 Modern Dentistry 
Another feature of the neces- 
sity of care of the teeth is that 
their original function is to prop- 
erly prepare the food for diges- 
tion and assimilation. A uniform 
ration of food as required by the 
body requires a uniform predi- 
gestive apparatus and indicates 
the necessary upkeep of the teeth 
to maintain sufficient teeth in 
good order to derive sufficient 
nourishment from the ration for 
active participation in your voca- 
tion. 
The object of this work is to 
develop an informed public. We 
more readily accept things that 
we understand. 
64 CHAPTER III 
SAFETY DENTAL SERVICE 
"Industrial Dentistry a Great 
Aid in Industrial Medical 
Supervision/' 
For many years medical serv- 
ice in large factories lias been rec- 
ognized by leading safety welfare 
workers, and consequently indus- 
trial medical care has become a 
great department in the physical 
care of employees and a great 
factor in their better health, more 
continuous production and hap- 
pier homes, and for the factory 
it has reduced absenteeism and 
labor turn-over. The idea of tak- 
ing care of accidental injuries 
and sickness suggested their pre- 
65 Modern Dentistry 
vention, for on a group such as is 
found in all factories a regular 
schedule of preventive measures 
can be carried out. If, unless cer- 
tain preventive measures are car- 
ried out, accidental injury or 
sickness are bound to occur, why 
not put the emphasis on preven- 
tion and also be ready to take care 
of the injury if it accidentally 
does happen? 
Group diagnosis is the outcome 
of this course of reasoning and 
eventually brought the subject of 
dentistry into consideration as a 
preventive measure, for many 
human ills have been recognized 
by the medical profession to be 
due to the teeth. This brought 
the dentist into the breach as a 
sustainer of health and thereby a 
66 Modern Dentistry 
factor in production. Dental care 
was placed on the regular sched- 
ule for safety control at the meet- 
ing of the National Safety Coun- 
cil in Philadelphia, October, 1915, 
and since has shown a gradual 
increase in adoption, there being 
now over 150 companies operat- 
ing dental departments in their 
medical supervision. 
As an example of how helpful 
this work is toward reducing ill- 
ness, here is the case of a large 
industry employing 1,800 people. 
Several years ago their medical 
supervisor recommended the in- 
stallation of a dental department 
for safety tooth work, and these 
1,800 people were examined den- 
tally, the dentist charting each 
mouth. The results showed 9,520 
67 Modern Dentistry 
cavities, 3,450 missing teeth, 170 
pyorrhea cases, 850 with ab- 
scessed teeth. These are the usual 
findings in most groups of this 
kind where dental work has not 
been the vogue. The dental clini- 
cian gave each patient a card in- 
dicating the necessary work and 
directing that the family dentist 
do the work. When it was done 
it was checked in by the factory 
clinician. Compared with pre- 
vious years, which records in the 
medical department showed, the 
reduction in maladies as a result 
of this dental work was marvel- 
ous. The reductions were big; 
for instance, colds 50%, head- 
aches 60%, rheumatism 60%, 
boils and carbuncles 70%, nerv- 
ous trouble 40%. This means 
68 Modern Dentistry 
that where before dental atten- 
tion there were 100 cases of colds, 
after dental attention there were 
only fifty cases, etc. 
After once getting all the teeth 
of patients in order the dental 
clinician by periodical prophy- 
laxis and cleaning, keeps them in 
good order, for by his preventive 
work he can prevent further de- 
cay or pyorrhea, from which all 
other tooth and related systemic 
troubles follow. To do this he 
must see each patient at least 
twice a year. Medical supervision 
in factories has had a great deal 
of preventive work to carry out- 
much more than is generally sup- 
posed. Many patients after ex- 
amination have been found to be 
needing eye glasses or hernial 
69 Modern Dentistry 
trusses or minor operations, such 
as adenoids or tonsils, and some- 
times larger operations, such as 
tumor or appendicitis; and many 
have been found under weight, 
with tubercular tendencies. 
Looked at in a preventive sense 
they are just the same in impor- 
tance as dental operations, such 
as fillings, replacement of empty 
spaces with false teeth, treatment 
of abscessed teeth and pyorrhea 
and extraction of teeth too far 
gone to save, etc. 
As a completement to the regu- 
lar medical work dental care is 
necessary, and where group diag- 
nosis is attempted, dental super- 
vision is found to be indispen- 
sable for accurate and definite 
results, as many cases formerly 
70 Modern Dentistry 
classed as chronic or incurable 
are cleared up by dentistry. 
For the factory, medical super- 
vision is one of the best steadiers 
of employment. It reduces turn- 
over through health maintenance. 
Instead of permitting employees 
to get ill and lose jobs through 
illness, their health is maintained 
and they are kept on the job. 
This method reduces turn-over, 
which in itself is known to cost at 
least sixty dollars per person. In 
some factories, where the class of 
work is technical and skilled, the 
cost of turn-over is much greater. 
Hence all the more importance 
of keeping turn-over at a mini- 
mum. The value of dental work 
in this direction is estimated at 
71 Modem Dentistry 
from one-sixth to one-fifth of the 
entire medical supervision. 
Dentistry in the factory need 
only to be thoroughly understood 
to be universally adopted. 
As a selling talk to corporation 
managers, who, through their 
medical departments are urged to 
install dental equipment for 
safety tooth work, we would say 
that the principal benefits to a 
corporation from dentistry in the 
factory are derived through 
health maintenance. This has its 
effect on reduction of turnover of 
labor and decrease of hours lost 
from production; in other words, 
increase of production. Dentis- 
try is no more welfare work than 
is medical care. Both are safety 
welfare work, and that is differ- 
72 Modern Dentistry 
ent, for this means a benefit first 
to the labor element which is for 
the purpose of maintenance of 
health for production. In each 
plant the idea is maintenance of 
production for the specific output 
that it manufactures. As it is 
known that the cost of hiring and 
teaching the initial steps in the 
work and dismissal of each em- 
ploye is about $60, the reduction 
of turnover is valued at the rate 
of $60 per person. In large fac- 
tories the reduction is in figures 
which make the work pay splen- 
didly with a big margin over the 
cost of the work involved in the 
entire medical department of 
which the dental service is a part. 
Mutual aid and safety welfare in 
operation are almost identical. If 
73 Modem Dentistry 
the employes pay for it, it is mu- 
tual aid; if the employer pays for 
it, it is safety welfare work. 
Plain welfare work does not ex- 
ist in factories, for that expres- 
sion applies in community work 
and so-called welfare centers. 
Safety welfare is human mainte- 
nance and efficiency work along 
scientific lines for the benefit of 
production. Plain welfare work 
is relief of suffering and care of 
the needy for humanity's sake. 
When feeling exists over safety 
work it is due 'to a misunder- 
standing of the difference be- 
tween safety welfare and plain 
welfare. Besides, another differ- 
ence is that safety welfare merely 
indicates what ought to be done 
74 Modern Dentistry 
and welfare actually does relief 
work. 
To go a little further with this 
calculation of the money value of 
the saving by reduction of turn- 
over. On an operative force of 
one thousand a turnover of one 
hundred and fifty per cent, was 
experienced in one factory doing 
the same class of work that an- 
other with two hundred per cent, 
turnover. One had medical and 
dental service and the other had 
not. According to the unit sav- 
ing of $60 for individuals, the 
saving to the company having 
medical and dental service on five 
hundred men was $30,000. If we 
estimated that the dental phase 
of this work was one-fifth, the 
dental department saved $6,000. 
75 Modem Dentistry 
In the same factory the hours 
saved by the dental department 
was two thousand, giving each 
hour saved a sales value of two 
dollars, this makes $4,000 saved; 
together these two items total 
$10,000 as a credit for the dental 
service. While these figures are 
not exact, they give a basis on 
which a calculation of the value 
of dental service to a factory can 
be made. 
76 Dr. J. P. Becker and assistant at the R. K. 
LeBlond Machine Tool Co.'s Dental 
Clinic giving Prophylaxis. CHAPTER IV 
EVIDENCE OF THE VALUE OF PRE- 
VENTIVE DENTISTRY TO IN- 
DUSTRIAL CORPORATIONS 
In my work of presenting the 
subject of Preventative Dentis- 
try to manufacturing corpora- 
tions, various industrial and 
trade magazines have accepted 
my articles, believing in the 
fundamental benefits of good 
dental advice to humanity, al- 
though the subject of dentistry 
is foreign to the general subject 
and class of trade to which their 
magazines are devoted. The 
regular dental publications which 
are read mostly, and I might say 
almost exclusively, by the dental 
profession and trade have been 
77 Modern Dentistry 
filled for years with the subject 
of Preventative Dentistry, and 
the wish has often been expressed 
that its benefits to public health 
be brought to the knowledge of 
the public. 
Industrial managers, all over 
the country are interested in the 
subject, and you will find it as 
one of the principal items of 
safety welfare work as outlined 
by the National Safety Council. 
In reply to my questionnaire 
mailed in October, 1918, to vari- 
ous companies using the dental 
service system, the following re- 
plies have been received: * 
* Several magazines have used these letters 
without reference to their being taken from 
this book. These are the . original letters, 
however, and we have them on file in our 
office.-Alfred A. Crocker. 
See Questionnaire at end of book. 
78 Modern Dentistry 
The Joseph & Feiss Co., Cleveland, say: 
While it is difficult to trace the defi- 
nite results of benefit obtained from this 
work we feel convinced after six years' 
experience that it should be classed along 
with medicine and surgery in first aid 
work. 
I am not able to answer questions as 
to the relative importance of dentistry 
and medicine. We are convinced with- 
out drawing any comparison that den- 
tistry, medicine and eye work form an 
essential and profitable part of our work 
and are all of them a tremendous aid in 
the development of steady and efficient 
men and women. 
Sincerely yours, 
ej :fy Ernest Joseph. 
Armour & Co., Chicago, say: 
We would advise you that we have 
had our dental work going such a short 
time, we are unable to draw any con- 
clusions as to the effect of this work 
upon efficiency, lost time or quality of 
finished product. We feel that, in 
principle, this department should have 
an influence on all of these items, but 
79 Modern Dentistry 
as yet, we have been unable to ascertain 
just what it is. The results of the Den- 
tal Department are more or less in- 
tangible and are similar to welfare and 
medical work,-in that they increase the 
morale and loyalty and efficiency of 
employees, all of which are extremely 
beneficial to any employer of labor. 
It has been our aim, for the present 
at least, to make our Dental Department 
more educational than anything else, and 
if we succeed in teaching our people the 
value of caring for their teeth, we shall 
feel that the department has been a suc- 
cess. We can say, confidently that it is 
our belief that the Dental Department 
is an institution with us which will re- 
main. Yours very truly, 
Armour & Co., 
hge :ga II. G. Ellerd. 
The Dayton Metal Products Co., Day- 
ton, say: 
It encourages us to know that many 
other large industries are interested in 
this comparatively new branch of wel- 
fare work, which is of such vital impor- 
tance at this time. They have awakened 
to the fact that there is a very close con- 
80 Modern Dentistry 
nection between Mouth Infection and 
Systemic Diseases, that good teeth means 
good health, and good health means 
efficiency. 
There never was a time in the history 
of our country when it was so necessary 
to bend every effort toward the mainte- 
nance of human efficiency than at pre- 
sent. 
This work has saved us 21,031 hours 
so far this year. 
Yours very truly, 
The Dayton Metal Products Co., 
mh. Dr. H. B. Millhoff, Clinician. 
The Emporium, San Francisco, say: 
Our Clinic is open daily from 9 to 
12 and we handle on an average, 200 
cases each month. We find that our 
employees are very eager to take advant- 
age of the opportunity of having good 
work done, with the least expenditure 
of time and effort. 
It certainly ranks with medicine and 
surgery as a welfare feature and we find 
that the two branches work splendidly 
together. We have arranged to have 
all appointments made during store time 
81 Modern Dentistry 
without any deduction for the time lost, 
and we are confident that our employees 
are not abusing this privilege, but are 
grateful not only for the temporary relief 
but for the permanent treatment which 
our dentist gives. 
Yours very truly, 
The Emporium, 
Miss Leslie Wilde, 
lw:eht. Assistant Welfare Director. 
Kabo Corset Co., Chicago, say: 
We are pleased to state we consider 
dentistry in factories as of more benefit 
than either medicine or surgery. The 
results of dentistry in our factory have 
in many ways exceeded our expectations. 
Dentistry in our factory has saved 
our employees, as well as ourselves, over 
2,000 hours in the past six months, time 
which would have been counted as lost 
working time, as well as protecting said 
employees from the clutches of unscru- 
pulous advertisers and incompetent prac- 
titioners. It has increased production in 
proportion to working hours saved. 
The preventative features of dentistry 
are not apparent to everyone, such as 
82 Modern Dentistry 
medicine and surgery is, but it is these 
preventative features which lead us to ex- 
press the opinion that dentistry exceeds 
in benefit and importance to either medi- 
cine or surgery. 
We have one instance in which we are 
confident a valuable employee was saved 
from insanity and a great many cases 
where pyorrhea was prevented, thereby 
saving the employee and ourselves much 
valuable time for work that would have 
eventually been lost. 
We do not hesitate in saying that we 
consider dentistry, and especially pre- 
ventative dentistry, as of equal import- 
ance to medicine and surgery as welfare 
features in any corporation. 
Yours very truly, 
Kabo Corset Company, 
By Frederick H. Mill, 
Mgr. Ind. Serv. Dept. 
Lord & Taylor, New York, say: 
Our dental clinic is operated under 
the supervision of the Department of In- 
struction and Training. You may de- 
duct from this that it is a part of the 
educational scheme. We compel an oral, 
83 Modern Dentistry 
as well as a physical examination, of all 
those entering our employ, for the pur- 
pose of doing preventative work. The 
clinic is still in an experimental stage 
and we are not prepared to give statistics. 
Yours very truly, 
Isabella Bkandow, 
Department of Instructions 
and Training. 
The T. Eaton Co., Limited, Toronto, 
say: 
We find that the most apparent result 
of dentistry in our establishment is the 
emergency work which usually retains 
the individual at work who would other- 
wise have to have treatment outside and 
thereby lose from an hour or two, to half 
a day, or perhaps longer. 
The work of our dentist is confined to 
giving relief in cases of toothache, giv- 
ing advice, making examinations, charts, 
and when necessary, making X-Ray 
plates for employees to take to their own 
dentist, and the cleaning of teeth. 
We consider that it increases efficiency 
inasmuch as an improved physical con- 
dition is bound to have this effect. 
84 Modem Dentistry 
It has been of undoubted benefit to 
numbers of our employees, whose ap- 
preciation is evidenced by the numbers 
who take advantage of it. 
Yours truly, 
The T. Eaton Co., Limited, 
r. Per P. L. Reid. 
The Ford Motor Co., Detroit, say: 
Will state that the dental work done 
at this plant so far has been very limited. 
We have had one dentist for the past 
year who devotes his time exclusively to 
dental work called for through injuries 
received by employees while at work, and 
to the inspection given to employees who 
come under our observation requiring 
dental attention. 
It is impossible to definitely estimate 
the good done by this department, but to 
date we have no cause to regret the in- 
stallation of the dental department, and 
contemplate increasing its scope in the 
future. 
Respectfully, 
J. E. Mead, 
jem :her. Chief Surgeon. 
85 Modem Dentistry 
H. J. Heinz Co., Pittsburg, say: 
We can not give specific answers to 
your questions, because none of our wel- 
fare features was ever undertaken with 
the conscious purpose of improving our 
output or our profits. When we add any 
new feature for the benefit of employees, 
the determining factor is whether the em- 
ployees will be interested and will take 
advantage. Consequently, we have never 
figured the dollars and cents value of 
our Dental Department, or made any ob- 
servation as to reduction of lost time. 
The department is in charge of a grad- 
uate, experienced dentist, who does all 
sorts of dental work except bridgework. 
This work is done on the Company's time 
and at the Company's expense. We do 
feel, however, that more important than 
dental surgery is instruction in oral hy- 
giene, and so our man always teaches his 
patients the use of the toothbrush and of 
dentifrices. This element of the work ex- 
tends beyond the factory, for the em- 
ployees carry into their homes and to the 
neighborhood the gospel of the tooth- 
brush. Yours very truly, 
H. J. Heinz Company, 
cfo:m By C. F. Ohliger. 
86 Modern Dentistry 
The Narrow Fabric Co., Reading, say: 
It is, of course, exceedingly difficult 
to measure the benefits derived from a 
department of this kind. However, we 
do know that we are experiencing a grad- 
ual and consistent increase in the per- 
sonal efficiency of our employees, in the 
decrease in illness, absenteeism, and 
other evils which decrease production. 
In most instances, we have arranged 
for a regular semi-annual examination of 
the teeth of our employees. In this way 
the cavities are discovered before they 
have progressed very far. Inasmuch as 
this results, of course, in the preservation 
of the natural teeth, the beneficial effects 
in the personal health and efficiency of 
the employee inevitably follow. 
We can say, without reservation, that 
the results fully equal our expectations; 
that it has reduced the number of hours 
lost through illness, and has, consequent- 
ly, increased to that extent, the output 
of the mill. While, of course, dentistry 
is not quite as vitally needed to take care 
of accident cases or persons suffering 
from acute illnesses, nevertheless, we be- 
lieve that in the long run, preventative 
dentistry is as important as medicine, 
87 Modern Dentistry 
and that it frequently prevents the neces- 
sity of resorting to the latter. 
Respectfully, 
The Narrow Fabric Company, 
jek :evf J. E. Kissinger. 
The National Cash Register Co., Day- 
ton, say: 
We realize that it has been of ma- 
terial benefit to those employees who have 
received treatment, and without a doubt 
is as necessary as the medical treatment. 
Yours truly, 
W. A. Pearson, 
rnh :cw Welfare Dept. 
D. H. Holmes Co., Ltd., New Orleans, 
say: 
Our dentist. Dr. J. S. Hull, spends two 
hours, from 8:30 to 10:30 a. m., with us. 
Every employee knows that he or she is 
welcome to dental service. However, it 
is the duty of the welfare secretary to see 
that attention is given to the teeth 
whether the store dentist is used or not, 
and to urge the employees to keep their 
appointments with the dentist. 
88 Modern Dentistry 
Even at the beginning the response on 
the part of the employees was gratifying, 
but it was necessary to urge in many 
cases that the appointment be kept. We 
do not insist that our dentist be used, 
but we do insist that care be taken of the 
teeth. 
Our reports show that 72 per cent, of 
our employees make use of our dentist. 
Most of the work has been general filling 
and treatment. The dentist found many 
bad cases of neglect, but on the whole we 
were surprised at the prompt response 
which met our dental offer. The equip- 
ping of our dental office was our greatest 
expense. 
We pay for all materials used and we 
find that we are more than repaid. We 
consider that most diseases are enhanced, 
if not produced, by bad teeth. Our gen- 
eral health has improved and we lay a 
great part of this improvement at the 
door of the dentist's office. 
The instructing in dental hygiene and 
the advice about toothbrushes, etc., is left 
entirely to the dentist, although through- 
out the year at least three lectures on 
the teeth have been given for the benefit 
of all the employees in the store. 
89 Modern Dentistry 
Our dentist's report for the last six 
months is most gratifying and shows that 
the teeth of a large per cent, of our nine 
hundred employees are being examined 
and properly attended to semi-annually. 
We are very happy to tell you of this 
work. 
Very truly yours, 
D. H. Holmes Co., Ltd. 
Per Lois Janvier, 
lj:ad. Welfare Secretary. 
To my second questionnaire 
mailed August, 1921, the follow- 
ing very interesting replies were 
received. These are but a few 
who replied to this questionnaire 
but as space does not permit pub- 
lishing all I trust it will be un- 
derstood that while I can not pub- 
lish all of them here, the valuable 
information contained in the re- 
plies not printed has helped me 
90 Modern Dentistry 
to present this very important 
subject in a much better form.* 
A. G. Spalding & Bros, say: 
A. G. Spalding & Bros, completed 
the re-organization of their Medical 
Departments by establishment of a Den- 
tal Clinic April 1, 1920. 
The Medical Department had existed 
as such for five years previous, and the 
need of dental work impressed itself 
upon us from the data obtained in ex- 
amining groups of men for employment. 
At least eighty per cent, of the indus- 
trial classes required some form of den- 
tal work. Probably not more than 
twenty per cent, of this class under- 
stand the value of dental prophylaxis, 
and more than this number make daily 
use of the toothbrush or cleansing prep- 
arations. 
When one sees large groups of men 
from this class of society you are im- 
pressed by their premature age. Many 
have suffered lost time and efficiency 
*These letters are for the exclusive use of 
this book only and are answers to my 
questionnaire of August, 1921. 
91 Modem Dentistry 
from the rheumatic group of diseases. 
Stomach and intestinal disorders are 
common. Early arteriosclerosis is a 
very common disease. If industrial 
medicine is going to make any improve- 
ment among this class of people the 
work must be complete in all details. 
We felt that if we hoped to accomplish 
anything material in preventative medi- 
cine a dental department connected with 
our plant hospital was essential. It 
saves the lost time of labor seeking den- 
tal appointments far from their work. 
It prevents the worthy case from going 
astray in the selection of a high grade 
dentist, and by having a dentist on duty 
within the plant the lesson of dental 
hygiene is more early impressed and his 
services are much more likely to be 
sought. 
The clinic is situated in a room in 
our plant hospital, outfitted with the 
most modern and complete equipment 
procurable. A local dentist of high 
repute devotes four hours of his morn- 
ing daily to the work. All work is pro- 
vided free, the man losing only the time; 
since sixty per cent, of the force is on 
a piece-work basis. The cost to the com- 
pany for the free dental work is mini- 
92 Modern Dentistry 
mized to the cost of upkeep of our wel- 
fare departments. The foremost thought 
in all of this dental work is the teaching 
of oral hygiene. The dentist explains to 
each case while in the chair the impor- 
tance of good teeth, and how they may 
be preserved. 
It is always difficult to transpose any 
form of welfare work to a basis of dol- 
lars or labor hours. If the labor turn- 
over can be cut, and increased labor 
efficiency obtained through the welfare 
medical work, the expense as a capital 
item has been justified. We feel that a 
dental department has paid for itself in 
the way it has been accepted by our 
employees. The idea to them is a popu- 
lar one, their support is our index of 
approval. During the nine months of 
1920 there were 1,312 dental appoint- 
ments, 87 extractions, 167 cleanings, 972 
fillings and 95 treatments. 
To us the installation of this depart- 
ment has been highly satisfactory. It 
is appreciated by the employees and 
there is no suggestion of a discontinu- 
ance of this department. 
Very truly yours, 
P. M. Cort, 
Medical Director. 
93 Modern Dentistry 
Hood Rubber Co. say: 
1. How or through which primary 
cause was your Dental Clinic estab- 
lished ? 
Answer: It became evident that in 
order to treat diseases of the human 
anatomy that it was necessary to con- 
sider the oral cavity a part of the body, 
and treat diseases of same as in any 
other area. Therefore, medical and sur- 
gical dentistry was applied to our 
service. 
2. Is Dental Clinic being operated 
as part of the Medical Department? If 
not, in what particular or definite way 
does it fit in with your Industrial (or 
Hospital) Service? 
Answer: Yes. 
3. Cite at least six (6) serious 
cases of systemic disorders diagnosed 
through condition of teeth and mouth 
(X-ray) and then corrected or cured 
primarily by Dental Clinic. 
Answer: Many cases of arthritis, 
general debility and toxic poisoning. 
4. How many cases per month do 
you refer to your Dental Radiographer? 
Answer: About fifty. 
94 Modern Dentistry 
5. Is your Dental Clinic-operated 
either as a part of the Medical or as a 
distinct unit of the Industrial (Hospi- 
tal) Service-a paying proposition? 
Can you state or estimate approxi- 
mately the annual saving in labor hours 
or dollars? Also give average number 
of employees. 
Answer: (a) Yes, from a stand- 
point of service rendered. (b) No. 
(c) 8,500 employees. 
Am enclosing answers to question- 
naire which you mailed to Hood Rubber 
Company for answers. Your letter was 
referred to me and trust they are satis- 
factory. 
Respectfully yours, 
Robt. R. Rich, D.M.D., 
Dental Director. 
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. 
say: 
Your letter and questionnaire dated 
August 12th have been referred to me 
for answer, and I hope the following in- 
formation will be of value to you in your 
work. 
95 Modern Dentistry 
Question 1. The following was pub- 
lished in the Daily Bulletin, February 
7, 1915: 
"As announced by the Vice-President 
last year in his addresses to the Home 
Office staff, the Company proposed to 
establish a modern, up-to-date dental 
clinic, in which opportunity will be 
given to the Home Office employees to 
have their teeth examined and cleansed 
by a competent corps of dentists, with- 
out cost. This is the outcome of a sug- 
gestion originating with the Welfare 
Division, which met with the cordial ap- 
proval of the Medical Division. 
"If additional treatment, such as fill- 
ings, etc., is necessary, it is expected that 
this will be done by the employee's regu- 
lar dentists. 
"The Company believes it desirable 
to have such a clinic, as it has been 
proven that many illnesses have their 
origin in the mouth, and that small cav- 
ities in the teeth, the existence of which 
are unsuspected, contain large numbers 
of disease germs, such as diphtheria, 
pneumonia and tuberculosis. Clean and 
polished teeth do not decay. 
96 Modern Dentistry 
"In order that the Company may 
definitely decide whether to arrange for 
such a dental clinic, it is necessary to 
know hew many of the Home Office em- 
ployees will avail themselves of the serv- 
ice. All employees are, therefore, re- 
quested to inform their section heads, 
whether they desire to take advantage of 
the opportunity which will be given to 
them if the dental clinic is established." 
The following appeared in the Daily 
Bulletin, April 29, 1919: 
"The services rendered by the Den- 
tal Division since its establishment in 
1915 have been so curative of impaired 
health conditions and so permanently 
helpful to the employees who have taken 
advantage of the opportunities offered, 
that henceforth, every Home Office 
employee will be required to undergo 
examination and cleansing of the teeth 
in the Home Office Dental Division twice 
a year. If the services of the family 
dentist is desired rather than that of the 
Home Office dentists, such examinations 
and cleansings by him will be accepted, 
but they must be procured without ex- 
pense to the Company and the employees 
must furnish a satisfactory certificate 
97 Modern Dentistry 
from him that the required work has 
been done." 
Question 5. In an estimate pub- 
lished by the International Harvester 
Company, the hours consumed for an 
employee to go to the dentist figure at 
four hours loss per treatment, because 
so often the employee would take one- 
half a day off for this purpose. The 
following estimates are based on the 
theory that an employee will return 
after treatment has been given or ap- 
pointments are made at such times as to 
cut down the lost time. In other words, 
we figure each treatment is two hours 
loss to the Company. 
In 1920 there were 7,165 prophylactic 
treatments, 1,800 emergency treatments, 
1,086 patients had X-ray pictures taken. 
Figuring two hours for each of these 
treatments, time consumed would be 
20.102 hours. Time consumed in doing 
this work at the Home Office Dental 
Division: Prophylactic, 6,267 hours, 
emergency, 300 hours, X-ray, 1,662 
hours, total, 8,229 hours, making a sav- 
ing in time of 11,873 hours. There are 
7,500 employees in the Company and 
sixteen in the Dental Division. 
98 Modern Dentistry 
We are very much interested in the 
work that you are operating for Indus- 
trial Dentistry, and shall be very glad 
to keep in close touch with you, giving 
you any information that we may pos- 
sess to help you in this work. 
Very truly yours, 
Arthur M. Hunter, 
Assistant Dental Director. 
Lit Bros., Philadelphia, say: 
We are enclosing herewith Report of 
Dental Clinic installed as part of the 
Medical Department, which ihas'^en 
filled out as per your request. o' 
QUESTIONNAIRE 
1. How or through which primary 
cause was your Dental Clinic estab- 
lished ? 
As a necessity to our Medical and 
Surgical Department. 
2. Is Dental Clinic being operated as 
part of the Medical Department? If 
not, in what particular or definite way 
does it fit in with your Industrial (or 
Hospital) Service? 
99 Modern Dentistry 
It is operated as part of Medical De- 
partment. 
3. Cite at least six (6) serious cases 
of systemic disorders diagnosed through 
condition of teeth and mouth (X-ray) 
and then corrected or cured primarily 
by Dental Clinic. 
Impaired hearing, headache, heart, 
stomach, neuralgia due to impacted 
teeth, septic poisoning due to abscesses. 
4. How many cases per month do you 
refer to your Dental Radiographer? 
Ten to fifteen. 
. Yours very truly, 
Lit Brothers. 
Colgate & Co. say: 
In the summer of 1916, Colgate & 
Co. established a Dental Clinic. The 
purposes were: 
1. To give our employees an oppor- 
tunity to have their teeth thoroughly 
cleansed and polished. 
2. To teach them the importance of 
a clean and healthy mouth and to in- 
struct them in the best method of using 
the toothbrush. 
3. To call to their attention such con- 
ditions as need the services of a dentist. 
100 Modern Dentistry 
The original work undertaken by the 
Clinic has not been changed. It con- 
sisted of prophylaxis, polishing of the 
teeth, removal of decayed or ulcerated 
tooth roots and necessary emergency 
work. Fillings, crowns, bridges and 
other dental work is not undertaken, the 
patients being directed to their own den- 
tist. 
The equipment of the Dental Clinic 
comprises two chairs, the necessary ster- 
ilizers and full dental equipment except 
a radiograph outfit. For this work ar- 
rangements are made outside. The staff 
comprises at present one dentist continu- 
ally on the floor, a trained nurse and one 
girl doing clerical work. 
The Clinic is for the free use of any 
employee of Colgate & Co. The time 
spent at the Dental Clinic is not charged 
to the employees, nor are they compelled 
to visit the Clinic. An idea of the 
average amount of work accomplished 
may be obtained from the total number 
for one month: Cleanings and exami- 
nations, 149; emergency (toothache, 
etc.), 33; pyorrhea, 7; extractions, 88. 
Yours very truly, 
Colgate & Company. 
101 Modern Dentistry 
Endicott-Johnson Corporation say: 
1. How or through which primary 
cause was your Dental Clinic estab- 
lished ? 
Dentists were added to our Medical 
Department at the urgent request and 
advice of our doctors, of which we have 
eighteen. In our work they found many 
cases which required the attention of a 
dentist. Until such attention was re- 
ceived they felt that their efforts were 
largely unavailing. 
2. Is Dental Clinic being operated as 
part of the Medical Department. If not, 
in what particular or definite way does 
it fit in with your Industrial (or Hos- 
pital) Service? 
Our Dental Department is a branch 
of our Medical Department. The den- 
tal work is, however, a distinct feature. 
3. Cite at least six (6) serious cases 
of systemic disorders diagnosed through 
condition of teeth and mouth (X-ray) 
and then corrected or cured primarily 
by Dental Clinic. 
Rheumatism, neuralgia, pyorrhea, 
empyema of the antrum and neuritis. 
4. How many cases per month do you 
refer to your Dental Radiographer? 
102 Modern Dentistry 
Thirty or forty. 
5. Is your Dental Clinic-operated 
either as a part of the Medical or as a 
distinct unit of the Industrial (Hospi- 
tal) Service-a paying proposition? 
Can you state or estimate approximately 
the annual saving in labor hours or dol- 
lars ? Also give average number of 
employees. 
All of our service is without charge 
to our workers and the dependent mem- 
bers of their families. We have an aver- 
age employment of about 12,000 people. 
No record or estimate could be given of 
the time saved to the industry by our 
Dental Department. 
Note-Our Dental Department has 
only been organized about one year. At 
the present time we have two dentists. 
The work done included extractions, fill- 
ings and prophylactic work. All of this 
is without charge, the same as our Medi- 
cal Department service. 
Very truly yours, 
Endicott-Johnson 
Workers' Medical & Relief, 
thp :M T. H. Platt. 
103 Modern Dentistry 
Babson's Statistical Organization 
say: 
This Organization believes that oral 
prophylaxis is an essential to business 
efficiency, and we therefore established 
our dental clinic in November, 1917. It 
is under the supervision of Dr. George 
H. Wright, of Boston, who visits the 
clinic at stated intervals. This clinic is 
operated as one branch of our Personnel 
Department, and we have a dental 
hygienist in charge whose duty it is to 
examine the mouths of each employee 
every six weeks, reporting to such em- 
ployee any condition needing dental 
attention, also giving the teeth a thor- 
ough prophylactic treatment. Upon 
entering the Organization, each new 
employee must have his teeth examined 
and cleaned by the hygienist before his 
application can be finally approved. 
We consider our dental clinic a "pay- 
ing proposition" inasmuch as it has im- 
proved the condition of the mouths of 
those employed, has given them more 
knowledge as to the proper care of the 
teeth and has lowered the percentage of 
absentees by preventing those diseases 
caused by an unhealthy mouth. 
104 Modern Dentistry 
Our average number of employees is 
two hundred and sixty; average number 
of prophylactic treatments a year is 
sixteen hundred, and the average num- 
ber of examinations of new employees a 
year is fifty. 
If we can give you any further in- 
formation, we will be very glad to do so. 
Sincerely yours, 
Nana M. Dougherty, 
Secretary to Mr. Babson. 
The R. K. LeBlond Machine Tool 
Company Plant at Oakley, Cin- 
cinnati, say: 
The Dental Department is under the 
supervision of Dr. J. P. Becker, a den- 
tist who spends one hour a day at the 
plant. The Dental Department consists 
of a room, 8x10 in size, equipped with 
an industrial unit, cabinet, file, gas- 
oxygen outfit, and the usual small tools 
and appliances for performing extrac- 
tions and prophylactic work. This de- 
partment was equipped and furnished 
at a cost of approximately $1,800. The 
dentist is assisted by a nurse, whose 
business it is to do the necessary clerical 
work, chart the patient's mouth, sterilize 
the instruments after each patient, and 
105 Modern Dentistry 
anticipate the wants of the dentist. 
With the help of a nurse the dentist 
is enabled to treat a great many more 
patients than he could without her as- 
sistance. His business is to examine the 
mouths of all of our employes periodi- 
cally, with the view of keeping the mouth 
in a hygienic condition. He also gives 
instructions as to the proper use of the 
toothbrush and dental literature by 
which the patient may discover the first 
symptoms of decay. We believe that if 
each employe co-operates with the den- 
tist and at once consults his family den- 
tist to have the needed work done, a 
maximum of efficiency will be main- 
tained. 
There were 1,506 mouths examined 
and charted during the year. Our rec- 
ords show that 96 per cent, were in need 
of dental services; only 4 per cent, were 
found to have clean mouths; 6 per cent, 
were free from caries and responded to 
treatment readily; the remainder had 
disease-producing symptoms known to 
dentistry, such as abscesses, pulp stones, 
inflamed pulp, ill-fitting crowns, and 
ragged fillings, causing irritation. 
The approximate cost per employe 
was $1.12. Of the economic value of a 
106 Modern Dentistry 
dental dispensary there can be no ques- 
tion. The estimated saving to the com- 
pany on extractions alone for the past 
year may be conservatively figured at 
approximately $2,200 in production. 
Yours truly, 
Sandford DeHart, 
Director of Hospital. 
The fire insurance business 
has recognized the value of peri- 
odical inspection in the reduction 
of fires. This has increased the 
insurance business and reduced 
the number of fires, and reduced 
the liability to fires. Instead of 
allowing the fire conditions to 
run down, producing greater and 
greater liability of fire and con- 
sequent increase of rate for 
carrying the risk, the companies 
make at their periodical examin- 
ation of premises recommenda- 
tions of improvements and clean- 
107 Modern Dentistry 
up that will reduce the fire risk; 
also the fire liability; also all new 
building has to conform to cer- 
tain requirements for fire proof- 
ing. The insurance companies 
have realized that their work in 
reimbursing fire losses on in- 
sured property, also consists in 
preventing fires as far as is possi- 
ble. Welfare work is very 
similar. Instead of waiting to 
repair the damage which certain 
conditions are gradually bring- 
ing about, modern welfare 
workers realize the value of pre- 
venting the damage before it 
comes and of intercepting the 
process. 
As a brief summary of the 
dental service plan from which 
the above-mentioned companies 
108 Modern Dentistry 
are deriving such good results, 
let me conclude by outlining their 
system. Dental troubles fall 
into a class that can be readily 
prevented if caught in time, but 
are sure to accrue if not detected. 
Dental prevention consists of 
having the dentist examine each 
patient periodically, about twice 
a year, and note on a chart the 
condition of each tooth, directing 
the patients to their family den- 
tist for needed work, if any, and 
checking the work when it is 
done. That is, seeing that the work 
is done. The dentist does first 
aid work, relieves toothache, per- 
forms treatment that would re- 
quire numerous trips to the 
family dentist and consequent 
loss of operative time, prevents 
109 Modern Dentistry 
excuses for toothache. There are 
many systemic conditions in the 
duration of which operatives 
lack pep, wThich are due to con- 
ditions of the teeth. As opera- 
tives are not aware of this cause, 
their dentist is not ordinarily 
brought in to consultation until 
too late. The industrial plan of 
having the industrial clinician 
call in the patient as a welfare 
feature of the establishment has 
made it possible to correct these 
systemic conditions before doing 
great damage, and the result has 
been greater regularity in attend- 
ance, better health, greater num- 
ber of operating hours given to 
employment. As most com- 
panies have adopted dentistry 
from an educational standpoint, 
110 Modern Dentistry 
they have not kept data on per- 
centages of increase derived from 
that source, but you can see from 
the above expressions in their 
letters what their views are after 
use of the system. They class the 
results as intangible because 
what Preventative Dentistry pre- 
vents, never happens. It is like 
the fire that is prevented by cer- 
tain recommendations and pre- 
cautions, the prevented loss of 
which is impossible to estimate. 
The only difference is that in 
Preventative Dentistry, the thing 
at stake is health and efficiency. 
Dentistry in the factory is 
placing at the disposal of the 
operatives information and ex- 
perience of the dental profession 
collected over the past fifty 
111 Modern Dentistry 
years. Of course there are 
things about it that the patient 
would not know, but the welfare 
department offers it gratis with 
the assurance that it is the right 
thing to do, knowing as it does, 
the benefits the operatives will 
derive from it. Corporation 
dentistry is a growing subject, 
and after reflecting what might 
have been if you yourself have 
lost some teeth which some pre- 
vention would have saved, the 
subject will take hold and leave 
you convinced that it is a good 
thing. Preventative Dentistry 
produces industrial health.* 
* Consider all the loss of time, loss of 
money and loss of health due to the defective 
tooth conditions as outlined in these letters 
and as outlined in the chapter "Tooth Troubles 
in Their Relation to Systemic Troubles," and 
you have the sum total of the value of Pre- 
ventive Dentistry, which can prevent these 
conditions from developing. 
112 CHAPTER V 
TOOTH TROUBLES AND THEIR RELA- 
TION TO SYSTEMIC TROUBLES 
Value of Dental Service 
The mouth is one of the three 
points at which systemic disease 
has its inception. The other two 
are the tonsils and the nasal cav- 
ity. In considering the decay of 
a tooth or the abscess at the base 
of a devitalized tooth or the pyor- 
rhea condition of the gums, the 
laity lose sight of the intimate re- 
lationship of these conditions to 
other parts of the body. This is 
due to the lack of public informa- 
tion on this subject and also to 
the painless or relatively painless 
condition of the teeth and gums, 
113 Modern Dentistry 
when in this condition, in con- 
trast to the pain and inconven- 
ience experienced in other parts 
of the body during the time the 
exciting cause is allowed to run 
undetected. 
Dr. Duke, of Kansas City, Mis- 
souri, has made a long series of 
clinical observations on this sub- 
ject, and reports presence of 
streptococci bacteria in the blood 
of people having abscessed teeth. 
These bacteria affect the heart 
and are known to be the bacteria 
of joint inflammation-rheuma- 
tism. Physicians have recognized 
that these same conditions are 
brought on by septic formation 
in the tonsils. The tonsils have 
had their share of investigation, 
and the operation of removal of 
114 Modern Dentistry 
the tonsils has become a necessary 
and popular one wherever the 
tonsils can not be made normal 
by treatment. The tonsils have 
also been found to be a cause of 
deafness. Likewise the tooth poi- 
son from the abscess going di- 
rectly into the blood produces 
deafness, and in some cases defec- 
tive eyesight. The streptococci 
take up their work where the pa- 
tient is weakest, or in some part 
that is below normal at the time 
the streptococci get into the blood 
stream from the tooth abscess. 
The liver is another point of at- 
tack. So there are quite a num- 
ber of systemic organs that are 
directly affected by the poison of 
pus from the tooth abscess. 
115 Modern Dentistry 
Dr. Hartzell, of Minneapolis, 
Minnesota, has long been an ori- 
ginal investigator of the phenom- 
ena of Systemic Disorders Due 
to Defective Mouth Conditions. 
On account of his ability and in- 
clination in following up this sub- 
ject he was given the task of re- 
porting on this subject for the 
Research Branch of the Ameri- 
can Dental Association. Dr. 
Hartzell was the first American 
doctor and dentist (he is both) 
to show the connection between 
the abscessed tooth and rheuma- 
tism. He has made complete ex- 
planation of this and also reports, 
as does Dr. Duke, that the follow- 
ing systemic diseases, rheuma- 
tism, arthritis, neuritis, iritis and 
other eye inflammations, vegeta- 
116 Modern Dentistry 
five endocarditis, myocarditis, 
peritonitis, meningitis, gastric 
and duodenal ulcer, pancreatitis, 
pneumonia, pleurisy, etc., are 
often of streptococcic origin due 
to direct infection from chronic 
points of infection (foci) as 
pyorrhea and abscessed teeth. 
Dr. Hoff, of Ann Arbor, 
Michigan, reports that it has long 
been supposed that rheumatism 
was the result of infection, but 
nothing definite as to the source 
of the infection was clearly made 
out until recent years. As most 
internal infections have of late 
been connected in some way with 
the nose, mouth and throat, much 
experimentation has resulted in 
tracing these infections directly 
to the tonsils and teeth. At first 
117 Modern Dentistry 
it was thought that the infection 
was taken into the system 
through the stomach and alimen- 
tary canal, from open sores in the 
tonsils, and suppurating gums, 
alveolar abscesses, etc. But, as 
all such infection would be sub- 
jected to the destructive influ- 
ence, as the gastric and intestinal 
juices before absorption, it does 
not seem probable that there 
could be enough of the active vi- 
rus absorbed through this means 
to account for the exterior dis- 
turbances often encountered. At 
the present time it is believed that 
so far as the teeth and tonsils are 
at fault the infectious virus is ab- 
sorbed directly from the tissues 
by the absorbent vessels and is 
carried through the lymph and 
118 Modern Dentistry 
blood vessels to the joints and 
muscle tissues where it is de- 
posited or finds favorable condi- 
tions for development, and so 
local points of disease are estab- 
lished in various tissues through- 
out the body where conditions 
favor development of these micro- 
organisms which cause this par- 
ticular disease. It is usual to 
find rheumatism affections in 
the joints and muscle tissues, 
which become pathologic, that is 
painful, or even in some instances 
abscessed. If it should locate for 
instance, as it frequently does, in 
the heart muscle, it becomes a 
most serious affection and may 
be fatal in a short time; or in 
some other tissue not so high- 
ly specialized, it may assume 
119 Modern Dentistry 
chronic form and only annoy 
without fatal results. 
Dr. Goadby, of England, in 
1912, reported his observations on 
Oral Sepsis, and his findings were 
the same as those already men- 
tioned. The pus in the abscess 
at the root of a tooth is pressed 
by force of the jaw pressure in 
eating and gains entry into the 
blood by veins and arteries that 
surround the pus sack. At every 
mealtime this occurs similar to a 
hypodermic of streptococci three 
times a day. This process goes 
on unthought of by the patient. 
The rheumatism, the low pulse, 
low blood count, headache, are 
doctored for the malady, not for 
the removal of the cause, unless 
the physician has the patient con- 
120 Modern Dentistry 
suit the dentist. In the case of 
a blind abscess under a filled de- 
vitalized tooth or teeth an X-Ray 
would disclose the abscess. In 
pyorrhea conditions the spongy 
gums and pus pockets would be 
observable to the eye. The in- 
gress into the blood direct from 
tooth abscess of such regular 
amounts of streptococcus and 
staphylococcus bacteria lower the 
value of the blood, cause it to be 
less vital, and the heart becomes 
weaker and altered in action, tak- 
ing the pep out of the patient. 
In severe cases vegetative endo- 
carditis takes place. The picture 
of this condition of the heart 
looks like cobwebs stretched all 
across every way over the valves. 
121 Modern Dentistry 
Dr. Barber, of Chicago, Illi- 
nois, has written at length upon 
the value of good teeth as the nec- 
essary requisite for good health 
through good digestion. Many 
people by loss of teeth, through 
decay and extraction, have not 
enough teeth to properly masti- 
cate the required food. In some 
cases the articulation of the teeth 
has changed, so that occluding 
teeth do not actually touch each 
other in biting. This allows the 
food to go to the stomach in an 
indigestible form and makes di- 
gestion incomplete, causing indi- 
gestion. This brings up the case 
of Horace Fletcher, a member of 
the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, who on 
account of indigestion was at fifty 
122 Modern Dentistry 
given up to die. He went to his 
dentist and was advised to have 
his teeth regulated so he could 
properly masticate the food and 
obtain one hundred per cent, di- 
gestion. With this done he paid 
particular mental attention to his 
eating, seeing to it that he did not 
swallow the food until he had 
thoroughly chewed it. He wrote 
some about this subject also and 
the newspapers took it up, and 
this publicity resulted in the 
expression "Fletcherize." Mr. 
Fletcher at last reports was over 
seventy.* 
The foregoing points very 
plainly to the value of Preventa- 
tive Dentistry, and as already ex- 
plained elsewhere to do this it is 
* He has since passed away while in war 
work in France. 
123 Modem Dentistry 
necessary to call the patient peri- 
odically and perform the dental 
prophylaxis. Greater public edu- 
cation is needed on the value of 
this work. It is so easy to pre- 
vent dental troubles, but after 
they have gained a start it takes 
an operation to stop them. Pre- 
vention through periodical pro- 
phylaxis is the best system. 
124 CHAPTER VI 
THE POSSIBLE NEW LIFE POLICY 
Life insurance performs a 
national service by providing for 
the families of insured persons 
after death of the insured, return- 
ing a lump sum amount in cash 
representing in various degrees 
the insured's earning power. On 
policies with health indemnity 
clauses there is a payment for 
the duration of the sickness de- 
pending upon the terms of the 
particular policy. These two 
operations of insurance com- 
panies do much toward keeping 
the mechanism of business turn- 
ing, besides benefitting depend- 
ents of the insured. 
The next step would seem to 
be to pay attention to the insured 
125 Modern Dentistry 
during life with an advisory and 
first-aid service pertaining to 
his health. Also to providing 
through the operations of the 
same service of an enlarged field 
for insurance by bringing the 
health of applicants up to the 
point of an insurance risk. 
As my allotted subject is to 
point out the importance of 
Dentistry in this respect, I will 
mention the value of health serv- 
ice in localities where much in- 
surance is already written or in- 
tended to be written. This 
service is of much value to the 
insured and indirectly to his de- 
pendents. Every medical clinic 
of this kind would do well to have 
at least one unit of dental equip- 
ment and at least one dental 
126 Modem Dentistry 
clinician besides the attending 
physician and nurse. 
At the present time the popu- 
lace are only ten per cent, sold 
on the subject of Dentistry and 
much less per cent, sold on the 
subject of Preventive Dentistry 
leaving very great the possi- 
bilities to increase the health of 
the nation and to reduce the death 
rate through prevention of dental 
troubles, especially through the 
systemic disorders which arise in 
the teeth and gums as foci of 
infection. That is another way 
of stating that the people do not 
realize the intimate relationship 
that exists between the teeth and 
the general human system. They 
do not realize how important a 
part of the human anatomy the 
127 Modern Dentistry 
teeth are. If it is understood 
that the four cylinders of the 
heart are in constant automatic 
operation and that one pair of 
valves take the venus blood from 
the system and drives it through 
the lungs, and the other pair take 
the then arterial blood from the 
lungs and drives it through the 
body system from which it re- 
turns to repeat the cycle, then 
it can be easily understood how 
blood circulating around ab- 
scessed teeth carries the infection 
at once to the heart and the next 
moment to the arms, fingers, 
limbs, feet, intestinal regions, 
and head. Under the influence 
of bacteria in the blood from 
abscessed teeth and pyorrhea 
gums the heart is not normal 
128 Modern Dentistry 
and often excludes the applicant 
for insurance from a clean record 
on his heart to the extent that 
he is declined as a risk. This 
condition can be corrected by 
dental attention and upon a sub- 
sequent test of the heart the ap- 
plicant could be accepted. 
The dangerous systemic infec- 
tion at an abscessed tooth or 
pyorrhea gums often is held back 
by the natural health of the 
patient until some fever reduces 
his resistance, at which time the 
infection gains headway, or heart- 
way in this instance, in the blood, 
and complications set in. The 
regular list of bacterial infection 
diseases results from tooth infec- 
tion such as arthritis, pneumonia, 
myocarditis, endocarditis, peri- 
129 Modern Dentistry 
tonitis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, 
pleurisy, nephritis, iritis, menin- 
gitis, rheumatism, also deafness 
and insanity. 
A dollar spent in prevention 
saves large amounts in cure or 
relief. You have no doubt heard 
or read of persons contracting a 
cold or grip and the developments 
leading into one or more of the 
above catagories. The teeth play 
their proportional part in this in- 
fection the same as do the tonsils, 
throat, and nose. Dentistry is a 
health profession, a highly de- 
veloped specialist branch of medi- 
cine, and has an important field 
in the preservation of health. 
The first-aid health service 
should comprise the kind of 
supervision that would enable the 
130 Modern Dentistry 
insured to live his natural term 
of life in which the organism 
naturally wears out, not permit- 
ting a part, such as a tooth, to 
wear out and through neglect to 
poison the whole system and 
cause the death. 
Inasmuch as the mortality 
tables are compiled from actual 
death statistics and the load in 
the premium is based on the 
cost of operating insurance com- 
panies, it is possible by bringing 
a larger number of applicants 
within the requirements of the 
insurance risk to greatly increase 
the number on whom insurance 
can be written without much in- 
creased cost of procuring this 
additional business. 
131 Modern Dentistry 
Another idea is the tooth ex- 
amination of the applicant for 
life insurance. The plan that 
seems best to the writer's mind 
is to have one or more dental 
clinicians in every locality just 
the same as you have one or 
more physicians in every locality. 
The dental clinician according to 
this plan would make a prophy- 
laxis and tooth examination both 
instrumental and by X-ray of 
each applicant and render the 
dental recommendations on a 
formal card. The applicant 
could then have his family den- 
tist put his teeth in order ac- 
cording to the recommendations 
outlined by the insurance dental 
clinician and then return to the 
insurance dental clinician to have 
the work checked up. The card 
132 Modern Dentistry 
with the 0. K. could then be 
turned in along with the medical 
examination card. 
A popular opinion about the 
teeth is that not until a tooth 
aches is it time to go to the 
dentist. This is just inverse of 
the truth. It is then too late 
as the pain announces the arrival 
of the danger point, and in many 
cases only an operation can pre- 
vent serious trouble. Peri- 
odical prophylaxis intercepts the 
process of decay and discovers 
the formation of pyorrhea and 
abscesses while they are still in 
a curable stage, without the ac- 
cruing of systemic maladies or 
unnecessary loss of the service- 
ability of the teeth. 
The payment of life insurance 
premiums by a policy holder is 
133 Modern Dentistry 
his financial prophylaxis, a pre- 
vention from leaving his depend- 
ents in want. Health prophylaxis 
is the next subject that should 
interest him. He should inter- 
cept the forces which are at 
work and which only announce 
their presence too late by pain. 
The fear and pain connected 
with Dentistry are not the den- 
tist's fault. By going to the 
dentist periodically all pain is 
avoided, health is maintained, 
and natural teeth are preserved 
for old age. 
With health service alongside, 
life insurance would mean pre- 
servation of life, besides pay- 
ment of an indemnity at death. It 
is possible to give a health serv- 
ice along with life insurance poli- 
134 Modern Dentistry 
cies, or at least health directions 
at the writing of the insurance, 
applicable to the individual, that 
would materially lengthen the 
life of the insured. And it is 
possible by clinical first-aid health 
service and health restorative 
recommendations to greatly in- 
crease the number of available 
life insurance risks. 
Summarizing the foregoing, it 
is possible through Dentistry to 
increase the number of holders 
of life insurance policies and to 
lengthen the life of policies in 
force, and to reduce the claims 
on sick and debility clauses. It 
is besides evident that a clean 
tooth certificate from the dental 
clinician is very desirable, be- 
cause so manv contractable dis- 
eases are traceable to the teeth. 
135 CHAPTER VII 
DENTISTRY IN THE HOSPITAL 
Dental service is necessary 
along with medical service in 
healing systemic disease. Ad- 
ministration of certain drugs re- 
quire previous dental attention 
and removal of dental foci of in- 
fection for safety. 
In order to know all the con- 
ditions affecting a patient at the 
hospital, it is necessary not to 
leave out any of the tests, as such 
an omission may lead to an erro- 
neous diagnosis. In quite a num- 
ber of cases the neglect to exam- 
ine the mouth and teeth, both 
instrumentally and by X-Ray, is 
decidedly incomplete diagnosis. 
Hospitals in which the installa- 
136 Modern Dentistry 
tion of dental equipment origin- 
ally was made for care of frac- 
ture of the maxillary and prac- 
tice of oral surgery, have recog- 
nized that there is more general 
use of the dental service than 
was originally expected. The 
relationship of the teeth to sys- 
temic diseases as foci of infec- 
tion, or at least as relay posts 
from which the infection is in- 
creased, has so repeatedly been 
demonstrated that most physi- 
cians recognize it as a valuable 
element in their diagnosis. In 
the light of the present knowl- 
edge of this subject the examina- 
tion of the mouth condition of 
the patient is valuable data in 
determining the treatment of the 
patient while in the hospital. 
137 Modern Dentistry 
This examination is called odon- 
talysis. Whether the odontalysis 
shows pyorrhea, alveolar abscess, 
blind abscess, impacted un- 
erupted teeth or not, it becomes 
important information of condi- 
tions, as it tells whether the teeth 
can be counted in the treatment 
to follow, or eliminated from con- 
sideration. Besides oral surgery 
and examination for tooth foci 
of infection, dentistry in the hos- 
pital is very valuable for prepar- 
ing maternity cases, as all un- 
healthful conditions of the teeth 
of prospective mothers should 
have immediate dental care and 
treatment. It is eminently best 
for both the mother and the off- 
spring that all conditions which 
lower the vitality and have such 
138 Modern Dentistry 
influence upon the purity of the 
blood be corrected to normal be- 
fore confinement. 
The care of children's teeth is 
a subject which also receives 
much attention in the hospitals 
using dental service. Non-atten- 
tion to children's teeth is re- 
gretted by parents and relatives 
in after years, when it is a diffi- 
cult matter to make corrections 
of irregularities which in child- 
hood and youth could have been 
made very easily. This work has 
a direct bearing upon the child's 
health also, and can, when 
promptly attended to, have much 
to do with the child's future 
health. It is a function of hos- 
pital dental service that should 
receive application to all children 
139 Modern Dentistry 
cases which come under the in- 
fluence of the hospital authori- 
ties. In such cases the work is 
preventive dentistry, inasmuch 
as the proper correction and care 
in childhood prevents serious 
dental troubles and impaired 
health in adult life. 
The treatment of cases in 
which the remedies prescribed 
are arsenic, iodides, mercury, 
phosphorus, requires dental at- 
tention, as the effects of the 
use of these drugs is to stir 
up latent infection. As the 
mouth condition of such patients 
may respond to the action of 
these drugs complicating sys- 
temic conditions, dental care be- 
comes necessary. 
140 Modern Dentistry 
Difficult extractions under an- 
esthesia is another facility which 
a Hospital Dental Clinic affords. 
One of the important features 
of the treatment of pulmonary 
tuberculosis is the filling of 
all tooth cavities and mainte- 
nance of oral hygiene. There 
are calls for many operations 
for impacted teeth or what 
might be called miscarriage of 
the teeth. Patients suffer very 
often, believing the trouble in 
other parts of the body, as the 
nervous system is deranged by 
pressure of the tooth on a nerve 
in its endeavor to erupt. This is 
generally called a neuralgia, or 
in other words, a pain, which 
does not explain it at all. The 
Hospital Dental Clinician can 
141 Modern Dentistry 
generally locate the offending 
tooth by having an X-Ray pic- 
ture taken, which will disclose 
the tooth below the gum in an 
inclined or horizontal position. 
An important part of hospital 
dental work is the great oppor- 
tunity for research work. Cases 
offered at a hospital in the dental 
department are different in some 
ways than those offered in a pri- 
vate dental practice. More oral 
surgery and malignant systemic 
cases come under hospital dental 
attention than come into a pri- 
vate practice. Treatments, fill- 
ings, artificial teeth and bridge- 
work are called for, but not so 
much as in private practice. 
The unusual cases which a gen- 
eral hospital receives offer great 
142 Modern Dentistry 
opportunities for dental obser- 
vation and research work. This 
work, of course, is very interest- 
ing to dental clinicians. 
During a recent visit to the 
Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, 
where they have a dental clinic, 
the writer was shown the hos- 
pital card on which the tooth con- 
dition of all patients is recorded. 
All findings are recorded thereon 
and furnish data which very 
often help the hospital board, 
together with the records placed 
on the same card by physicians 
and specialists in the hospital's 
other departments, in arriving at 
the correct diagnosis and subse- 
quent relief and restoration of 
the patient to full health and 
usefulness. The supervisor, ex- 
143 Modern Dentistry 
plained, it is not enough to place 
the patient on his feet, but to re- 
store the patient to his or her 
normal self, if possible, is the 
aim of the hospital, and it takes 
an analysis from all departments 
to properly do it. Another work 
performed by the dental clinic at 
the Jewish Hospital is the care 
of children's teeth, the advan- 
tages of which all welfare au- 
thorities readily recognize. This 
work is part of the oral hygiene 
movement which is so active in 
all parts of the United States. 
Besides the hospital dental 
work above outlined, research 
work in dental pathology and 
dental bacteriology is carried on 
in connection with cases present- 
ing at the hospital. This work 
144 Modern Dentistry 
has shown valuable results and 
has been of much benefit to the 
patients treated at the hospital. 
A Letter from the Jewish Hospital 
says: 
Answering your letter of inquiry of 
the 15th inst., in reference to our Den- 
tal Department, would say: 
It is my opinion that no first-class 
hospital can operate without complete 
dental equipment installed in a room 
for that purpose. 
The Jewish Hospital is fortunate in 
having such a room, and is therefore, 
enabled to give the best of care to our 
free patients and also service to mem- 
bers of the Staff or outside Doctors who 
may have private cases that need special 
dental attention. 
Our Dental Department consists of 
two Seniors and two Juniors who are 
well-known Dentists of this city. They 
give special attention to our Clinic 
patients and co-operate with their Col- 
leagues on the Medical Staff. They make 
rounds daily, examine the mouths and 
145 Modern Dentistry 
teeth of all free patients, order X-rays 
and extract teeth where necessary. Their 
expert opinion is of great aid to the 
Internal Medicine men in making the 
proper diagnosis. 
They extract teeth in this special 
Dental Department and also give special 
treatment to the patients. 
Extraordinary Surgical Dentistry is 
performed in the Surgical Pavilion. 
Other ordinary cases are handled in our 
Dental Room. 
The Dentists also see that each free 
patient uses the toothbrush and cleanser 
that is furnished them on admission to 
the Hospital. 
To my mind, the Dental Department 
is an extremely important adjunct to 
this Hospital, and I would heartily 
recommend a similar one for all insti- 
tutions. 
Very truly yours, 
L. M. Levy, 
Superintendent. 
A visit was also made at the 
Cincinnati General Hospital, 
where a tour of the dental 
146 Modern Dentistry 
department was made. Patients 
arriving at the hospital for 
diagnosis and treatment are 
taken to the dental clinic at the 
direction of the attending physi- 
cian. If the patient is unable to 
walk, a wheeled chair or a 
wheeled stretcher is used to con- 
vey the patient there. After the 
instrumental examination of the 
teeth, the dental clinician sends 
the patient to the X-Ray depart- 
ment for a complete dental 
roentgenographic examination. 
They take ten films, five upper 
and five lower, covering the com- 
plete mouth, using one of their 
large machines on a two and one- 
half spark gap. The developed 
films are returned to the dental 
department and together with 
147 Modem Dentistry 
the clinical report thereon sent 
to the attending physician with 
the dental recommendations for 
the case. The dental diagnosis, 
along with the attending physi- 
cian's diagnosis of symptoms 
and other tests, such as urinaly- 
sis, bacteriological, etc., make up 
the case history, which is kept 
on an indexed chart or card. In 
all cases the clearing up of 
mouth conditions accelerates re- 
covery from the systemic condi- 
tions. Part of every day is de- 
voted to the care of children's 
teeth at the Cincinnati Hospital. 
Children from the city and neigh- 
borhood are brought to the hos- 
pital and given treatment. Care 
of their teeth is along prevent- 
ive lines and correction of irreg- 
148 Modern Dentistry 
ularities and dental advice to the 
parents. Children from five 
years up receive this attention 
and learn the value of care of 
the teeth. 
Oral surgery is performed for 
all cases coming to the hospital 
and receive immediate attention 
by the skilled operatives in the 
dental department. 
Dentistry in the hospital has 
shown its value in so many ways 
and so many patients arriving at 
the hospital require dental care 
that the department is very much 
in demand. 
The Cincinnati General Hospital 
says: 
The Cincinnati General Hospital has 
had for many years dental representa- 
tion. Before the present hospital was 
built one or two dentists served (by 
appointment), whose duty it was to 
149 Modern Dentistry 
attend patients when called upon by the 
Superintendent or other staff officers of 
the hospital, and at only such times 
were they expected to visit. The first 
consulting dentist was appointed in 
1897 and served for many years until 
the completion of the new hospital, at 
which time he resigned. 
When the new Cincinnati General 
Hospital was established they built 
within the Surgical Building a Dental 
Department. This department consists 
of a large, well-lighted operating room, 
sterilizing room, laboratory, waiting 
room, experimental laboratory and 
dressing room for staff officers and in- 
ternes, all thoroughly equipped by the 
hospital except the operating room, 
which was completely and beautifully 
equipped by Senator Richard P. Ernst, 
of Covington, Ky. Up to the present 
time it is the most complete Dental De- 
partment of any municipal hospital in 
the country. 
At the completion of this department 
there was then established a complete 
dental staff, consisting of Director of 
Dental Service, Assistant Director of 
Dental Service, Attending Dental Sur- 
150 Modern Dentistry 
geons, the number of which has now 
grown to eight, two Consulting Dentists, 
two Internes who live at the hospital and 
are subject to call at all hours, one 
Orderly and one Dental Nurse. 
The Dental Department is entirely 
separate from any other department in 
the hospital and is governed entirely by 
the above staff of officers. 
It obtains its patients from three 
sources: 
1. Through the Receiving Ward, 
when patients are admitted into the hos- 
pital to be retained for service. 
2. Through the Out-Patient Dispen- 
sary, coming in for treatment but not 
retained in the hospital. 
3. Those referred from other services 
or consultations. 
The services given in this department 
under directions of the Staff are Oral 
Surgery, Prophylaxis, Treating Diseases 
of the Mouth, Anesthetics and Extrac- 
tions. 
Most systemic disorders are treated 
in connection with the Medical Service, 
where we are called in consultation. 
One case comes to mind of a woman 
entered on Neurological Service, who 
151 Modern Dentistry 
had an hallucination that everyone was 
trying to harm her, and at other times 
she would have crying spells that would 
last for hours. She was referred to the 
Dental Department for a Prophylaxis. 
Upon examining the mouth it was found 
that the right lower third molar was 
missing. The X-Ray showed the tooth 
lying horizontally, deeply imbedded in 
bone. Upon removing the tooth it was 
found that the anterior root had been 
impinging upon the inferior dental 
nerve, thus affecting the nervous system 
and the brain. The woman recovered 
completely within a short time and has 
been in good mental condition ever 
since. 
We refer from fifteen to fifty patients 
to the X-Ray Department every month. 
We handle about fifteen patients 
every morning, and in the afternoon the 
Internes care for a Children's Clinic, 
where they operate for pre-school age 
children. 
Yours very truly, 
W. S. Locke? D.D.S., 
Director of Dental Service, 
Cincinnati General Hospital. 
152 CHAPTER VIII 
THE ODONTALYSIS 
One of the most valuable find- 
ings of the research department 
of the American Dental Society, 
is the relation of tooth troubles 
to systemic troubles. The bene- 
fit of this finding is important to 
humanity, as it points to the 
remedy for many ailments that 
have heretofore remained unex- 
plained. The benefit to dentistry 
is that it demonstrates to the pub- 
lic the importance of care of the 
teeth. Whether the teeth are in 
themselves the origin of the 
trouble, which sometimes they 
are, or relay points, the bad con- 
dition of which augments a sys- 
temic condition originating some 
153 Modern Dentistry 
other place, it remains a domi- 
nant fact that care of the teeth 
is necessary not only for preven- 
tion of disease, but for its cure. 
Hospitals where general analyt- 
ical tests, such as blood test, 
temperature, breathing, urin- 
alysis, Wasserman's, etc., have 
been the regular schedule for the 
majority of the patients, are be- 
ginning to add the ' ' Odontalysis, '' 
meaning the test of the tooth 
condition. This is a new word 
we have coined to express this 
new hospital department work. 
Hospital attention to the teeth of 
patients reduces the time neces- 
sary for recovery from sickness. 
This item alone, in many cases, 
will reduce the otherwise longer 
stay of the patient at the hospital 
154 Modern Dentistry 
for recovery. "Dentistry in the 
Hospital" and the allied subject, 
"Dentistry in the Factory," are 
making rapid progress toward 
popular appreciation of the value 
of "Care of the Teeth," to 
which the dental profession has 
untiringly given so many years 
of study and patient thought. 
155 CHAPTER IX 
THE MATTER OF STATISTICS 
Dental clinicians who will take 
care to make statistics of their 
work as they go along and then 
publish their results for the bene- 
fit of Dental Science, will do a 
great work toward the advance- 
ment of dentistry and help much 
toward the ultimate populariza- 
tion of the subject of dentistry 
and dental operations as per- 
formed by dentists. In carrying 
on the work of "Modern Den- 
tistry for the Laity," the need of 
statistics to corroborate the state- 
ments of facts regarding the 
value of dental work was indi- 
cated. Many prominent popular 
156 Modem Dentistry 
magazines will not publish state- 
ments of fact regarding dentistry 
without corroborating statistics. 
Besides, this combination makes 
the most convincing article to 
read, so the necessity of data and 
statistics from the dental clinic 
as the work is done are very use- 
ful and important. Until re- 
cently, the kind of statistics 
wanted have not been available, 
but through the efforts of a few 
faithful clinicians statistics are 
now available, and they speak f or 
themselves. 
Some clinicians believe that it 
is best not to accumulate statis- 
tics, and if they are accumulated, 
should not be published, because 
they will fall into hands of 
writers on the subject of dentis- 
157 Modern Dentistry 
try and be used for commercial 
purposes. The statistics now 
available come from clinicians 
who sanction the use of them and 
know that by their use dentistry 
is being justified; that by the use 
of their figures, as supporting 
evidence to statements of fact re- 
garding dentistry, the highest 
purpose and value of the statis- 
tics are being derived. 
Those who have devoted their 
time to this work of making den- 
tistry popular, and making the 
patronization of the dentist more 
universal, can only see in statis- 
tics the conclusive proof of the 
value of dental service, and there- 
fore feel that the use of statistics 
is a perfectly legitimate form of 
presenting the subject. Dental 
158 Modern Dentistry 
statistics thus used perform a 
great service. It has been said 
that Modern Dentistry for the 
Laity is an obvious work. How- 
ever obvious it may be, it was 
found that the work could not 
depend on the obvious part of it 
to get by the editor with his blue 
pencil, so the need of statistics 
came in strong to put the subject 
over. Where the Modern Den- 
tistry for the Laity work went, 
dentistry was not yet obvious, 
therefore, it was best to leave the 
subject entirely free from any 
necessary faith in obvious facts 
and produce a convincing argu- 
ment by accompanying the facts 
by supporting statistics. To the 
man wThose intellect persues 
countless offers of manuscript 
159 Modem Dentistry 
copy, statistics are what make 
such a subject as dentistry ob- 
vious. At least this is what ex- 
perience in this work has shown. 
Dentists who are in a position 
to obtain statistics and to after- 
wards publish them, can do a 
great work for the advancement 
of their profession. 
This book was primarily writ- 
ten for the laity-people who 
know just a little about dentistry 
and you can imagine how inter- 
esting statistics on preventive 
dentistry are to them. Besides 
many dentists have read this book 
and find refreshing argument in 
the statistics given as they sub- 
stantiate their own belief and 
knowledge of the subject. For 
instance the dental clinician, Dr. 
160 Modern Dentistry 
Robt. S. Quinby, at the Hood 
Rubber Co., Boston, Mass., ob- 
serves the following statistics in 
examination of the employees of 
their company. 
Grossly defective Dental conditions 40% 
" " Eye " 8% 
" " Lung " 4% 
" " Heart " 3% 
Hernial " 5% 
Observe that forty per cent, 
are found to have defective teeth 
while but five per cent, and there- 
abouts have other functional de- 
fects. The statistics are interest- 
ing to the dental profession who, 
you might say, know such is the 
condition as a fact but they know 
it better when the statistics sub- 
stantiate it. 
However, to the public these 
statistics are most interesting 
161 Modern Dentistry 
and necessary to make the sub- 
ject obvious and thoroughly 
understood for without such sta- 
tistics the subject is not obvious 
to the non-dental public. If this 
book but stirs the interest of the 
reader to a further and more 
complete study of the crying 
need of more systemic dental care 
by individuals by seeing their 
dentist regularly for prophylaxis 
the author will consider the time 
spent in preparing this work well 
spent. 
162 CHAPTER X 
ITEMIZATION OF INSTRUMENTS, 
SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT 
USED IN INSTITUTIONAL AND 
INDUSTRIAL DENTAL CLIN- 
ICS AND IN HOSPITAL INFIR- 
MARIES AND PRIVATE PRO- 
PHYLACTIC PRACTICE. 
INSTRUMENTS AND SUPPLIES i-Z 
First Aid Instruments and 
Prophylaxis Supplies 
Instruments and supplies "1-Z" together with 
any equipment "2-Y," "3-X," "4-W," "5-V," 
"6-U" or "7-T" make a complete First Aid 
Outfit. 
INSTRUMENTS 
1 C. S. D. P. Scaler No. 1. 
1 C. S. D. P. Scaler No. 5. 
1 C. S. D. P. Scaler No. 6. 
1 C. S. D. P. Scaler No. 9. 
1 C. S. D. P. Scaler No. 11. 
1 C. S. Chisel No. 48-L. 
1 C. S. Scaler No. 2. 
1 C. S. Scaler No. 13, Younger-Good. 
1 C. S. Scaler No. 33. 
1 C. S. Scaler No. 34. 
1 C. S. Scaler. Tomkins No. 11. 
1 C. S. File, Tomkins No. 1. 
1 C. S. Smith Prophylaxis File No. 13. 
1 C. S. Smith Prophylaxis File No. 14. 
163 Modern Dentistry 
Instruments and Supplies i-Z-Continued. 
14 C. S. Handles No. 10-A, @ 45c. 
1 C. S. Explorer Point No. 17. 
1 C. S. Explorer Point No. 6. 
1 C. S. D. E. Handle No. 17. 
1 Set L. H. Bates Scalers. 
1 Pair Pliers No. 11. 
1 Mouth Mirror. 
1 Woodson D. E. Plastic Inst. No. 1. 
1 Woodson D. E. Plastic Inst. No. 2. 
1 Woodson D. E. Plastic Inst. No. 3. 
1 Amalgam Carrier and Plugger No. 7. 
1 Cement Spatula No. 36. 
1 Hand Porte Polisher, Contra Angle. 
1 Water Syringe, Moffatt. 
1 Kuroris Cotton Carrier. 
1 Alcohol Lamp. 
1 Gum Lancet. 
1 Mounted Arkansas Stone, in box. 
1 Magic Napkin Holder. 
1 Ribbon Saw. 
1 Package Kerr Broaches, fine. 
1 Package Kerr Broaches, extra fine. 
1 Package Pulp Canal Cleaners. 
1 Broach Holder. 
1 Ivory Cotton Roll Clamp, Bicuspid. 
1 Ivory Cotton Roll Clamp, Molar. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 150, Incisor and 
Root, Upper. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 151, Incisor and 
Root, Lower. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 18-R, Upper Molar, 
Right Side. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 18-L, Upper Molar, 
Left Side. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 15 Lower Universal 
164 S. S. White Equipment "D" A. C. Clark Unit and Ritter Chair Modern Dentistry 
Instruments and Supplies i-Z-Continued. 
Molar. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 213, Incisor and 
Cuspid, Upper. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 210, Upper Third 
Molar. 
1 Pair Tooth Forceps No. 222, Lower Third 
Molar. 
1 Chip Blower. 
1 Abscess Syringe with Platinum Point. 
1 Hypodermic Syringe, Tag Record complete 
with Needles and Attachments. 
1 Contra Angle "U" attachment for Doriot 
No. 3. 
1 Gross S. S. W. Asst. No. 2 Burs. 
6 Huey Mandrels. 
1 Porte Polisher Mandrel No. 307. 
1 Cement Slab No. 8. 
SUPPLIES 
1 Box Prophylaxo Tablets. 
1 Bottle Taxi. 
1 Box Burley Polishers, Asst. 
1 Box Mounted Wheel Brushes. 
1 Box Mounted Cup Brushes. 
1 Box Tooth Polishing Brushes for Porte 
Polishers. 
6 Mounted Carbo Points. 
1 Box Wood Points for Hand Porte Polisher. 
1 Lb. Pumice. 
1 Box Temporary Stopping, Asst. 
1 Oz. Sterling Alloy. 
y Lb. Cone Mercury, Sacco. 
1 Box Caulk Petroid Cement. 
1 Box C. & B. Cement. 
1 Box Smith's Certified Enamel. 
165 Modern Dentistry 
Instruments and Supplies x-Z-Continued. 
1 Box 100 Absorbent Cotton Rolls, G-in., Asst. 
1 Box 50 Aseptic Dental Napkins, J. & J. 
No. 2, 6x0. 
1 Small box Absorbent J. & J. Cotton. 
1 J. & J. Waste Receiver and Cartons. 
1 Cotton Holder No. 1. 
1 Spool 150 yds. Waxed Floss Silk, J. & J. 
1 Oz. Waites Anaesthetic, without Cocaine. 
1 Tube Procaine (Novocaine) Tablets. 
1 Tube Salt (Ringer) Tablets. 
1 Dissolving Cup 3cc Pyrex Glass. 
1 Dappan Glass Cup. 
1 Bottle Peroxide Hydrogen. 
1 Apron for Patient, Oiled Silk. 
1 Miniature Bunsen Burner and Tubing. 
1 Box Finishing Strips, Asst. 
6 Boxes Polishing Disks, Asst. 
1 Box Abscess Remedy and Root Canal Filler. 
1 Box Gutta-percha Points. 
1 Box J. & J. Absorbent Cotton Points. 
1 Package Orange Wood. 
1 Box Carmi Lustro Tape. 
1 Bottle Phenol 95%, Dental Medicine. 
1 Bottle Eugenol, Dental Medicine. 
1 Bottle Tricresol and Formalin, Dental 
Medicine. 
1 Bottle Black's Mixture, Dental Medicine. 
1 Bottle Campho Phenique, Dental Medicine. 
1 Bottle Trichloracetic Acid, Dental Medicine. 
1 Bottle Tincture Aconite, Iodine and Chloro- 
form. 
1 Bottle Tricresol. 
I Bottle Tincture Calendula. 
166 Ritter Unit and Ritter Chair S. S. White No. 3 Unit and S. S. White Chair Modern Dentistry 
EQUIPMENT 2-Y 
1 Harvard Peerless Chair. 
1 S. S. W. Equipment Unit Stand No. 3, con- 
sisting of Spiral Flush Fountain Cuspi- 
dor, Electric Light and Electric Engine 
any Voltage D. C., and Doriot No. 3 
Handpiece, Bracket and Bracket Table 
No. 3. 
1 Harvard Cabinet No. 62-D. 
1 Electro Dental Sterilizer, Onyx Base. 
1 Glass Top Aseptic Table, 20x16. 
EQUIPMENT 3-X 
1 S. S. W. Equipment Combination "D," con- 
sisting of Diamond Chair 8. S. W. All- 
Cord Electric Engine, Doriot Handpiece 
No. 3, D. C. or A. C., Current any Volt- 
age, Bracket and Table Glass Top No. 3, 
Electric Light and Bracket, Spiral Flush 
Fountain Cuspidor, Air and Gas Con- 
nections. 
1 American Cabinet No. 60-E. 
1 Castle Sterilizer, Electric, No. 410-D. 
1 Glass Top Aseptic White Enamel Table, 
20x16. 
EQUIPMENT 4-W 
1 Bitter Ideal Columbia Chair. 
1 Electro-Dental Unit consisting of Cuspidor, 
Saliva Ejector, Electric Engine, Rhein 
Light, Air Compressor, Atomizer and 
Water Heater Bracket, Bracket Table 
and Atomizers, Doriot Hand Piece. 
167 Modern Dentistry 
Equipment 4-W-Continued. 
1 American Cabinet, Steel, No. 110. 
1 Castle Electric Sterilizer No. 410-D, on 
Separate Stand. 
1 Aseptic Glass Top Table, 30x24. 
EQUIPMENT 5-V 
1 Harvard Peerless Dental Chair. 
1 Ritter Unit Equipment, consisting of Rit- 
ter Electric Engine A. C. All-Cord Type, 
Clark 65 Streamline Cuspidor, Bracket 
and Glass Top Table, Complete Switch 
Board of Appliances. 
1 All Metal White Enamel Cabinet with Opal 
Glass Table Top. 
1 Pelton & Crane Sterilizer. 
1 Glass Top Stand, 20x16, Glass Top, 1 Glass 
Shelf, Metal Frame, White Enamel with 
Rail. 
EQUIPMENT 6-U 
1 S. S. W. Diamond Chair. 
1 Weber Unit, consisting of A. C. or D. C. 
Engine with Doriot Hand Piece, Cuspi- 
dor, Light, Bracket Table and Saliva 
Ejector. 
1 Lee Smith & Sons Co. Steel White Enamel 
Cabinet No. 506. 
1 Aseptic Glass Top Table. 
1 Holmes Electric Sterilizer. 
1 Sanican Receptacle. 
168 Weber Unit and Harvard Chair Electro Dental Senior Unit and Ritter 
Dental Chair Modern Dentistry 
EQUIPMENT 7-T 
1 Ritter Ideal Dental Chair. 
1 A. C. Clark & Co. "U" Pedestal Unit, con- 
sisting of Pedestal, A. C. Clark & Co. 
Double Bowl Streamline Cuspidor, 
Bracket and Table, Ritter Swivel Type 
Model "C" Electric Engine, All-Cord 
with Doriot Handpiece. 
1 American Cabinet No. 60-E. 
1 Castle Sterilizer, Electric. 
1 Sanitary Can. 
1 Glass Top Table with Glass Shelf and Rail. 
SUMMARY 
Outfit 12-Y-Z-Supplies 1-Z; Equipment 2-Y. 
Outfit 13-X-Z-Supplies 1-Z; Equipment 3-X. 
Outfit 14-W-Z-Supplies 1-Z; Equipment 4-W. 
Outfit 15-V-Z-Supplies 1-Z; Equipment 5-V. 
Outfit 16-U-Z-Supplies 1-Z; Equipment 6-U. 
Outfit 17-T-Z-Supplies 1-Z; Equipment 7-T. 
The current prices of these instruments, 
supplies and equipment cost from $1,000.00 to 
$1,800.00. Of course there are other com- 
binations of equipment that can be selected 
to suit every need but the above combination 
of selections are best adapted to your use. 
The foregoing equipment is properly called 
prophylaxis equipment. For detail analytical 
work a dental X-Ray machine is necessary, 
but we do not include it here because very 
good work is done with the general equipment 
by sending special cases requiring X-Ray to 
an X-Ray specialist. 
169 Modern Dentistry 
The same equipment is used in the modern 
dental office for private practice together with 
additional instruments and laboratory equip- 
ment needed, most important of which are 
instruments for operative dentistry, oral 
surgery, prosthetic (artificial tooth work) and 
crown and bridge work. 
170 Modern Dentistry 
PRIVATE PRACTICE DENTAL 
OFFICE PLAN 
A GOOD plan 
for a dental 
office is one of 
the most agree- 
able presenta- 
tions of the 
dentist's serv- 
ices to his pa- 
tients. Rooms 
of proper size 
affording easy 
handling of 
large practice 
are only ob- 
tained by spe- 
cial arrange- 
ments of the 
available space. 
This cut shows 
plan of a model dental suite consisting 
of seven rooms and hall in space 13 x 26 
feet. Two operating rooms, sterilizing 
171 Modem Dentistry 
room, dental laboratory, business office, 
retiring room, waiting room and hall. 
Office buildings, factory administration 
buildings and hospital buildings should 
include adequate space for the dental 
office and dental clinic. 
Architects drawing designs for such 
buildings would do well to consult local 
dentists as to their particular needs and 
incorporate them in the plans. 
172 INDUSTRIAL DENTAL CLINIC PLAN 
Re si- 
Room 
CLOS- 
Hos-pitat 
Dental 
Personnel 
Dept. 
This drawing shows a very good floor plan for medical 
supervision with dental prophylaxis. CHAPTER XI 
List of Industrial Companies which have 
completed their medical service by the addition 
of a Dental Department. 
The following corporations are opera- 
ting dental clinics. This list shows sev- 
eral additions of important industries 
that have taken up industrial dentistry 
since our last list published in the Den- 
tal Register: 
Adamsville, Alabama- 
Docena Iron Works. 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co., Wenonah Mines. 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co., Ishkooda Mines. 
Acipo, Alabama- 
American Cast Iron Pipe. 
Alabama City, Alabama- 
Dwight Mfg. Co. 
Birmingham, Alabama- 
American Cast Iron Pipe Co. 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co. 
Bessemer, Alabama- 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co., Muscoda Works. 
Chickasaw, Alabama- 
Chickasaw Shipbuilding Co. 
Ensley, Alabama- 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co., Bayview Mine*. 
Westfield Clinic. 
Edgewater, Alabama- 
Edgewater Works. 
173 Modern Dentistry 
Fairfield, Alabama- 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co. 
Johns, Alabama- 
Tennessee Coal & Iron Co. 
Davenport, California- 
Santa Cruz Portland Cement Co. 
Fresno, California- 
California Associated Raisin Growers. 
San Francisco. California- 
The Emporium. 
Denver, Colorado- 
The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. 
Daniels & Fisher Store Co. 
Gates Rubber Co. 
Pueblo, Colorado- 
The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. 
Trinidad, Colorado- 
The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. 
New Haven, Connecticut- 
Winchester Repeating Arms Co. 
Milford, Delaware- 
The L. D. Caulk Co. 
Wilmington, Delaware- 
Dupont Powder Co. 
Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co. 
Electric Hose Co. 
New Havbn, Connecticut- 
Kolynos Co. 
L. Candee Co. 
Stamford, Connecticut- 
Yale & Towne Mfg. Co. 
South Manchester, Connecticut- 
Cheney Bros. Co. 
174 Modem Dentistry 
Atlanta, Georgia- 
Fulton Bag & Cotton Mills. 
Chicago, Illinois- 
Morris & Co. 
Montgomery & Ward Co. 
Armour & Co. 
The Crane Co. 
The Diamond Match Co. 
Hart, Schaffner & Marx. 
Kabo Corset Co. 
Sears, Roebuck & Co. 
The International Harvester Co. 
Peoria, Illinois- 
The Avery Co. 
Indiana Harbor, Indiana- 
The Inland Steel Co. 
New Orleans, Louisiana- 
D. H. Holmes Co. 
Maison Blanche, Inc. 
South Brewer, Maine- 
The Eastern Mfg. Co. 
Boston, Massachusetts- 
The Hood Rubber Co. 
Filene Co-operative Association. 
Watertown, Massachusetts- 
Hood Rubber Co. (Factory). 
Framingham, Massachusetts- 
The Dennison Mfg. Co. 
Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts- 
Fisk Rubber Co. 
A. G. Spalding Co. 
Pittsfield, Massachusetts- 
General El. Co. 
175 Modern Dentistry 
Springfield, Massachusetts- 
Am. Bosch Magneto Co., Brightwood Station. 
National Equipment Co. 
Holyoke, Massachusetts- 
Farr Alpaca Co. 
Lynn, Massachusetts- 
General Electric Co. 
Worcester. Massachusetts- 
The Norton Co. 
Wekter, Massachusetts- 
S. Slater & Sons Co. 
Wellesly Hills, Massachusetts- 
Babson Statistical Organization. 
Detroit, Michigan- 
The Ford Motor Car Co. 
Solvay Process Co. 
Kalamazoo, Michigan- 
Kalamazoo Stove Co. 
Minneapolis, Minnesota- 
The Wash burn-Crosby Co. 
The Northwestern Knitting Co. 
National Lamp Co. 
Munsingwear Corporation. 
Kansas City, Missouri- 
Jones Store Co. 
Montgomery & Ward. 
St. Louis, Missouri- 
National Lamp Works. 
Union Electric Light & Power Co. 
Monsanto Chemical Works. 
Stix, Baer & Fuller Dry Goods Co. 
Century Electric Co. 
B. Nugent & Bros. Dry Goods Co. 
176 Modern Dentistry 
Concord, New Hampshire- 
Union District Dental Clinic. 
Manchester, New Hampshire- 
The Amoskeag Co. 
Nashua, New Hampshire- 
Nashua City Dental Clinic. 
Maginnis Cotton Mills. 
Harrison, New Jersey- 
Harrison Lamp Works. 
The General Electric Co. 
Hurley, New Mexico- 
Chino Copper Co. 
Brooklyn, New York- 
Schrader & Sons. 
Buffalo, New York- 
Larkin Co. 
American Radiator Co. 
Buffalo Miniature Lamp Works. 
Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. 
Johnson City, New York- 
Endicott-Johnson Co. 
E.-J. Workers Medical & Relief. 
McGregor, New York- 
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. 
New York City, New York- 
International Garment Workers' Union 
Lord & Taylor. 
Macy Mutual Aid Assn. 
James McCreery & Co. 
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. 
New York Telephone Co. 
John Wanamaker Store. 
Colgate & Co. 
Sanatorium. 
177 Modern Dentistry 
Niagara Falls, New York- 
Oldsbury Electro Chem. Co. 
Rochester, New York- 
The Bousch & Lomb Co. 
Schenectady, New York- 
General Electric Co. 
Akron, Ohio- 
The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. 
The B. F. Goodrich Co. 
National Lamp Works. 
Cincinnati, Ohio- 
The Cincinnati Milling Machine Co. 
The R. K. LeBlond Machine Tool Co. 
The Worthington Pump Co. 
The Lunkenheimer Co. 
Cleveland, Ohio- 
The Bailey Co. 
The Joseph & Feias Co. 
The Kaynes Co. 
National Lamp Works of General El. Co. 
(Parent Co. of all Natl. Lamp Works). 
H. & E. Blouse Co. 
Columbus, Ohio- 
Jeffries Mfg. Co. 
Dayton, Ohio- 
Dayton Electric Laboratories Co. 
The Dayton Metal Products Co. 
The National Cash Register Co. 
Domestic Engineering Co. 
Hamilton, Ohio- 
The Hooven-Owens-Rentschler Co. 
Newcomerstown, Ohio- 
J. B. Clow Co 
178 Modem Dentistry 
Warren, Ohio- 
National Lamp Works of General El. Co. 
Youngstown, Ohio- 
National Lamp Works of General El. Co. 
Erie, Pennsylvania- 
Erie Forge Co. 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- 
Powers, Weightman, Rosengarten Co. 
John Wanamaker. 
The S. S. White Dental Mfg. Co. 
Lit Brothers. 
J. G. Brill Co. 
John B. Stetson Co. 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania- 
The Armstrong Cork Co. 
The H. J. Heinz Co. 
Lee S. Smith & Son Co. 
Kaufman's "The Big Store." 
Reading, Pennsylvania- 
Berkshire Knitting Mills. 
Berkshire Knitting Machine Co. 
Bristol, Rhode Island- 
National India Rubber Co. 
Central Falls, Rhode Island- 
Rhode Glass Division (Natl. Lamp Works 
General Electric Co.). 
Esmond, Rhode Island- 
Esmond Mills. 
Bosevaine, Virginia- 
Pocahontas Fuel Co. 
Itman, West Virginia- 
Pocahontas Fuel Co. 
Jenkinjones, West Virginia- 
Pocahontas Fuel Co. 
179 Modern Dentistry 
Maybeury, West Virginia- 
Pocahontas Fuel Co. 
War, West Virginia- 
Williams Pocahontas Coal Co. 
Appleton, Wisconsin- 
Kimberly-Clark Co. 
Kohler, Wisconsin- 
Kohler Mfg. Co. 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 
Phoenix Knitting Mills. 
Cutler-Hammer Mfg. Co. 
Chain Belt Co. 
Wisconsin Bridge Works. 
Neenah, Wisconsin- 
Kimberly-Clark Co. 
Niagara, Wisconsin- 
Kimberly-Clark Co. 
Toronto, Canada- 
T. Eaton Co., Ltd. 
180 Modern Dentistry 
LIST OF HOSPITALS EQUIPPED 
WITH DENTAL DEPARTMENTS 
I have not had complete returns from 
my hospital questionnaire and will no 
doubt have more names of hospitals 
using dental diagnosis in their regular 
schedule of standardized hospital prac- 
tice in group diagnosis. The following 
are the names of prominent hospitals 
which are equipped with dental appara- 
tus and instruments and retain dental 
clinicians: 
Buffalo Columbus Hospital, Buffalo, N. Y. 
Buffalo City Hospital, Buffalo, N. Y. 
Mercy Hospital, Hamilton, O. 
Axtell Hospital, Newton, Kans. 
Hatcher Hospital, Wellington, Kans. 
Detention Hospital, Sioux City, la. 
German Lutheran Hospital, 27th & Pierce St., 
Sioux City, la. 
Maternity Hospital, 28th & Court St., Sioux 
City, la. 
St. Joseph's Mercy, 22nd & Court St., Sioux 
City, la. 
Samaritan Hospital, 17th & Pierce St., Sioux 
City, la. 
St. Vincent's Hospital, 7th & Jones St., Sioux 
City, la. 
City Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. 
Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. 
City Hospital, Worcester, Mass. 
Memorial Hospital, Worcester, Mass. 
181 Modern Dentistry 
Charity Hospital, New Orleans, La. 
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, R. I. 
Wallum Lake Sanitarium, Wallum Lake, R. I. 
The National Jewish Relief Society, Edge- 
water, Colo. 
The National Jewish Sanitarium, E. Calfax 
Ave. & Colorado Blvd., Denver, Colo. 
The General Hospital, Cincinnati, O. 
The Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, O. 
Samaritan Hospital, 17th St. & Fourth Ave., 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 
New Emergency Hospital, Ensley, Ala. 
Employees' Hospital, Fairfield, Ala. 
Bellevue Hospital, New York, N. Y. 
Vanderbilt Clinic, New York, N. Y. 
Homeopathic Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Burnett Sanitarium, Fresno, Cal. 
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Boston City Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Brooks Hospital, Brooklyn, Mass. 
Children's Hart Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Robert Brigham Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Boston Dispensary, Boston, Mass. 
Salvation Army Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Carney Hospital, Little, S. Boston, Mass. 
New England Home for Wanderers, Boston, 
Mass. 
Boston State Hospital, Danvers, Mass. 
Boston State Hospital, Boston, Mass. 
Medfield State Hospital, Bloomingdale, Mass. 
Wrentham State Hospital, Wrentham, Mass. 
Westboro State Hospital, Westboro, Mass. 
Foxboro State Hospital, Foxboro, Mass. 
Massachusetts School for Feebleminded, Waver- 
ley, Mass. 
Perkins Institute for Blind, Watertown, Mass. 
182 CHAPTER XII 
BOOK REVIEWS 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity" 
The following book review appeared 
in The Investment Weekly and Business 
Digest, New York, December, 1918. 
This recognition of "Modern Dentistry 
for the Laity and Industrial Dentistry 
for the Corporation" is very much ap- 
preciated. This is a review of the first 
edition. 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity and Indus- 
trial Dentistry for the Corporation." By 
Alfred Armstrong Crocker, 6 pp., 16mo. 
Dental Register, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
Advocates a plan for the installation by 
corporations of a dental clinic. The corpora- 
tion dentist keeps a chart of the teeth of each 
employe, and whenever he finds a decayed or 
abscessed tooth calls it to the attention of the 
employe's dentist. Many illnesses are directly 
or indirectly due to bad condition of the teeth, 
so that dentistry is a real aid in the manu- 
facturer's problem. This system has been in 
use in the Army and Navy, in nitrate plants 
and the airship corporations and has been 
adopted by sixty-three * large corporations in 
different parts of the country. 
ACCORDED 
* This was the number of industrial dental clinics then 
in operation. 
183 Modern Dentistry 
The following is also a review of the 
first edition, which appeared in the 
January, 1919, number of The American 
Jeweler, Chicago, Ill. This notice of 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity and 
Industrial Dentistry for the Corpora- 
tion" helps show the diversified lines 
of thought to which this subject 
appeals. 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity and Indus- 
trial Dentistry for the Incorporation," by 
Alfred Armstrong Crocker. Published by 
the Dental Register, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
Industrial dentistry, like industrial optics, 
is a new phase of welfare work, particularly of 
large corporations and requires more or less 
publicity to bring its merits to the attention 
of those who are chiefly interested. The sub- 
ject is covered by about sixty pages, five of 
which contain a list of the corporations who 
are operating dental clinics at their factories. 
The subject is treated in seven short chapters, 
giving various aspects of dentistry as a factor 
in industrial corporations and the reasons for 
corporation dentistry. 
The following review was written by 
The Modern Hospital, Chicago, and pub- 
lished in their Book Review Department. 
184 Modem Dentistry 
It is a review of the second edition of 
this book. This complimentary assist- 
ance in the popularization of the bene- 
fits derived from preventive dentistry 
is greatly appreciated. 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity and Indus- 
trial Dentistry for the Corporation." By 
Alfred A. Crocker, Cincinnati, Ohio.* 
This little volume consists of a number of 
short essays on dentistry and its application 
to individual welfare and industrial efficiency. 
The author deals with the importance of 
proper care of the teeth in relation to the 
health of every individual; he also lays stress 
on the necessity of corporations realizing what 
a large part the teeth play in the general 
health of their employes. The idea to follow 
in regard to your teeth, he says, is the pre- 
vention of decay, and this requires visits to 
the dentist at least twice a year. In order to 
insure the proper care of teeth on the part of 
employes, the best plan for the corporation to 
follow is to install a dental clinic, similar to 
the medical department now almost indispen- 
sable in large corporations. The function of 
the dental clinic is not to treat the teeth of 
the employes, but simply to examine them and 
recommend the treatment necessary so that 
the patient may go to his family dentist im- 
mediately. Many companies do not absolutely 
require this examination twice a year, but find 
'The Sam'I A. Crocker Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 1919. 
185 Modem Dentistry 
that the employes are glad of the opportunity 
and willing to take advantage of it. As for 
the value of this plan to the corporation, "cor- 
porations installing dental service for employes 
are taking a step for economy in manufactur- 
ing, conservancy of manufacturing hours, and 
maintenance of health of operatives." The im- 
portance of proper care of the teeth has been 
emphasized by preventive dentistry and oral 
hygiene during the war, since the United States 
Government required every recruit for the army 
or navy aviation corps to have his teeth put in 
good prophylactic condition. The last essay, 
"Tooth Troubles," gives an idea of "what pre- 
vention prevents." A list of actual require- 
ments for establishing clinics concludes the 
book. The essays, which appeared originally 
in various magazines, are written in such a 
way that the average person can easily and 
quickly read them. The few technical terms 
which occur are defined. The book is dedicated 
to "the dental profession, whose avowed purpose 
is the prevention of decay and preservation of 
the teeth of the human race." 
The following book reviews are ac- 
corded the third edition: 
Here is a review which was published 
in the National Jeweler, Chicago, in 
their book review department October, 
1920. The National Jeweler shows its 
broadmindedness in voluntarily review- 
186 Modem Dentistry 
ing a book on dentistry and joining the 
constantly growing coterie of editors 
who are going to do something for the 
human health as they go along. 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity." By Alfred 
A. Crocker, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
The importance of dentistry as health in- 
surance was strikingly emphasized during the 
war. In many great manufacturing plants it 
is regarded today as no less important, if not 
even of greater value, than medicine and 
surgery as a branch of industrial welfare 
work. A quoted statement by one Chicago 
firm, for example, reads: "Dentistry in our 
factory has saved our employes, as well as 
ourselves, over 2,000 hours in the past six 
months. It has increased production in propor- 
tion to the working hours saved." 
A little book, that can be read through at 
a sitting, it is designed to arouse individuals 
and corporations to the health importance of 
the care and periodical examination of the 
teeth. 
This review comes from a very inter- 
esting dental magazine published in 
England, The Dental Practitioner, Lon- 
don, England, in the November, 1920, 
number. You will notice that our Eng- 
lish friends think well of this subject. 
187 Modern Dentistry 
The author takes this opportunity to ex- 
press his appreciation for these words 
of testimonial sent from overseas. 
"Modern Dentistry for the Laity." By Alfred 
A. Crocker. Third edition. Published by 
the Dental Register, Cincinnati, Ohio, 
U. S. A. 
We have to hand an excellent little book, 
by Alfred A. Crocker, entitled "Modern Den- 
tistry for the Laity." This book deals very 
comprehensively with the question of in- 
dustrial dental clinics. In this country very 
few industrial companies care for the welfare 
of their employes by placing skilled dental 
treatment at their disposal. We have factory 
surgeons, but the time is now at hand when 
factory dental surgeons will be recognized as a 
proved necessity towards the general efficiency 
of our workers. Much good would accrue if 
this little book could be placed in the hands 
of all employers of labor. We congratulate 
Mr. Crocker for his efforts to bring this im- 
portant subject before the notice of the laity. 
188 QUESTIONNAIRES 
Here follow the questionnaires which 
the author sent out to companies who 
were using the dental system in their 
safety welfare work in 1918-1921. The 
replies are printed in this book in the 
chapter "Evidence of the Value of Pre- 
ventative Dentistry in Industrial Corpo- 
rations. ' ' 
FIRST QUESTIONNAIRE 
Cincinnati, 0., October 26, 1918. 
Gentlemen-We are much interested at the 
present time in the subject of dentistry in 
the factory and would like to have you let 
us know what particular advantages you have 
found by the use of dentistry in your com- 
pany. It has been well known for many 
years that medicine and surgery were bene- 
ficial in corporations, its uses and benefits 
are very apparent. For this reason we would 
like to have you express your opinion of the 
results obtained by dentistry and the benefits 
it has brought to your company. For in- 
stance, has it met with your expectations? 
Has it brought better results than at first 
anticipated? Has it reduced the number of 
hours lost which were otherwise due to some 
untraceable cause? Has it benefited the 
men and women in the factory? Has it in- 
creased the value of the finished products of 
189 Modem Dentistry 
your factory? Has it noticeably increased 
the out-put in your factory? Do you class 
it along with medicine and surgery as a wel- 
fare feature for first aid? Do you believe 
that preventative dentistry is as important 
as medicine? 
There, no doubt, will be certain features in 
the use of dentistry in your company which 
these questions will not touch upon, but if 
you will kindly give us your frank opinion 
of the value of dentistry in your factory it 
will aid us in bringing the subject into a con- 
crete form for an article we are preparing 
for a prominent industrial magazine. There 
are many industrial companies anxious to 
know the results that have been obtained 
from dentistry in the companies who are using 
the dental system in their factory, and we are 
preparing an article which will answer the 
question and give results as found by the 
various companies whose names we have that 
are using dentistry as a welfare feature. 
Anything else besides the answers to the 
above questions will be greatly appreciated. 
Trusting you will take the time to answer 
this letter, and assuring you it will be of 
service to the cause of efficiency in manu- 
facturing, we remain, 
Yours truly, 
AAC:RH ALFRED A. CROCKER. 
190 Modern Dentistry 
SECOND QUESTIONNAIRE 
August 12, 1921. 
1. How or through which primary 
cause was your Dental Clinic estab- 
lished ? 
2. Is Dental Clinic being operated as 
part of the Medical Department? If 
not, in what particular or definite way 
does it fit in with your Industrial (or 
Hospital) Service? 
3. Cite at least six (6) serious cases 
of systemic disorders diagnosed through 
condition of teeth and mouth (X-ray) 
and then corrected or cured primarily 
by Dental Clinic. 
4. How many cases per month do you 
refer to your Dental Radiographer? 
5. Is your Dental Clinic-operated 
either as a part of the Medical or as a 
distinct unit of the Industrial (Hospi- 
tal) Service-a paying proposition? 
Can you state or estimate approximately 
the annual saving in labor hours or dol- 
191 Modern Dentistry 
lars ? Also give average number of 
employees. 
6. If possible, please attach floor plan 
of Medical Department including Den- 
tal Clinic. 
7. Please attach samples (filled out) 
of charting and report and record cards 
used, with explanation. 
For statistical purposes: 
1. Number of extractions-Reasons. 
2. Number of treatments for prophy- 
laxis. 
3. Number of consultations with phy- 
sicians-Results. 
4. Number of cases where mouth was 
charted for work to be done by the 
family dentist. 
5. Result of follow-up. 
192 BIBLIOGRAPHY 
A Study of Streptococci from Pyor- 
rhea Alveolaris and from Apical Ab- 
scesses.-Thos. B. Hartzell, M.D., 
D.M.D., and Arthur T. Henrici, M.D. 
Oral Infection in Relation to Consti- 
tutional Infection.-Thos. B. Hartzell, 
M.D., D.M.D. 
The Mouth as a Factor in the Patho- 
genesis of Heart, Kidneys and Joint In- 
flammations.-Thos. B. Hartzell, M.D., 
D.M.D. 
The Dental Path-Its Importance as 
an Avenue to Infection.-Thos. B. Hart- 
zell, M.D., D.M.D., and Arthur T. Hen- 
rici, M.D. 
Oral Sepsis in Its Relationship to 
Systemic Disease.-Wm. W. Duke, M.D., 
Ph.D. 
Care of the Mouth and Teeth.-Jos. 
Herbert Kauffman, D.D.S. 
193 Modern Dentistry 
Educational Lectures on Dental and 
Oral Hygiene.-T. C. Trigger, D.D.S. 
Mouth Hygiene-A Course of In- 
struction for Dental Hygienists.-Alfred 
C. Fones, D.D.S. 
Profitable Practice.-George Wood 
Clapp, D.D.S. 
Business Science of Dentistry.-Ed- 
ward S. Barber, D.D.S. 
194 Periodical care of the teeth by a dentist is 
prophylaxis. It is painless without anaesthetics. 
Dentistry by necessity at periods of pain results in 
oral surgical operations which without anaesthetics 
are painful. 
Prophylaxis by your dentist is more than a 
tooth cleaning. It is a professional detection of 
decay which has started since the last prophylaxis 
by him. This decay takes place in spite of all 
household efforts to prevent it. By periodical 
prophylaxis your dentist can discover the decay 
before it does much damage and by this means 
and only by this means can you preserve the per- 
fection of your teeth. Periodical prophylaxis by 
your dentist, therefore, is a professional consulta- 
tion on the soundness of your tooth health. 
Prophylaxis for the Baity and Odontalysis for the 
Hospital Patient 
195 THE 
PIONEER DENTAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES 
THE 
DENTAL 
REGISTER 
Edited b/ OrNELVILLE S HOFF 
ANN APBOR. MICH 
"THE DENTAL REGISTER" 
This volume would not be complete without mention 
of The Dental Register, which has done so much 
toward furthering the interests of Dentistry through all 
these years. Since 1847 the Dental Register has been 
published continuously. 
In 1847 its first editor was Dr. James Taylor, who 
edited it until 1859, when Drs. Taft and Watt became 
joint editors. Thus it was edited until 1873, when Dr. 
Watt resigned, leaving Dr. Jonathan Taft as single 
editor until 1900. Since 1900 Dr. N. S. Hoff, of Ann 
Arbor Dental College, has had the editorial chair. Dr. 
Hoff was one of the first dental editors in the United 
States to sanction the popularization of Dentistry. 
196 T N 1918, with the foregoing ideas as a 
1 basis, the following spread was made 
in the Cincinnati newspapers. This is 
a verbatim copy and facsimile set up 
of press notice used. 
Blazing the Way for an appreciation of 
the value of Dental Service and Pre- 
ventive Dentistry in maintaining 
Health and Vigor. 
ODONTALYSIS 
Ever thoughtful of the welfare of the com- 
munity and public health, dental interests have 
found it eminently best that the public be ad- 
vised about the health benefits derived from peri- 
odical attention to their teeth by a dentist. Decay 
creeps on a patient unawares, and only announces 
its presence after considerable tooth and nerve 
damage has been done. Intercept this process by 
permitting your dentist to care for your teeth 
twice a year, thus catching the decay before it 
has made any dangerous progress. This branch 
of dentistry is called prophylaxis. A part of the 
work is a thorough examination of the mouth and 
teeth. This analysis is called the odontalysls- 
analysls of the teeth. 
197