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Definition of a profession
L E T T E R S T O T H E E D IT O R THE JOURNAL devotes this section to comment by readers on topics o f current interest to dentistry. The editor reserves the right to edit all communications to fit available space and requires that all letters be signed. Printed communications d o not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of the Association. Your participation in this section is invited.
ple , classic type preparations o n ly. W e also helped the tech n icians carve the restorations fo r w h ic h the y w ere graded, and the c lin ic was bet te r equipped th a n th e o ther c lin ic s so that m ore treatm ents c o u ld be p ro vid e d . I su b m itte d m y re p o rt to C aptain L u d w ic k w h e n I requested a transfer fro m th is program , and I was assured th a t the re p o rt w o u ld be in c lu d e d in the fin a l report, b u t to m y k n o w l edge i t was not.
Definition of a profession □ Jacques B arzun’s piece, “ The p ro fessions u n d e r siege: P rivate prac tice versus p u b lic need,” in the A p r il issue added some class to our jo u rn a l. A s a pa rt o f m y lib e ra l arts educa tio n in the early 1950s, I was forced to read Barr, Locke, Spinoza, Dewey, S oltis, Gardner, J. Scheffler, and Barzun. I learned fro m them h o w to read and h o w to love p h ilo s o p h y and the arts. M y o w n tw o professional careers as a d e n tist and teacher have been guided b y a d e fin itio n and goal w h ic h I learned in m y predentist days. I pass along a s tip u la tiv e and program m atic d e fin itio n o f a profes sion to m y fe llo w readers: A profes s ion is a group o f learned in d iv id u als w h o place the needs o f th e ir pa tients, students, o r clie n ts before th e ir o w n needs. The highest goal o f any profession is the e lim in a tio n o f the need fo r th a t profession. D e n tis try has never enjoyed a w e ll-in fo rm e d p u b lic o p in io n . I be lieve , how ever, th a t w e are re a lly a fin e group o f people. I f yo u dou b t th is, you have o n ly to rem em ber h o w w e have w orke d fo r un ive rsa l flu o rid a tio n in the past tw o o r three decades. W e’re try in g to e lim in a te the need fo r ou r services— a noble goal fo r us a ll. WAYNE L. HARVEY, DDS, MA DENVER
Second-hand smoke □ In the d e n tis t’s ro le as a fa m ily h e a lth adviser, no message surpas ses in im po rta nce the one illu s tra te d b y the accom panying photograph.
BRIAN R. SPENCER, DDS LA GRANDE, ORE
S m oking is bad enough, b u t fo r a m o th e r o r father to in flic t second h an d smoke on an unsuspecting sm a ll c h ild is inexcusable. D entists sh o u ld advise u n k n o w in g parents o f th is health hazard, and sh o u ld also ca u tio n them that c h ild re n learn about sm oking fro m th e ir parents. BRUCE L. DOUGLAS, DDS CHICAGO
C om m ent: The a rtic le by S isty, H en derson, and Paule presented a re v ie w o f the lite ra tu re th a t in c lu d e d m y 1964 report on the Great Lakes program . M y fin a l re p o rt co n ce rn in g expanded duties fo r a u x ilia rie s has n o t been com pleted. Dr. Spencer’s com m ents w il l be in c lu d e d , along w ith those o f others w h o p a rtic i pated in the study. W hen the m an u s c rip t is p u b lish e d , readers w il l be able to stu d y the results and judge fo r them selves the m e rits o f the program . WILLIAM E. LUDWICK, DDS W AYZATA, MINN
Expanded functions □ A fte r reading the a rticle b y Sisty, H enderson, and Paule (The Journal, February), I th o u g h t i t m ig h t be in teresting to v ie w the other side o f the Great Lakes expanded fu n c tio n s program . I was a dental o ffic e r in th is program in 1964. A lth o u g h the le n g th o f the tra in in g program was liste d as a specified nu m b e r o f hours, I question th a t the te ch n ician s re a lly received th a t m u c h tra in in g . The program was set up so that statistics w o u ld speak fo r it. The officers were to ld to do s im
Breast-feeding and caries □ I fin d Dr. A b b e y ’s re p ly (The Jo urnal, M ay) to m y c ritiq u e o f his a rtic le fa u lty on the fo llo w in g po in ts: — He says th a t the n u rs in g -b o ttle caries pattern is n o t su p p o rte d by c o n tro lle d studies. H is o rig in a l a rti cle attem pted to prove th a t breast feeding, u n lik e b o ttle -fe e d in g , does n o t cause too th decay. W h ic h is i t to be, a d is tin c tio n betw een b o ttleJADA, V ol. 99, July 1979 ■ 11
ple , classic type preparations o n ly. W e also helped the tech n icians carve the restorations fo r w h ic h the y w ere graded, and the c lin ic was bet te r equipped th a n th e o ther c lin ic s so that m ore treatm ents c o u ld be p ro vid e d . I su b m itte d m y re p o rt to C aptain L u d w ic k w h e n I requested a transfer fro m th is program , and I was assured th a t the re p o rt w o u ld be in c lu d e d in the fin a l report, b u t to m y k n o w l edge i t was not.
Definition of a profession □ Jacques B arzun’s piece, “ The p ro fessions u n d e r siege: P rivate prac tice versus p u b lic need,” in the A p r il issue added some class to our jo u rn a l. A s a pa rt o f m y lib e ra l arts educa tio n in the early 1950s, I was forced to read Barr, Locke, Spinoza, Dewey, S oltis, Gardner, J. Scheffler, and Barzun. I learned fro m them h o w to read and h o w to love p h ilo s o p h y and the arts. M y o w n tw o professional careers as a d e n tist and teacher have been guided b y a d e fin itio n and goal w h ic h I learned in m y predentist days. I pass along a s tip u la tiv e and program m atic d e fin itio n o f a profes sion to m y fe llo w readers: A profes s ion is a group o f learned in d iv id u als w h o place the needs o f th e ir pa tients, students, o r clie n ts before th e ir o w n needs. The highest goal o f any profession is the e lim in a tio n o f the need fo r th a t profession. D e n tis try has never enjoyed a w e ll-in fo rm e d p u b lic o p in io n . I be lieve , how ever, th a t w e are re a lly a fin e group o f people. I f yo u dou b t th is, you have o n ly to rem em ber h o w w e have w orke d fo r un ive rsa l flu o rid a tio n in the past tw o o r three decades. W e’re try in g to e lim in a te the need fo r ou r services— a noble goal fo r us a ll. WAYNE L. HARVEY, DDS, MA DENVER
Second-hand smoke □ In the d e n tis t’s ro le as a fa m ily h e a lth adviser, no message surpas ses in im po rta nce the one illu s tra te d b y the accom panying photograph.
BRIAN R. SPENCER, DDS LA GRANDE, ORE
S m oking is bad enough, b u t fo r a m o th e r o r father to in flic t second h an d smoke on an unsuspecting sm a ll c h ild is inexcusable. D entists sh o u ld advise u n k n o w in g parents o f th is health hazard, and sh o u ld also ca u tio n them that c h ild re n learn about sm oking fro m th e ir parents. BRUCE L. DOUGLAS, DDS CHICAGO
C om m ent: The a rtic le by S isty, H en derson, and Paule presented a re v ie w o f the lite ra tu re th a t in c lu d e d m y 1964 report on the Great Lakes program . M y fin a l re p o rt co n ce rn in g expanded duties fo r a u x ilia rie s has n o t been com pleted. Dr. Spencer’s com m ents w il l be in c lu d e d , along w ith those o f others w h o p a rtic i pated in the study. W hen the m an u s c rip t is p u b lish e d , readers w il l be able to stu d y the results and judge fo r them selves the m e rits o f the program . WILLIAM E. LUDWICK, DDS W AYZATA, MINN
Expanded functions □ A fte r reading the a rticle b y Sisty, H enderson, and Paule (The Journal, February), I th o u g h t i t m ig h t be in teresting to v ie w the other side o f the Great Lakes expanded fu n c tio n s program . I was a dental o ffic e r in th is program in 1964. A lth o u g h the le n g th o f the tra in in g program was liste d as a specified nu m b e r o f hours, I question th a t the te ch n ician s re a lly received th a t m u c h tra in in g . The program was set up so that statistics w o u ld speak fo r it. The officers were to ld to do s im
Breast-feeding and caries □ I fin d Dr. A b b e y ’s re p ly (The Jo urnal, M ay) to m y c ritiq u e o f his a rtic le fa u lty on the fo llo w in g po in ts: — He says th a t the n u rs in g -b o ttle caries pattern is n o t su p p o rte d by c o n tro lle d studies. H is o rig in a l a rti cle attem pted to prove th a t breast feeding, u n lik e b o ttle -fe e d in g , does n o t cause too th decay. W h ic h is i t to be, a d is tin c tio n betw een b o ttleJADA, V ol. 99, July 1979 ■ 11