The New Recruits

The New Recruits

TH E JO URNAL o 1 f NATIONAL DENTAL A S S O C IA T IO N ^ A KSE ntered a s second-class m a tte r, M arch 22, 1915, a t th e P o st Office a t H un...

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TH E JO URNAL o

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NATIONAL DENTAL A S S O C IA T IO N ^ A KSE ntered a s second-class m a tte r, M arch 22, 1915, a t th e P o st Office a t H untington, In d ia n a , under the A ct of A u g u st 24, 1912. P u b lish e d M onthly. E d ito r an d G eneral M anager, OTTO U. KING, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., 5 N. W abash Ave., Chicago, Illinois. A ssociate E ditors, THOMAS P . HINMAN, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., A tla n ta , Ga. HARVEY J. BURKHART, D .D.S., LL.D., F.A.C.D., Rochester, N. Y. THOMAS B. HARTZELL, D.M .D., M.D., F.A.C.D., M inneapolis, M inn. All expressions of opinion and a ll statem en ts o f supposed fa c ts a re published on the a u th o rity of the w rite r over whose sig n atu re they ap p ear an d a re n o t to be regarded as expressing the views of the N ational D ental A ssociation, u n less such statem en ts o r opinions have been adopted by vote of the Ass ciation. M A N U SCR IPTS: M anuscripts should be typew ritten, double-spaced, and the o riginal, n o t the c arbon copy, subm itted. We cannot promise to re tu rn unused m anuscript and used m anuscript is n o t retu rn ed . R equests fo r re p rin ts should be m ade a t the tim e of forw arding article. We reserve th e rig h t to accept o r reject any m an u scrip t fo r p ublication. A rticles are accepted fo r publication on condition th a t they a re contributed solely to th is jo u rn al. SUBSCRIPTION included in the a n n u al mem bership dues. SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 a y ear, in advance, to non-m em bers, living in all p a rts of the U nited States or its possessions. C anada, $3.00. F oreign countries, $3.00. Single copies, 25 cents. A DVERTISEM ENTS accepted only from reliab le firms. F ra u d u le n t and m isleading advertisem ents barred. IN CHANGES of ADDRESS both the old an d new address m ust be given. JOURNALS a re n o t sen t beyond th e subscription period.

V o i,. 9

JU N E , 1922

E d ito r ia l

N o. 6

D e p a r tm e n t

THE NEW RECRUITS A t th is s e a s o n o f th e y e a r w h e n so m a n y o f o u r y o u n g m e n a re f i n i s h i n g t h e i r c o lle g e c o u r s e a n d e n t e r i n g o n t h e p r a c t i c e o f t h e i r p r o f e s s io n , i t m a y b e w e ll to p o in t o u t s o m e o f t h e t h in g s w h ic h t h e p r o f e s s io n h a s in s t o r e f o r t h e m . I t is q u it e im p o s s ib le f o r t h e a v e r a g e y o u n g m a n t o r e a liz e t h e f u ll s ig n if ic a n c e o f t h e p r o f e s s io n a l a n d m o r a l o b lig a t io n w h ic h h e a s s u m e s w h e n h e b o w s h is h e a d a n d a c c e p ts a d i p l o m a o n c o m m e n c e m e n t d a y . T h e u p p e r m o s t t h o u g h t i n h i s m i n d is 525

526

The Journal of the National Dental Association

o n e o f t r iu m p h — t r iu m p h a t h a v in g s u c c e s s f u lly m e t t h e r e q u ir e m e n t s o f t h e c o lle g e a n d r e c e iv e d t h e i n d o r s e m e n t o f t h e f a c u l t y . H e f a n c ie s t h a t h e h a s a tt a in e d t h e s u m m it — t h a t i t w ill b e a ll d o w n h ill f r o m t h is o n — t h a t a ll h e h a s t o d o is t o h a n g u p h is c o v e te d d ip lo m a a n d r e a c h o u t h is h a n d f o r s u c c e s s . B u t th e d a w n in g o f a s t e r n e r d a y w ill c o m e , w h e n h e w ill b e c o n f r o n te d w it h th e s t u b b o r n re a litie s o f lif e — a lif e t h a t h e w a s n e v e r a b le t o v is u a liz e in t h e p a lm ie s t o f h is c o lle g e d a y s . H e w ill b e b r o u g h t fa c e to fa c e w it h th e s o b e r fa c t th a t th e re a l te s t o f h u m a n m e t t le is t h e a le m b ic o f p r a c t ic a l e x p e r ie n c e . H o w c o u ld h e k n o w t h a t in e v e r y d a y p r a c tic e t h e c o n d itio n s a r e e n t ir e ly d iff e re n t f r o m t h e d a y s w h e n h e h a d a d e m o n s t r a t o r c o n s t a n t ly a t h is e lb o w ? N o m a t t e r h o w m a n y t im e s h is c o lle g e p r o f e s s o r s h a v e w a r n e d h i m o f t h is h e c a n n o t s e e i t t i l l h e is a c t u a lly in c o n t a c t w i t h it . T h e e x p e r ie n c e a n d e x a m p le o f o t h e r m e n a r e a s n o t h in g to h im in t h is p e r io d o f h is p r o f e s s io n a l a d o le s c e n c e . H e m u s t le a r n f o r h im s e lf — a n d le a r n h e d o e s . S o m e t im e s t h e le s s o n is s o s e v e r e t h a t i t le a v e s h i m l i m p a n d d is ­ h e a r t e n e d , a n d y e t i t is o n ly b y t h is a p p a r e n t ly b i t t e r e x p e r ie n c e t h a t h e c a n f in a lly g r o w in t o t h e f u ll s t a t u r e o f p r o f e s s io n a l m a n h o o d . A n d le t it b e s a id t h a t t o d a y , w i t h t h e r a p id d e v e lo p m e n t o f t h e p r o f e s s io n , t h e a c h ie v e m e n t o f p r o f e s s io n a l m a n h o o d is s o m e t h in g w e ll w o r t h w h ile . I t is a g o a l t o w a r d w h i c h t h e y o u n g m a n s h o u ld s t r iv e , n o m a t t e r a t w h a t c o s t o f p e r s o n a l e n d e a v o r o r s a c r if ic e . D e n t i s t r y t o d a y h o ld s m o r e in th e w a y o f r e w a r d t h a n a t a n y t im e in its h is t o r y . T h e n e w r e c r u it c o m e s i n t o a p r o f e s s io n w h i c h a t t h i s t i m e c o m m a n d s r e s p e c t . I t is r a p id ly c lim b in g t o a p a r it y w it h a n y o t h e r o f t h e le a r n e d p r o fe s s io n s , a n d t h u s t h e r e c e n t g r a d u a t e h a s a s a c re d o b lig a t io n f o r c e d u p o n h im a t t h e v e r y t h r e s h o ld o f h is p r o f e s s io n a l c a r e e r . H e h a s t h e o b lig a t io n o f d o in g h is s h a r e in a m a n ly a n d w h o le -h e a r t e d w a y t o s u s ta in th e b e t t e r t r a d it io n s o f h is p r o f e s s io n , a n d t o a d d , e v e n in th e s m a lle s t p o s s ib le w a y , t o t h e b e t t e r m e n t o f h is c a llin g . F e w y o u n g m e n c o m e in t o t h e p r o f e s s io n w it h a s u f f ic ie n tly e x a lte d c o n c e p tio n o f t h e ir d u t y t o t h e ir p r o f e s s io n o r to s o c ie ty a t la r g e . T h e i r c h ie f c o n c e r n n a t u r a l l y r e la t e s t o e a r n in g a liv e lih o o d , a n d i t is n o t t i l l la t e r in lif e w h e n t h e m e llo w in g in f lu e n c e o f a n a s s o c ia t io n w i t h h u m a n s u f f e r in g p o u r s it s b e n e f ic e n t o il o v e r t h e i r c o n s c io u s n e s s t h a t t h e y c o m e f u lly in to a r e a liz a tio n o f th e h ig h e s t f u n c t io n o f f o llo w in g a p r o fe s ­ s io n a l c a r e e r . T h i s is a m a t t e r o f g r o w t h — n o t o f s u d d e n in s p ir a t io n . I t m u s t b e k n i t s t it c h b y s t it c h in t o t h e f ib e r o f t h e ir p r o fe s s io n a l b e in g . F o r t u n a t e t h e y o u n g m a n w h o e a r ly in h is e x p e rie n c e b e g in s to a b s o r b t h e e s s e n c e o f w h a t t r u e p r o f e s s io n a lis m m e a n s ! I t is o u t o f t h is r e a liz a t io n t h a t c o m e s t h e g r e a t e s t h a p p in e s s in p r o f e s s io n a l lif e ,

Editorial Department

527

a n d t h e g r e a t e s t a c h ie v e m e n t t o w a r d t h a t u n s e lf is h s e r v ic e t o h u m a n it y w h ic h b r in g s th e s u re s t a n d s w e e te s t re w a rd . D e n t is t r y o ffe rs o p p o r tu n itie s t o d a y t h a t i t n e v e r d id b e fo re . I f t h e h i l l is s te e p a n d t h e r o a d h a r d , t h e r e is a c o m m e n s u r a t e r e w a r d a t t h e to p , a n d e v e r y y o u n g m a n h a s it w i t h i n h im t o a c h ie v e a t le a s t a m o d ic u m o f th is r e w a r d if h e w ill o n ly a p p ly h im s e lf . A n d h e m u s t r e m e m b e r t h a t t h e r o a d is n o t s o h a r d t o d a y a s f o r m e r ly . T h e p a t h h a s b e e n w o rn s m o o th e r b y th e fo o ts te p s o f th o s e w h o h a v e g o n e b e ­ f o r e — b y t h e t r e a d o f t h e p io n e e rs , a n d t h e p a t h f in d e r s . H e s h o u ld b e t h a n k f u l f o r t h is , a n d in h is g r a t it u d e f o r t h e p r iv ile g e h e e n jo y s h e s h o u ld d e d ic a te h im s e lf in a ll s e r io u s n e s s t o a lif e o f p r o f e s s io n a l s e r v ic e a n d s a c r if ic e , w h i c h s h a ll le a v e h is c h o s e n c a llin g a n ic h e h ig h e r in th e r e a lm o f h u m a n e n d e a v o r, a n d m o r e n e a r ly p e rfe c t in its m in is t r a ­ t io n to t h e ills a n d s u f f e r in g s o f h is f e llo w m a n . I f h e b u t a d d s o n e jo t o r t it t le t o t h e s u m t o t a l o f h u m a n c o m f o r t o r h u m a n h a p p in e s s , h is lif e m a y b e c a lle d a s u c c e s s , a n d h e m a y l a y d o w n h is b u r d e n a t t h e e n d o f th e w in d in g ro a d w it h a s e n s e o f h a v in g c o n tr ib u te d h is s h a re to t h e b e t t e r m e n t o f t h e w o r ld in w h ic h h e liv e d . T h i s is a p r o s p e c t w h ic h n o y o u n g m a n c a n a f f o r d t o ig n o r e , a n d i t is c o m m e n d e d t o t h e a t t e n ­ tio n o f e v e r y o n e o f th e re c e n t g ra d u a te s w h o a re e n te rin g th e p ro fe s ­ s io n a t t h i s t im e .

INTERNATIONAL DENTAL FEDERATION (F .D .I.) T h e a i m s a n d o b j e c t s o f t h e Federation D entaire Internationale a r e n o t a s w e ll u n d e r s t o o d b y t h e r a n k a n d file o f t h e p r o f e s s io n a s t h e y s h o u ld b e . I t w a s o r g a n iz e d w i t h t h e id e a o f b r i n g i n g c o h e s io n a m o n g t h e p r o f e s s io n a l in t e r e s t s o f t h e d if f e r e n t n a tio n s , a n d w a s t h e o u tc o m e o f th e T h i r d In t e r n a t io n a l D e n t a l C o n g re s s h e ld in P a r is , F r a n c e , in 1 9 0 0 . H e r e t o f o r e th e r e h a d b e e n n o a u t h o r iz e d in t e r n a t io n a l b o d y e x ­ is t in g in d e n t is t r y w h ic h c o u ld f u n c t io n b e t w e e n t h e v a r io u s in t e r n a ­ tio n a l c o n g re s s e s , a n d o n e o f th e p r o v is io n s in it s s ta tu te s s a y s : “ T h e I n t e r n a t io n a l D e n t a l F e d e r a t io n is a p e r m a n e n t in t e r n a t io n a l b o d y e x ­ is t in g in th e in t e r im b e tw e e n In t e r n a t io n a l D e n t a l C o n g r e s s .” T h e a m o u n t o f g o o d w h ic h t h is o r g a n iz a t io n a c c o m p lis h e d b e tw e e n 1 9 0 0 a n d t h e b r e a k in g o u t o f t h e w o r ld -w a r c a n n e v e r b e e s tim a te d . I t w a s t h e o n e t r ib u n a l t o w h ic h o r g a n iz e d d e n t i s t r y t h e w o r ld o v e r c o u ld a p p e a l, t h e o n e l i n k t o b i n d in s e p a r a b ly t h e p r o f e s s io n a l in t e r e s t s o f th e v a r io u s n a tio n s . U n h a p p ily th e b r e a k in g o u t o f th e w a r in 1 9 1 4 — ju s t a t th e tim e a m e e t in g w a s b e in g h e ld in L o n d o n — in t e r r u p t e d t h e b e n e fic e n t f u n c t io n o f t h is o r g a n iz a t io n , a n d w h ile in t e r e s t in t h e b o d y n e v e r r e la x e d o n